Experts say that no matter what you eat, you must have good nutritional options to start your day.
- If you don't eat breakfast every day, you may miss out on several important nutrients.
- Foods that are usually eaten for breakfast are not eaten at other times of the day. This can lead to inadequate intake of the nutrients they contain.
- In addition, people who skip breakfast tend to eat more snacks, especially sugar, carbohydrates, and fats.
- Experts say that no matter what you eat, you must have good nutritional options to start your day.
Skipping breakfast can be an easy habit to develop, whether for convenience or to reduce calories.
However, a new study by Ohio State University researchers suggests that regularly skipping breakfast can be a bad idea.
In fact, you may be missing out on some important nutrients that you can't make up for later in the day.
People who skip breakfast are more likely to lack certain nutrients
The team took data from the National Health and Nutrition Review Survey (NHANES), an ongoing annual survey designed to capture a snapshot of the health and nutrition status of Americans.
The sample used in this study included 30,889 adults aged 19 years and older who participated in NHANES between 2005 and 2016.
To determine who wasn't eating breakfast, they looked at the 24-hour dietary memories that survey participants completed.
Then they calculated the nutritional content of the breakfast captain reporting what they ate.
They found that the nutritional status of people who did not eat breakfast tended to be very different from those who did not eat breakfast.
When it comes to several key nutrients the team studied — such as fiber, magnesium, copper, and zinc — fewer people eat breakfast than they do.
In addition, folic acid, calcium, iron, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and D vary the most.
In addition, due to the abundance of snacks, especially sugar, carbohydrates, and fats, people who do not eat breakfast tend to have a poorer diet.
What is the most important thing for breakfast?
At first glance, it may seem that one can simply make up for breakfast by eating other foods later in the day. But studies have shown that this is often not the case.
Senior authors of the study, Dr. Christopher Taylor, Ph.D., RDN, LD, FAND, and Associate Professor of Medical Nutrition at Ohio State University School of Medicine, describe breakfast as a "unique dining opportunity."
According to Taylor, foods that are often consumed in a typical American breakfast — such as cereal, milk, fruit, and grains — are unlikely to be eaten at other times of the day.
These foods naturally contain nutrients such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, and fiber.
In addition, many of these foods contain important nutrients, he said. Refined grains and grains are fortified with iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid. Dairy products have vitamins A and D added.
Taylor explains that the fortification of certain foods is important because it can replenish nutrients lost during the refining process.
Because these foods are often unique to breakfast, Taylor says the nutrients they contain are unlikely to be eaten in other meals.
Start a good nutritional start
While Taylor and his team focused on foods such as fortified grains and dairy products, Dr. Michelle Pollman, a gastroenterologist and obesity medicine specialist at the University of Miami Health System, was cautious. The study was funded by the National Dairy Association middle east, so such sponsorship could lead to bias in interpreting the data.
"While it's common to eat breakfast cereals, milk, and yogurt for breakfast," Pollman says, "there are many other foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and non-dairy milk, that contain nutrients similar to those provided by cereals." Dairy/beverages. ”
She further points out that it doesn't matter when you eat your first meal, what matters is whether you make the right choice about the food you eat. She recommends listening to your hunger signals and eating when you're hungry.
As for what you eat, she says some of the ideal options for breakfast are "solid" foods that can keep you feeling full for longer. She explains that foods that contain fiber and protein will slow digestion and prevent blood sugar from soaring, helping you feel satisfied before your next meal.
She recommends eating the whole fruit instead of drinking juice so you get more fiber and less sugar.
Finally, she recommends using unprocessed lean meat as a protein source, rather than ham or bacon, which has been linked to certain cancers and is high in sodium.