Work Life Tips

You’ve heard it before: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, it’s true. The goal of eating in the morning is to “break” your overnight “fast.” The longer you fast the greater the chance of impulsive snacking and overeating later in the day. This type of snacking and overeating does not make up the necessities of a healthy eating lifestyle.

Are you curious about the amount of breakfast that is needed to prevent binging at later meals? The good news is that it’s less than you might think. On average breakfast should consist of about 20-25 percent of your total calorie needs for the day. Breakfast doesn’t have to be a buffet of food. Half of a bagel with peanut butter, some fruit, cheese toast, or a quick bowl of cereal or oatmeal are all good choices. For those who do not eat breakfast something is better than nothing.

Eating breakfast is a learned behavior so set some realistic breakfast goals for yourself and work toward them. You may want to start by trying to eat breakfast two or three times per week, increasing until you are eating breakfast on a daily basis. The same strategy should be used to improve the amount eaten as well. Begin with just a few bites and work your way up to eating a healthy nutritious breakfast. And finally, for those of you who are rushed in the morning, grab a piece of fruit or toast to be eaten on your way to work. Eating a small amount of healthy food in the morning really sets you up for healthy eating throughout the day.