Health experts believe breakfast as the most important meal of the day. They say skipping this first meal would cause the remaining twelve hours ahead of you to feel dreadful and lethargic. It’s the reason why so many quick-fix breakfast options exist, from your name-brand cereals to the classic bacon and eggs. People have all grown accustomed to thinking that breakfast is a meal you should always get before leaving the house or starting your day.
However, with the power of science, research, and diligence, it’s come to light that breakfast isn’t as high and mighty as many make it out to be. Many even believe that skipping this so-called most important meal of the day is an exaggeration. And to help raise awareness and help you navigate through meal preparation, you’ll learn the nuanced pros and cons of breakfast, especially for the busy family household.
Promotes Weight Loss and Keeps You Fit
Essentially, skipping your breakfast and just having a cup of coffee to start your day is very similar to intermittent fasting. Your first bite usually comes from your lunch. And given these similarities, skipping your breakfast promotes weight loss and keeps you fit. It falls under the same category of a sound diet plan that helps (1) reduce overall calorie intake, (2) avoid unhealthy breakfast choices, and (3) more time for other morning responsibilities.
- Reduce Your Overall Calorie Intake: When you break it down to the basics, weight loss is all about reducing your overall calorie intake and coming at a net calorie deficit at the end of each day. As a result, skipping your breakfast helps you reach this goal by cutting out an entire meal from the morning. This saves you around 400 to 800 calories, depending on what your breakfast plate typically looks like. And for any busy dad or mom that can’t easily commit to a regular workout schedule, this can aid with keeping healthy alongside all the family responsibilities.
- Avoid Unhealthy Breakfast Meal Choices: Skipping your breakfast also means you avoid all the unhealthy breakfast meal choices that are very common nowadays. For example, most cereal boxes off the shelves are loaded with refined grains and sugars, putting them well above your average piece of candy or slice of dessert. And unless you’re preparing healthy breakfast bowls for the family, certain breakfast types will cause more problems than it solves.
- More Time To Move Around: Lastly, you understand just how hectic mornings can get. That goes double for large households who have to weave and maneuver with everyone’s varying schedules and necessities. As a result, parents who choose to skip breakfast and delay their first meal later on for lunchtime benefit from having more time to move around and get things done. Plus, the same goes for any young adult who prefers finishing most of their responsibilities and pressing matters first thing in the morning.
Varied Impacts on Different Lifestyles
Nevertheless, despite all the benefits of skipping breakfast, the practice can still have varied effects and impacts depending on the lifestyles specific people lead and the different options available. Therefore, you can’t just say that breakfast is unnecessary because some people need it to start their day on the right foot, and they can’t put it off.
- Some People Can’t Operate Without Breakfast: For most people, eating breakfast plays an essential role in their morning ritual. Breakfast provides them with the necessary nutrients and minerals to start their day. And the last thing you’d want to happen is forcing yourself to complete manual labor or juggle work stress on an empty stomach. Plus, kids and teens, in general, need their breakfast. This is because their bodies and minds are still growing to help facilitate the energy they need for learning and maybe even a few extracurricular activities.
- There’s a Limit to Breakfast: However, a healthy weight starts at a young age. If you notice some considerable weight gain in your young one, you’ll need to limit calories. Playtime and exercise are great ways to burn those extra calories. The good thing is, there are many activities you can let your children join. Dance is one excellent way to burn calories, and many facilities parent and toddler dance classes so you can involve the whole family in it.
- Exposes Risk To Cravings And Binges: Besides treating breakfast as essential, skipping breakfast also exposes you to the risk of sudden cravings and binges to satiate the desire to be full. You see, while some people can go about their day usually without feeling the need to eat, others can’t control their hunger. These people might end up overcompensating for the calorie deficit they start in the morning. As a result, it would’ve made a lot more sense to take their breakfast instead.
Overall, many consider breakfast just like any other meal in the day. Despite its history being the most important meal, people think it’s time that title steps down from the throne. So before you put the idea of skipping breakfast to the side, you might want to weigh the benefits it can provide for you with daily family life.
