Eating Breakfast Is Only Half the Story

By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS

For what seems like forever, nutritionists like me have been urging people not to skip breakfast - for a number of reasons. For one thing, studies have found that people who skip breakfast are far more likely to be overweight or obese than those who eat breakfast on a regular basis. Researchers have also found that there's a correlation between eating breakfast and better performance/concentration at school and work, more energy, and improved well-being.
But those of us who have been on the breakfast bandwagon seem to have left out one of the most important details: the breakfast menu. Because even if you eat breakfast, all bets are off if you choose the wrong foods.

In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers confirmed that breakfast eaters, in general, eat fewer calories during the day. But the study also showed that people who eat a really high-calorie breakfast are more likely to eat more calories during the day. Plus, their average intake of important nutrients (like calcium) falls.

When you think about it, this makes sense. Breakfasts that are very high in calories are almost certain to include junk like pastries, donuts, and other "foods" that have nothing to do with reaping the benefits of a solid, high-protein, low-calorie breakfast that's been shown to moderate cravings. In fact, a high-calorie junk-food breakfast is far more likely to lead to overeating during the day - exactly the opposite of what you want.

So don't skip breakfast. But do skip the donuts.