Feds do about face on importance of breakfast

Prepare yourself a balanced diet

To prepare a balanced diet to ensure that all of the nutrients are present in optimal amounts, nutritionists have created the food pyramid, upon which are cereals. Each food group is represented by one step of the pyramid, which also depicts the amounts in which they must be found in a balanced diet. The energy provided by these foods should be divided into three meals and two snacks. But the lack of time determines the bad habit to skip meals, especially over breakfast, which is maybe the most important one.

Breakfast should cover around 30% of the daily energy and therefore can not be replaced by any other meal of the day. Studies have shown that essential nutrients that are lost if skipping breakfast can’t be compensated by any other meal of the day.

Also, people who eat breakfast every day tend to have healthier eating habits, to improve cognitive performance, and achieve better weight control, lowering risks of developing obesity.

Group cereals (grains, bread, rice, pasta) represents the bottom foods on the pyramid and is recommended to be consumed in abundance (6-11 servings/day).

Breakfast cereal whole is a beneficial choice for a balanced diet as an important source of essential nutrients (fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants) and can be also consumed between.

An unbalanced diet in nutrients (in fat, sugar or salt) determines a weight excess due to the caloric intake. If the diet is as closer as possible to the recommendations of the food pyramid, the risk of chronic diseases caused by inadequate intake of nutrients will be lower.

Constantly concerned with improving the health of consumers, Nestlé has improved since the beginning of 2006, the nutritional profile of the breakfast cereals with whole grains. These products give consumers healthier nutritional choices and enhance the importance given to the first meal of the day.

The optimal time to consume the breakfast

Health professionals say eating breakfast is not only important but also the time of day in which it occurs. In general, it is good that the first meal of the day to be consumed in about 30 minutes after waking, when the body feels the need.

If not receiving the nutrients within 30 minutes after waking, the body fails to maintain a healthy levels of blood lipids, such as the cholesterol and insulin but also is not able to regulate for an optimal blood pressure.

Recommended foods for breakfast

Another important aspect to keep in mind is that your metabolism is not static, and it changes depending on the foods that the body receives.

Donuts fried in oil and dusted with sugar will not help your body to maintain healthy, because it provides calories only but not nutritional value.

A balanced breakfast combines quality carbohydrates with fiber, and protein. In this way, nutrients turn almost entirely into energy, and not into fat deposits, the feeling of fullness persist throughout the day, and digestive system works well.

Best foods for breakfast are:

• Oat flakes containing beta-glucan, Omega 3 fatty acids, folic acid, fiber, and potassium
• Greek yogurt provides plenty of calcium, protein, and probiotics
• Vitamin E
• Grapefruits – provide Vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, and substances that help you burn fat
• Bananas – provide complex carbohydrates, potassium, and vitamins
• Eggs – as sources of protein and essential nutrients such as vitamin D
• Almond butter – excellent source of protein and monounsaturated fat
• Watermelon – wonderful source of hydration and lycopene, an important antioxidant for sight, heart health, and cancer prevention
• Flax seeds sprinkled over salads, cereals or smoothies provide Omega 3 essential fatty acids, fiber, and lignans, an antioxidant that protects against breast cancer
• Grains fortified with riboflavin, folic acid, vitamins, and minerals
• Whole wheat bread

 Feds do about face on importance of breakfast

In many world’s countries, governments have promulgated laws to force televisions to introduce tips on having a healthy life. EU countries and the US are just a few examples in this direction.

In the US, feds have done in different situations contradictory statements regarding different dietary-related issues.

In 2010 the US Dietary Advisory Committee (USDAC) have used as argument a study conducted in 2007 that involved 20,000 adults aged between 46 and 81 years. This study has shown that those people who regularly ate breakfast had a lower risk of getting overweight. This was the guideline for the USDAC to promote the regulations regarding school lunches and other governmental paid programs.

A more recent study shows on the contrary. According to it, people who skip breakfast are more probably to lose weight. The study was conducted on 40 overweight volunteers aged between 18 and 65 years and was conducted for a period of one month.

The conclusion was that the ones who haven’t had breakfast lost weight, in comparison to those who had breakfast, and remained at the same weight, or even got a few extra pounds.

Well, choose for yourself which study to believe in, but if you ask me, I would go with the first one. Breakfast is really important, offering the necessary energy and nutrients for the whole day. Skipping breakfast would form a bad habit for yourself, and you might skip other meals, too, which will eventually lead to one big meal that will cause you a high-calorie intake and will lead to overweight.