Healthy breakfast guide: the science behind the first meal of the day

We’ve long been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day; however, what’s the science behind this? Are there certain breakfast foods we should be eating and others we should avoid? The word breakfast comes from “breaking” the fast of sleep. So how can we best do this, and set ourselves up for the day ahead?

Denise Fair, an accredited dietitian based at the Central Health Medical Practice in Hong Kong, explains that breakfast is often considered the most important meal of day because it takes you out of sleep mode and gets the metabolism going.

“After you have been sleeping, your body has used up all the nutrients eaten before going to bed so it is looking for fuel to get started again,” Fair says.

There are many different theories about the advantages of eating a good breakfast. Some studies have shown that eating a healthy breakfast is good for the brain, helping to improve memory and concentration levels, as well as reduced stress. In children, breakfast can hugely help with their attention spans and ability to learn at school – teachers can tell which students eat a proper breakfast.

In the long-term, the morning meal has been shown in some studies to reduce the risks of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Some experts even suggest that eating breakfast will help you lose weight.