UNITED STATES—It has been argued for years that breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day. As a youngster, I would argue that was never the case. I couldn’t tell you how often I would skip breakfast as a kid. I just didn’t feel like eating super early in the morning. That might be a direct result of having to get up so early for school that I didn’t have time to craft an actual meal that was healthy. It was either Pop Tarts, a Toaster Strudel, a bagel, a muffin or something loaded with sugar.
Now that I’m much older, I have shifted that way of thinking in a very positive way. Breakfast is the fuel, so I need to ensure I have plenty of fuel to move me throughout the day which starts on most days before 7 a.m. and doesn’t end until late at night. I have noticed if I have a healthy and decent breakfast, I can go a lot longer without feeling burnt out sometimes at work. Why? I have the carbs and energy to push me through when my brain is starting to falter a bit.
For example, in the past I would be super quick to have a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Not so much nowadays. If anything, I am more likely to have a bowl of cereal if I’m in a rush and I have to be out the door very early in the morning. If that is not the case, I’m cooking oatmeal with some fruit, having grits with sausage or a bagel and egg sandwich that is NOT processed, but cooked from scratch. I used to always tell my mind, “You can’t cook breakfast you don’t have the time.” That is a lie, you always have the time you just have to make time to do it.
Now I will admit I rarely and I mean rarely do waffles or pancakes during the week. The schedule is just a bit busy in the mornings for that, but I do find time on Saturday or Sunday to craft a full feast breakfast that includes the works: pancakes or waffles, grits or oatmeal, bacon or sausage and grits with orange juice or milk on the side.
If I do that, I can easily tell you I can go maybe four to five hours without wanting anything to eat, that includes a snack. And just for you all to know, I’m not overindulging either, it is one or two small pancakes, two sausages or two strips of bacon, a small bowl of grits or oatmeal and an egg or two at best. Anyone who knows me knows very well that I love bagels, and when it comes to cream cheese that is a must for me. I love the Honey Almond cream cheese that is a staple at Einstein Bagels, but it is such a small container I can use most of that smear on a single bagel if I’m not being careful, unfortunately.
I’m sharing this because as adults we totally forget how important breakfast is, and it’s a habit that actually spills over to our kids. You don’t want your kids rushing out of the house without eating breakfast. They need that while they’re in the classroom. Failure to have that meal makes them less focused and more likely to overeat when lunchtime arrives. If you start the day with a hearty meal, you’re likely to keep that consistency for lunch and dinner. Why is that key? It prevents overeating and eating of the things that are not good for the body.
Written By Jason Jones
