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Breakfast. When Mom said it’s the most important meal of the day, she was right. Researchers say that breakfast gets your metabolism going in the morning so you can burn calories. It can also stabilize hormone and blood sugar levels to help curb the urge to overeat later in the day. And having a healthy breakfast helps to insure meeting your nutritional recommendations for essential nutrients.
Successful dieters don’t skip breakfast. According to the National Weight Control Registry of approximately 6,000 people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for over a year, 78% report eating breakfast every day and nearly 90% report eating breakfast at least four days a week.
With all this good news about breakfast, you’d think everyone would be starting the day off right. But this isn’t the case. A 2007 International Food Information Council (IFIC) survey reports that while Americans say breakfast is the most important meal for a healthy diet, less than half (49%) eat breakfast seven days a week. Ten percent eat breakfast zero to one day a week, 18% eat breakfast two to three days a week, and 22% eat breakfast four to six days a week.
Making time for breakfast
Do your patients say they don’t have time for breakfast? The good news is that breakfast doesn’t need to take a long time to prepare or eat. Patients can save time by setting out everything the night before.
And there are a lot of healthy breakfast foods that can be enjoyed ‘on the go’ such as a Slim·Fast® Shake or Meal Bar.
A healthy breakfast should include a source of complex carbohydrates, fiber and lean protein to help keep you satisfied until lunch. |
