Is breakfast still the most important meal of the day?

Published on 18 October 2021

One of the most often debated nutrition topics is: To eat breakfast or not to eat breakfast?

To get the real scoop, we spoke to dietitian and Aquahub and Aquanation personal trainer Byron Manning about why you should think twice before skipping breakfast.

Opportunity 

While there is research to support both sides of the brekkie debate, Manning reminds us that skipping breakfast means you’re also skipping out on quite a lot of nutrition.

“In terms of meeting our requirements for macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat and protein) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) – by skipping breakfast, you’re skipping an opportunity to get those into your body.”

Macronutrients are the nutrients we need in larger quantities that provide us with energy. Micronutrients are mostly vitamins and minerals which are equally as important but consumed in much smaller amounts.

Put simply, breakfast is an ideal opportunity to eat foods that are rich in B vitamins, folate, iron and fibre. Backed by research, we know people who eat breakfast are more likely to meet their recommended dietary intakes for vitamins and minerals compared to those who don’t.

For Manning, breakfast can give you the energy boost you need to power through your day.

“By having nutrition food in the morning gives us a bit more energy, helping us to perform a little better physically, depending on what you’re doing,” he says.

Should you eat before weight training in the morning?

If you’re looking to lose weight, it’s often recommended that you work out first thing in the morning before eating breakfast, in what’s known as a fasted state.

According to Manning, however, if you want to perform optimally during a heavy training session, having breakfast or pre-workout meal will give you the nutrition boost you need.

Food FOMO

Yes, there is such a thing as food FOMO.

Food FOMO is the fear of missing out on certain foods, so you eat them regardless of whether you’re hungry, like them, or actually want them.

When it comes to brekkie, some people just aren’t breakfast people, or are simply not hungry.

Skipping breakfast is also a common part of many intermittent fasting methods. This eating window usually ranges from lunch until dinner, which means that you miss out on breakfast.

Of course, all these things are dependent on lifestyle factors. Still, if you have a fear of missing out on progress, consider incorporating brekkie as part of a healthy diet routine.

Make the most of it

Manning stresses that eating breakfast doesn’t mean going for whatever food is there.

“What you eat always matters,” he says.

Manning advises using breakfast as an opportunity to load up on plenty of nutritional goodies.

“Breakfast is the perfect time to get in your serves of fruit, dairy and vegetarian alternatives, so a great example would be smoothies.”

Manning says smoothies are a great option for those on the go, or for people who don’t like to sit down to a heavy feed early in the day.

“With smoothies, you can pack a lot of things in: fruit, nuts, dairy. If you struggle with getting in your serves of veggies, throw in a frozen zucchini to thicken it, or spinach.”

Now that’s food for thought!