We’ve all heard it growing up “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. But when we became adults we realised we could actually function for a while with a bit of tea or coffee in the morning. So is breakfast really necessary or was this belief some smart marketing tactic from cereal companies who want our money? Well, I did some research on your behalf on this topic and this is what I’ve discovered.
I can safely assume everyone currently reading this knows what breakfast is right? Well for anyone who might not be sure, breakfast is understood as the first meal of the day after you wake up from a night’s sleep.
Breakfast’s Popularity
The common excuse given for why this meal is important is that it gives you the energy to begin your day so that you have the energy for work. Well, you may or may not be surprised that breakfast has more to do with work rather than nutrition.
Not only breakfast but the 3 meals a day thing only became “popular” (at least within western Europe) around the time of the Industrial Revolution. This is when timed workdays became the norm. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner became common in this period. It spread along with industrialization.
What Makes Up Breakfast?
Next, we have to ask what makes up breakfast, well the answer is nothing …LOL. Honestly, this is very tough to answer.
That’s because even though most places now have at least 3 meals a day, breakfast specific food differs widely. This is depending on region, religion and culture.
For example, a traditional English Breakfast usually includes eggs, sausage, bacon and baked beans. In Botswana, a common breakfast is mothogo (porridge). In places like Jamaica, fish which for many, is either a lunch or a dinner meal is a common breakfast dish.
Since anything makes up breakfast, it kind of makes it tough to explain its importance. In my opinion, I don’t think breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I will explain…
The History Of “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”
Let’s go back to that famous phrase “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. The full quote is
“In many ways, breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it is the meal that gets the day started”.
This quote was in a magazine called Good Health Magazine. The editor of this magazine was Dr. John H. Kellogg the co-inventor of Kellogs Cornflakes. Who knows? It may have been a coincidence that the same person who helped invent one of the most popular breakfast cereals in history also helped popularize the notion that breakfast was so important.
In the 1920s a bacon company in the USA sent out a survey to 5000 physicians with the question “is a heavier breakfast better than a light one?” Well for some reason 4500 physicians said yes and the bacon company promoted this as some sort of scientific research.
So no surprise, eggs and bacon became popular again. It looks like there is some truth to breakfast being considered important due to good, if not shady marketing tactics.
What Time Is Breakfast?
Another reason why I think the importance of breakfast is really overrated goes back to its vague definition. If I work a nighttime shift or I sleep in and wake up in the afternoon, the first meal I have is still technically breakfast.
Also, when looking at how healthy or unhealthy someone is, we don’t look at only one aspect of their life, we look at everything together. That includes how they eat overall.
Is Breakfast More Important?
Overall nutrition is important. Not just one particular meal! It has to be balanced across the board. What you eat for breakfast is as important as what you eat for lunch and dinner, even the mid-day snack has to considered.
Our health and fitness goals vary from person to person. Some people are on eating patterns that have them skipping breakfast and it works for them. Others have eating patterns where they have to have two breakfasts a day.
However, if you’re looking for some healthy meal ideas please have a look at Naema Arbi’s post below.
My Final Thoughts
I’m no nutritionist (yet) but the best advice I can give is
to find an optimal nutritional and eating pattern that aligns with your
lifestyle and goals. Each meal plays a vital role in your overall health so
it’s best you don’t think just having a good breakfast is enough.
{Editors Note: We thank Colo for weighing in on the breakfast debate. An extra note, when it comes to children, all our teacher friends urge you to get food into your kids before school.}
- Is Breakfast The Most Important Meal Of The Day? Colo Weighs In - 22/06/2019
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