Why Breakfast Really Can Be the Most Important Meal of the Day

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For a long time, conventional wisdom has told us that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” In recent times, however, many people have been actively criticising this idea.

Some, for example, have pointed out the benefits of intermittent fasting – or “time restricted eating” – and so have advocated the benefits of skipping breakfast, even though these practices can still be followed by just having an early dinner instead.

Well, here are just a handful of reasons why breakfast can in fact be the most important meal of the day after all.

Because it’s a signal to your circadian rhythm that the day has begun

For a long time, the circadian rhythm was largely thought to only be influenced by things like the regularity of our sleep routines, and the types – and amount – of light that we are exposed to at different points in the day.

Recently, however, pioneering sleep and circadian rhythm researchers, including Dr Satchin Panda, author of “The Circadian Code,” have found that not only do we have a “master circadian rhythm,” but virtually each of our organs has its own circadian rhythm, too.

The timing of our meals seems to play a big role in helping to establish the circadian rhythm of various organs in the body. 

Having breakfast shortly after waking up is one powerful way of signalling to our bodies that it is now day time. And finishing eating several hours before bed, rather than having a late dinner or snacking late, lets the body know that it’s now time to wind down for the night.

Because it reduces the risk of energy slumps and binge eating later on

Even if you aren’t normally hungry first thing in the morning, and even if you can skip breakfast and not be hungry for several hours, missing breakfast virtually always means that at some point about halfway through the day, you will find yourself experiencing an energy slump and feeling ravenously hungry.

Eating breakfast helps to give your body a bit of fuel to work with in order to prevent a sudden energy crash or the rapid onset of hunger around lunchtime.

This, in turn, can prevent binge eating, unhealthy food habits, or just feeling grumpy, frustrated, and unmotivated as the day goes on.

Because it’s a great way to set the tone for the day in an intentional manner

If you start your day with a delicious breakfast food such as a Danish breakfast pastry, there’s a good chance that you will be in a more positive mood first thing in the morning than you otherwise would, and that you will be able to ride that positive momentum forward into the rest of the day.

Being able to intentionally set the tone for your day in this way is a very powerful thing, and it can help to prevent you from falling into the trap of feeling as though you have no control over how things are unfolding around you.