Wanting to know more about the role that breakfast plays in the diets of both children and adults, we reached out to Toby Amidor, registered dietitian and author of ‘The Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook: Easy and Wholesome Meals To Cook, Prep, Grab, and Go.”

Bottom line – is breakfast *really* the most important meal?

Amidor: “Moms have always said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I believe this is still true. It is imperative that you start your day fueled properly after going 8 or 10 hours without food. Research has also shown that skipping breakfast can lead to over-consumption of calories later in the day. In addition, breakfast is also an opportunity to take in important foods and nutrients needed to stay healthy.

If quality matters at breakfast, what should we be eating?

Amidor: “You don’t need anything huge for breakfast, it’s quality not quantity that matters most. By quality I mean foods that provide nutrients you need to keep you healthy, especially foods that we tend to under-consume.

“According to the 2015 dietary guidelines for Americans, Americans eat only 10% of the recommended amount of vegetables, 15% of fruit and only 2 of the 3 recommended daily servings of dairy. As with grains, most folks in the U.S. do not make half their grains whole – another recommendation from the dietary guidelines. As such, the amount of calories in breakfast vary based on individual needs, but should range from around 250 to 450 calories and include at least two food groups (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low or nonfat milk or dairy, lean protein).”

Is cereal a healthy choice at breakfast?

Amidor: “It can be. Cereal can be high in added sugar, so it is important to read the nutrition facts panel. In addition, many folks over pour cereal which then provides many more calories than needed. You can pour 2 servings of the serving size listed on the box, but if you are still hungry, opt to top the cereal with fresh fruit or add a hardboiled egg on the side for more protein.”

Amidor shared ideas for breakfast besides cereal.

Other benefits of breakfast:

• Breakfast eaters tend to have lower rates of heart disease, blood pressure and cholesterol. (American Heart Association)
• Breakfast influencers a majority of our being during the day, including physical and mental performance. By eating breakfast, you are refueling the body with the nutrients it needs to start, and continue through, the day. (University of New Hampshire)

During a study at University of Hohenheim in Germany, however, a research group tested 17 healthy adults over the course of three days. During the three days, they were instructed to follow different schedules – one day they skipped breakfast, one day they consumed three regular meals and one day they skipped dinner. The research findings showed that people burned more calories over a 24-hour period when they extended their overnight fast compared to a normal three-meals-a-day diet. However, there were reports that glucose levels were higher after eating lunch on days where breakfast was skipped.

This study suggests that skipping breakfast can boost your metabolism. What do you think about that?

Amidor: “The study, conducted with a very small number of subjects (17), found some difference between skipping breakfast versus skipping dinner. My concern would be the nutritional status of these individuals over an extended period to see if eating only two meals provided the nutrients they needed to stay healthy.  In this study, participants were provided with all meals that were well balanced, but can this type of diet really be mimicked outside of the home? Americans do not meet the needs of many foods including recommended servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy foods. So, trying to have folks take in the required nutrients in two meals may be extremely challenging to say the least. In addition, the practicality of skipping dinner regularly when in our culture it is a time to sit with the family and eat may be taking away the social aspect of the family– especially in an electronic filled world where we are seeing less face time between people, including families.”

When it comes down to it, eating breakfast is important to a maintaining a balanced diet. While you’re making decisions about what foods to eat, remember that quality matters. Be sure to diversify your food groups to get a great start to your day.

The post Is Breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

One-Pot Spicy Eggs and Potatoes, Pinch of Yum

Avocado Egg Salad, Diethood

Egg Drop Soup, Gimme Some Oven

Avocado Toast with Eggs, Spinach and Tomatoes, Two Peas & Their Pod

Sweet Potato Goat Cheese Quiche with Caramelized Onions and Rosemary, Well Plated

Migas Breakfast Tacos, Taste and Tell Blog

Fried Egg and Mushroom Sandwich, Garnish with Lemon

The Very Best Deviled Eggs, The Suburban Soapbox

Hash Brown Egg Nests with Avocado, The Cooking Jar

Spaghetti alla Carbonara, The Kitchn

The post Eggs: Breaking Out of the Breakfast Shell appeared first on Best Food Facts.

We wanted to find out if adding a few hunks of butter to our morning joe is really a good idea, so we reached out to registered dietitian Connie Diekman, Nutrition Communications Consultant and Director of University Nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, for some insight.

The bulletproof coffee recipe calls for low-mold (mycotoxin-free) coffee beans. What are mycotoxins? Are they harmful?

Connie Diekman: “Mycotoxins are molds that do exist naturally in agricultural crops. In the U.S., the FDA sets limits for the levels of mycotoxins that are considered safe for consumption. Throughout the world, other health agencies set similar guidelines. When mycotoxins accumulate above the safe level they can be harmful for consumption, but FDA monitoring of the food industry does identify the excess of mycotoxins.”

What is the difference between grass-fed butter and grain-fed butter?

Connie Diekman: “The theory behind the claims for grass-fed butter typically are connected to the omega-3 fatty acid that goes up when cattle are grass fed. The problem with this theory is that the amount of omega-3 in the meat or milk of grass-fed cattle is significantly less than that found in good sources of omega-3, so that it would require larger quantities of the butter to equal the omega-3 of salmon, tuna, sardines, walnuts, flax or canola oil.”

What is MCT oil?

Connie Diekman: “MCT oils or medium-chain triglycerides are fatty acids that have a shorter length resulting in different digestion and absorption. They have been used for decades to help people who need more calories but who have compromised digestion get the energy they need. Recent interest in them is related to a few animal studies that seem to indicate a role for them in satiety, but these studies are preliminary in the animals and need to be done in humans. So any claims associated with a benefit to weight loss are at this point preliminary and not supported by science.”

Bulletproof coffee is a part of the Bulletproof diet. What are your thoughts on this diet and what do you recommend people consider before starting this diet?

Connie Diekman: “The bulletproof diet is basically a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, a diet that has had many variations over the years. High-protein diets help with satiety so that you can consume fewer calories more comfortably, but the heavy emphasis on animal foods is not healthful. Current scientific evidence shows that consuming more plant foods is the correct path to health. Plant foods provide a wide variety of phytonutrients that act to promote health, reduce inflammation and act as antioxidants.

Some recommendations of the Bulletproof diet are similar to a healthful eating plan – reduce added sugar intake, enjoy what you eat, use spices and herbs to enhance flavor – but skipping more healthful plant foods to consume more fats is not moving in the right direction. There is a reason this is a diet – it is not an eating pattern that can be maintained for a period of time – and that is the key to healthy eating – an eating pattern you enjoy and that you can maintain for life.”

The inventor of Bulletproof coffee claims that replacing breakfast with this 450-plus calorie drink will suppress hunger, promote weight loss and provide mental clarity – is there any truth to this claim? Is it a good idea to skip breakfast in favor of Bulletproof coffee?

Connie Diekman: “Fad diets all have claims to their fame but what is important in terms of health and a healthy weight is what the science shows. There is no significant evidence to indicate that MCT oil – or as they brand it, XCT oil – promotes weight loss or reduces body fat. Very small-scale, and often animal, studies have looked at MCT oil and weight loss and thus far no conclusive evidence exists. So don’t skip a powerhouse breakfast of whole grains, fruit, low-fat dairy and if you like – a little bit of protein – for this cup of coffee.”

So don’t skip a powerhouse breakfast of whole grains, fruit, low-fat dairy and if you like-a little bit of protein-for this cup of coffee
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