I am a breakfast skipper. I know that I shouldn’t be, and that breakfast is important, but most mornings I just can’t seem to find the time. But I know that I’m not the only one, breakfast skipping is becoming the norm these days among adolescents, and obesity is steadily on the rise.

New studies are showing that those who eat a low protein breakfast, or no breakfast at all are at much higher risk for cravings of fatty food throughout the day, over-eating, and ultimately at a higher risk for obesity.

Adversely, those who eat a high protein breakfast have much more of a controlled appetite, crave less sugars and fats, have more energy, and are in an overall better mood.

In an article published by psyblog.com, Dr. Heather Leady said, “Dopamine levels are blunted in individuals who are overweight or obese, which means that it takes much more stimulation — or food — to elicit feelings of reward; we saw similar responses within breakfast-skippers. To counteract the tendencies to overeat and to prevent weight gain that occurs as a result of overeating, we tried to identify dietary behaviors that provide these feelings of reward while reducing cravings for high-fat foods. Eating breakfast, particularly a breakfast high in protein, seems to do that.”

Foods that are easy to grab on the go in the morning, but are also high in protein include protein shakes, hard boiled eggs, and multi-grain oatmeal. There are also a lot of healthy cereal bar options that come packed with protein for those mornings that you’re short on time.

Whether tailoring your breakfasts to fit your fast paced schedule, or simply waking up earlier to ensure you get a proper meal before it’s time to go to work, eating a healthy breakfast is very important and sets the stage for the rest of your day.

Sources

8 Weight-Loss Tips That Might Surprise You (From New Research) – PsyBlog. (n.d.). Retrieved from //www.spring.org.uk/2014/12/8-weight-loss-tips-that-might-surprise-you-from-new-research.php

Eating This For Breakfast Reduces Food Cravings Later in The Day – PsyBlog. (n.d.). Retrieved from //www.spring.org.uk/2014/10/eating-this-for-breakfast-reduces-food-cravings-later-in-the-day.php

A randomized crossover, pilot study examining the effects of a normal protein vs. high protein breakfast on food cravings and reward signals in overweight/obese “breakfast skipping”, late-adolescent girls | Nutrition Journal | Full Text. (n.d.). Retrieved from //nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-13-80