In the rush to get to school or work, many of us skip breakfast. Yet it makes sense to fill your "empty tank" after a long night without food. Recent research proves that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day – and has a long list of benefits.   

When we eat, our body experiences something called the thermic effect – we burn calories just by digesting and absorbing our food. If you get up at 7 am and don't eat your first meal until noon, that's 5 hours during which your calorie burn has slowed down unnecessarily. Eating in the morning, and then every 3 - 4 hours, keeps your body burning fuel efficiently - and helps prevent weight gain.

Studies show that breakfast eaters also:

• Get more essential vitamins and minerals (breakfast skippers rarely compensate in other meals);
  
• Get more bone-building calcium (mainly milk products) throughout the day;
  
• Have more normal weight and half the risk of developing obesity and insulin resistance – major risk factors for diabetes and heart disease;
  
• Eat less fat and fewer calorie-dense foods all day;
  
• Are less likely to overeat or snack in the evening;
  
• Have lower cholesterol levels and reduced danger of heart disease; and
  
• Are more likely to live to be 100.
  

Breakfast can be anything you like to eat – leftover pizza, a fruit smoothie and muffin, whole grain cereal with fruit and low fat milk, rice with chicken and vegetables, or tortillas and beans with salsa and a glass of milk. The choice is up to you.

There are good reasons to include something from all food groups – protein (milk products/meat and alternatives), whole grains, and fruit and vegetables. Here’s why:

• Proteins like milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, peanut butter and nuts keep us alert, responsive, calm and focused.
  
• Whole grain products like multigrain toast or a bowl of oatmeal are high in fibre. High fibre foods fill you up on fewer calories, help to lower bad cholesterol levels and ward off hunger pangs.
  
• Fruits and vegetables also offer fibre, along with literally thousands of nutrients to help keep your brain and body fuelled for the day ahead.

Click here for more healthy breakfast ideas.

Canada ’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity 

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