Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

A new day means a number of new challenges. That's why, when you wake up, you need a solid portion of energy to work at full speed. This requires breakfast, which is often referred to as the most important meal.

During sleep, the body works in slow motion. This is the moment when the body gains the opportunity to fully regenerate after an intensive day. However, sleep, apart from renewing the body after exhausting activities, causes a slowdown in the rate of metabolism. It is thanks to this that the body and mind can calmly restore the balance that was disturbed, for example, by stressful situations, intensive psychophysical effort or hunger.

How many calories per day should a breakfast provide?

The exact amount of calories provided with breakfast is strictly dependent on the energy balance of the diet. It is assumed that the first meal should provide between 25 and 30% of the energy of the whole day eating plan. This means that for a diet of 2500 kcal, breakfast must provide 750 kcal of energy. Of course, it should be remembered that these are conventional values, and the exact composition of the menu should be tailored to individual needs.

The most important meal of the day - what should breakfast contain?

The main focus at breakfast is on foods from the cereal category - especially those that belong to the whole grain category. Products such as oatmeal, wholemeal bread or wheat bran contain a lot of valuable fibre, which not only has an impact on bowel function and the state of the microbiota.

In addition to fibre, it is a good idea for your first meal to include complex forms of carbohydrates and essential foods rich in:

• protein - animal and plant sources (e.g. dairy, meat, legumes)
• healthy fatty acids (e.g. seafood, nuts, seeds, olive oil)

In addition, the most important meal of the day should provide a portion of vegetables and fruit, which are a source of many valuable substances e.g. minerals, vitamins, the aforementioned fibre and antioxidants.

What time of day is a good time to eat breakfast?

There is no conventional time of day that is most appropriate for eating breakfast. It all really depends on your lifestyle. However, it is best to eat a meal within 2 hours of waking up. This is enough time to provide your body with the necessary energy, allowing you to have optimal reserves to work with for the rest of the day.