I remember as a kid, I wasn’t able to leave the house in the morning without eating breakfast. My mom didn’t always cook a hot meal first thing in the morning but, she made sure I ate something. Whether it was a bowl of cereal (ok, I loved corn flakes and bananas and still do) or a bagel with cream cheese and jelly, I learned at an early age that it was important to start my day with a good meal. So, tell me, when did this skipping breakfast business start? Am I the only one that is super hungry in the morning? I want to share with you 3 reasons why you need to stop skipping breakfast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

First of all, missing the first meal of the day makes me grumpy. If you ask my best-friend, skipping any meal makes me cranky and difficult to be around. LiveStrong notes, “Breakfast is a chance to give your body the food it needs to replenish your blood glucose levels. Glucose is your main energy source; it fuels your brain and your body. Eating breakfast will provide your body with the glucose it needs to function properly and fight fatigue.” Basically, no one goes on a long road trip without making sure their car has enough gas in the tank for the journey.

Breakfast is good for your heart and may prevent binge eating

“In a recent study that involved almost 27,000 men, researchers found that those who didn’t eat a morning meal were 27 percent more likely to develop heart disease than those who did. “Our research indicates that people who skip breakfast gain weight, which can lead to diabetes as well as high cholesterol and blood pressure—all of which can raise your risk of heart disease,” Rimm notes. The reason isn’t entirely known, but he says that breakfast skippers tend to overeat at other meals and snack excessively throughout the day.” (Consumer Reports)

Inhibits Calorie Burning

“Spreading your food intake out over the course of the day keeps the metabolism revved and ready to go. If you limit your food consumption in the morning, your metabolism goes right to sleep…along with your weight loss goals!” (via US News: Health)

This doesn’t give my fellow new Yorkers a pass to eat a bacon egg and cheese with saltpepperketchup ( I wrote it like we say it) every day. Nor should you pull up to the drive-thru to order one of those egg on a muffin things on a daily basis. What we all need to do every morning, is eat a nutritious meal that includes whole grains, protein (p.s. quinoa is a protein), and some fruit ( that means a piece of fruit not a glass of o.j.). Plain and simple.

Comment below and let me know what you are eating and I’ll even share a few suggestions.