To breakfast or not to breakfast — Kandy Shepherd

Are you a breakfast person? I confess I'm not. I don’t wake up feeling hungry, in fact the thought of eating early in the day actually doesn’t appeal at all. It takes my appetite a while to wake up and it isn’t until mid morning that I feel hungry.

But breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper,” the old saying goes.

ACAI bowl is a popular cafe breakfast treat

I have skipped breakfast many, many times over the years. But now my daughter is an accredited, practising dietitian and I have professional scrutiny on my eating habits.

She has convinced me that breakfast is indeed very important as it tells your body that after the night’s fast, you are not going into starvation mode and your metabolism doesn’t need to slow down (no way do I want my metabolism to slow down!) Eating breakfast is a signal to your brain to fuel it—just what I need when I’m writing!

Bacon and eggs, anyone?

My dietitian daughter says she believes there are “breakfast people” and “non-breakfast people”. However she says waking up not hungry can mean you ate a big meal the night before, perhaps late in the evening. Eating dinner earlier in the evening if possible is a better idea. 

She says it’s okay for me to eat my breakfast later in the day when hunger signals—especially as I work from home with easy access to the kitchen. However she stresses this doesn’t apply to adolescents who too easily skip meals when they need to be eating regular healthy meals. She also warns that skipping breakfast at any age doesn’t mean filling up on “junk” food later in the day. Yep, I’m sure I’ve been guilty of that!

Dietitian daughter also warns: “Trying to skip breakfast in attempt to ‘eat less’ and ‘reduce overall intake’ doesn't necessarily work either, as we probably make up for it later in the day.”

What I had for  breakfast this morning! Apple, raspberries, plain yogurt and goodies from my "breakfast box."

So I’m getting better at eating breakfast. Big, cooked breakfasts have never been my thing. I do enjoy an occasional bacon and eggs, but much later in the day, preferably lunch time.

My daughter suggests low GI carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, vegetables and fruit make a good breakfast. She recommends poached eggs with spinach and tomato and wholegrain toast with avocado for my active husband. I used to eat fresh fruit and plain, sugar free yogurt when I did eat breakfast. Now I really enjoy the addition of raw walnuts, ground linseed, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds and chia plus a small serve of plain muesli. I’ve got it all there in the “breakfast box” in my fridge. They're really delicious!

The family "breakfast box" that lives in the fridge

What about you? Are you a breakfast eater or a “can’t face the sight of food in the morning” person? Do you have a favourite breakfast? We’d love to read your comments!

PS I'm thrilled to be in this anthology of "royal wedding" stories with fellow LoveCat, Annie West! It's out in both Australia and New Zealand and the UK this month.