Have you ever thought about how weird breakfast is?
Some of us have the same thing every day for breakfast and don’t think twice about it.
What if I told you for the next month you’ll have meatloaf for dinner. Every day you’ll prepare the meal and even look forward to it every single day.
You’d think I was crazy, but I do that with my eggs each morning.
Some of us have dessert for breakfast.
Have you looked up the nutrient quality in a cinnamon bun or donut? It’s practically non-existent. It’s essentially having cake but at a different time of the day.
Again, what if I told you for lunch I’m going to get you a cupcake and a coffee. That should hold you over for the next four hours right?
No way!
Even the word breakfast is odd.
Breakfast literally describes the time we break our longest fast for the day.
Lunch or dinner…what does that describe? I don’t know.
Breakfast is just weird.
It’s probably the meal we give the least amount of thought to, but I’d argue it’s essential because it either will help us succeed or make us feel like we’re playing catch up all day.
Let’s play out a few scenarios.
Breakfast Scenario 1: No Breakfast
The first scenario will be the “I don’t need breakfast” person. They usually wake up as late as possible, run a comb through their hair and head off to work with maybe a bagel in their mouth. They’ll grab a coffee at work for a little pick me up within the first hours and grab an early lunch…where they eventually eat too much because they're so hungry!
What we’re seeing is someone who is trying to run off the nutrients from the previous day. When you aren’t fueled properly you get brain fog, you’re not as alert as you could be and you’re often sluggish.
Breakfast Scenario 2: Breakfast for Dessert
Another scenario is the “breakfast is actually dessert” person. Don’t get me wrong, I love my waffles loaded with syrup. There are times to indulge and let my body drift into that sugar high. What ends up happening is that I get the kick of the sugar within my body and then I find myself crashing an hour or so later. If my boss is looking for me to be productive that day I can probably give them an hour maybe and then I’ll be dragging for the next few hours.
Again, in this scenario, you aren’t setting yourself up for success for the rest of the day so it’s more likely you’ll overindulge at one of you other meals later on.
Breakfast Scenario 3: The Well-Balanced Meal
The last scenario is where you prepare an easy well-balanced breakfast. Maybe some scrambled eggs with a handful of spinach thrown in. You get a head start on the proteins and veggies your body is craving. And because it’s a high protein, high fat and a fiber-rich meal, you’ll be satiated until lunch. When you’re satiated up until the next meal, you find yourself not overindulging at lunch.
By taking the time to get a good breakfast in, you’re also finding it easier to have success in your next meal…which will make it easier to find success in the next one. There’s a cycle to this as you’re seeing.
There are a ton of breakfast options that'll set you up for success beyond just eggs.
You could put together smoothies, protein, and healthy fat-rich oatmeal or yogurt combinations. I’ve even heard of people having salads or soups which aren’t normally eaten at breakfast but are great options because they provide you with the fiber and hydration you’ll want for a healthy digestive tract.
Breakfast will always be a little weird, but maybe we can make it a little less weird by treating it with the same thought we put into our lunches and dinners. I mean we did hear our moms say “it's the most important meal of the day.”
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