The importance of breakfast on your day
Eat early. On weekdays, especially if you work out in the
morning, try to eat as soon as possible after getting up; a healthy breakfast
will fuel your A.M. activity and prevent you from getting so hungry you pig out
at lunch. On weekends, don't delay breakfast more than 2 hours. "The
sooner you start your metabolism by eating, the sooner it can start burning
calories," says Elisabetta Politi, R.D., nutrition manager of the Duke
Diet & Fitness Center at Duke University Medical Center.
Eat enough. Don't worry about blowing your diet by eating a
big meal so early in the day. Politi says that a more substantial breakfast may
actually help reduce cravings and overeating at night. You should aim to get 20
to 25 percent of your day's calories from breakfast, which means about 350 if
you're on a 1,500-a-day diet.
Eat smart. Healthy grab-and-go choices like high-fiber,
low-sugar breakfast bars are fine, Politi says. But whenever possible, choose
unprocessed, homemade healthy breakfasts that are sure to have less
bloat-causing sodium and no chemical additives.