Right Way of ‘Breaking the Fast’ – Breakfast Myths

Introduction

There are a bunch of myths associated with the first meal of the day. Some of them include the following – skipping breakfast is fine, don’t eat breakfast if you want to lose weight, and that it is the most important meal of the day and stop overthinking about the other meals for the day. While it is mostly a meal of convenience, let us try to understand what is good for you and what may not work in the long run.

Top Breakfast Myths and Facts

Myth– Breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day. Eat it like a king would.
Fact– It is the first meal we have after waking up (mostly), but portion sizes are individual preferences, and stuffing yourself in the morning and not eating well during the rest of the day will NOT necessarily help you maintain your weight.

Myth-All breakfast is good for you.
Fact– Nope. You can eat anything you like, but it won’t necessarily be a balanced meal. You should consciously make changes, and add some protein, fiber, and fat components, to an otherwise carb-rich daily affair. Plus, you don’t need to restrict yourself to eating them in the mornings alone. If you feel like eating cereal or idly for lunch, go ahead. But make sure you have some nuts or tofu or egg on the side for protein and good fats.

Myth– Skipping breakfast is bad for you.
Fact– Though you may have a sluggish start to the day without breakfast if you decide to skip one day, it is not a big deal. Just don’t binge eat lunch to compensate for the extra hunger you may be feeling.

Myth– No boxed cereals at all! They are bad for you.
Fact– Not really. Opt for the non-sweetened versions, and you are good to go. They are mostly fortified with iron and important minerals and vitamins. If you crave something sweet, adding some honey would be better, but not a lot of it either. Plus, they are super convenient during the morning rush hours.

Myth– The biggest one yet- Indian breakfasts won’t help with weight loss.
Fact– Wrong! Our breakfasts are relatively more fat-free compared to other options like pancakes with butter and syrup or sweet cereal. We need to be more mindful of the ratios of pulses to rice – pesarattu or adai is an amazing breakfast. Besan chilla is also low on calories, but very gut-friendly and will keep you feeling full for longer. Black urad dal and green moong dal are in fact powerhouses of protein, and including them is a surefire way to improve health. Most of our batters involve them in some manner. Soaking pulses and then fermenting the batter makes the food more absorbable and easier on the gut. Roti or parathas with the right sides are great and hearty too.

Importance of Breakfast in Weight Management

Eating some breakfast in the morning probably works in weight management because you will not have huge fluctuations in glucose levels- like a complete low to high glucose jump. Eating the right combination of foods is essential too, as this is what will keep your tummy happy and full for longer. Plus, it is mostly a routine and hence sticking to it helps us feel better. Some people are totally fine even if they skip breakfast, but it all boils down to preference in the end. More importantly, eating a healthy-ish breakfast and then not caring about what you eat during the day is counter-intuitive, because weight is decided by lifestyle, and not just one meal.

Conclusion

Most research suggests that you eat breakfast within one hour of waking up, so that your glucose levels are not in high flux. If you are diabetic, then skipping meals is not the right solution. It may in fact be fatal at times. Also, intermittent fasting is catching up now, but fasting for too long is bad. So you see- striking a balance is essential. Eating when hungry is good, but when you starve, you may overeat, and then regret doing so later.