Think twice about breakfast if you want to manage your weight
Next week is Breakfast Week and the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) is encouraging people not to skip breakfast if they want to lose or maintain their weight. In fact, eating first thing in the morning has health benefits.
‘Think breakfast’ is the theme of this year’s Breakfast Week, which runs from 25-31 January. The initiative, now in its 10th year, urges breakfast skippers to think twice about breakfast.
Angela McComb, Senior Manager for Public Health at the HPA, said: “Breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day and skipping it can mean missing out on important vitamins and minerals. It might be 12 hours or more since you last ate, so your body needs something to kick start your metabolism. Research shows that breakfast skippers perform less well at school or work.”
Those who eat breakfast are more likely to have a better overall diet, with higher daily intakes of fibre, vitamins and minerals such as calcium and iron. Overweight or obese children and adolescents are more likely to skip breakfast than their peers and are also less likely to be physically active.1 Some evidence suggests that eating a healthy breakfast is an important part of weight control.
To ensure you have a healthy breakfast, choose high fibre, low sugar cereals such as Weetabix, Ready Brek, or Shredded Wheat. “These help prevent those mid morning hunger pangs as they fill you up without too many calories. Toast, bagels, fruit bread, soda and scones are all good sources of energy too, or why not start the day with a vitamin boost by having a glass of fruit juice or a smoothie. If time is not on your side, grab a slice of toast and a piece of fruit and eat it on the go,” says Angela.
“If you fancy a cooked breakfast as a weekend treat, grill sausages or bacon rather than frying them, add some tomato, mushrooms and beans, and poach or scramble the egg. Scrambled, poached or boiled egg with toast is a good option if you want something hot but don’t want to max out on fat or calories.”
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For media enquiries contact:
The HPA Press Office on 028 9031 1611.
1 Rampersaud G et al. Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association May 2005; 105 (5): 743-760. |
As from 1 April 2009 all Health Promotion Agency responsibilities have been transferred to the