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Last updated on February 5th, 2019 at 09:18 am
If you’ve ever wondered whether breakfast makes you gain weight, you’ll find out in this article. Plus: what is a healthy breakfast to eat every day to lose weight and improve your health.
For years my breakfast looked like this
In fact lately I must admit, it still looks like this. A cappuccino and a pastry or three. Or you know, the classic: nothing.
I never really believed breakfast is important. And to be honest with you, I always thought that eating breakfast makes me fat. But to be honest again, I’d never go for something different than pancakes, coffee and pastries or something super sweet. Sometimes something egg-based with bread and vegetables.
Breakfast and BMI
So recently I came across a study about whether breakfast helps you or makes you gain weight.
And as a surprise to my breakfast-skipping-self: people who skip breakfast have a higher BMI than people who actually eat breakfast. But even more important than whether or not you actually have breakfast is what type of breakfast you eat.
What To Eat For Breakfast To Lose Weight?
Best choice: OATMEAL
Turns out, the very obvious choice: eating cereal for breakfast for example oats, is the best thing you can do for your BMI according to that study.
People who ate cereal for breakfast had a lower BMI than people who didn’t eat breakfast at all. And that even though those same people ate more calories during the entire day.
Eating more and losing weight? <- Don’t you just hate this kind of people Well if you do, hold that negative thought, because it gets worse.
That same study also showed that people who ate cereal had the lowest BMI of ALL breakfast groups. BMI of cereal eaters was lower than the BMI of people who skipped breakfast or who ate:
- fruits and vegetables
- meat and eggs
- dairy
- sweets.
As for second best: the groups eating breads or fruits and vegetables came in 2nd and 3rd place for best breakfast choices.
Now that’s a real slap in the face for those humble fruit and vegetable eaters.
Related: 5 Quick Breakfast Recipes to Help You Lose Weight
Why Are Oats Good For Weight Loss?
Oats are a very nutritious food with multiple health benefits:
- oats are high-fiber, good source of antioxidants and relatively low in fat
- Oats also are shown to reduce belly fat, lower your risk of heart attack and protect the liver (research).
- short- and long-term oat consumption can help control hyperglicemia and lower lipid levels (research), which is key if you have diabetes and are struggling to reduce weight.
- eating oats in the morning can help you avoid overeating during the day
- they’ll provide your body with real energy and keep you full for longer, which is important for weight loss
- oats contain a special fiber called beta glucan. This beta glucan can lower your cholesterol and make the bifidobacteria inside your gut grow (research). Healing your gut is crucial for weight loss, skin health and mental health.
Related: How To Heal Your Gut For Weight Loss, Better Skin and Happy Brain
Worst breakfast choice: DAIRY
Okay, so cereal is the best. But what if you don’t like cereal? Or you just want some diversity? Here are the results:
- Worst choice: people who had dairy for breakfast had the highest BMI, even though they had a moderate daily energy intake. According to studies dairy is also not the best choice for healthy skin, so it might be worth avoiding it if you’re trying to reduce weight or have acne.
- Second place in worst choices: People who ate meat and eggs had the second highest BMI, but they also ate the most calories from all breakfast groups
- Third place in worst choices: people who skipped breakfast came in third place, even though they didn’t eat as many calories during the day.
Takeaway:
- don’t skip breakfast
- eat cereal for breakfast, but without dairy
- not those high-sugar cereal, but good old oats.
Read Next:
- The Biggest Reason You Can’t Lose Weight
- 10 Superfoods To Eat If You Have Diabetes
- The Mindset That Will Keep You Motivated To Eat Healthy & Exercise