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The Most Important Meal of the Day

By Rachel Franklin, M.D., “Your Family Doc”

OU Physicians Family Medicine

Growing up, waking to the smell of bacon, eggs and pancakes was a regular event at my house, and it’s still my favorite meal of all time!  However, in an attempt to reduce our calorie intake to lose weight, too many of us neglect what is truly the most important meal of the day.

I want to tell you that breakfast is for all of us, not just our children.  After dinner, we sleep and our bodies go into hibernation overnight.  Our metabolism slows.  The liver makes food for us by converting protein into sugar, and when we awake in the morning, our bodies are primed and ready to reload with – you guessed it – food!  Without giving our bodies what they need first thing in the morning, we create conditions that keep our metabolisms slow, cause daytime fatigue, the “afternoon sleepies,” and weight gain.

By eating a well-balanced breakfast, containing about a quarter to a third of the day’s total calories (about 300-400 for women, 400-600 for men), we tell our bodies to rev back up for the day.  I understand that most of us – me included – have children to wake up and get to school in addition to getting ourselves ready, and that there seem to be too few moments in the morning to stop and eat.  There are a few keys to a healthy morning start, and they don’t require much extra time in the morning if you know what to do.  First, remember the essential components of a balanced diet:

• Protein.  Protein is the key to a good breakfast.  It digests more slowly than carbohydrates and gives the body the best energy.  In a time crunch?  Boil a dozen eggs during the weekend and keep them in the fridge.  One egg is a perfect serving size and gives the body every type of protein it needs.  In a pinch: grab a protein bar at the convenience store with your coffee instead of the donut – most bars also contain carbs (see below).
• Carbohydrate.  Carbs get the body jump-started until the protein digests.  Try adding a slice of toast with jelly, half a bagel with low fat cream cheese or – even better – a serving of whole fruit with your protein source.  An apple or banana is very portable!
• Fat.  Fat is an important component of a healthy diet – we just tend to eat too much of the wrong type.  Fats take the longest to digest, help us feel full longer, and provide essential nutrients (twice as many of the healthy ingredients in tomatoes are absorbed if the tomatoes are soaked in olive oil!).  That boiled egg has exactly the amount of fat you need in the morning. 

Stock your pantry and fridge with the following items every week to be ready to start a trend toward a healthier you (expand the list as your habits improve!):

• Eggs (fat and protein)
• Whole wheat bread (carbs)
• Whole fruits (carbs – but NOT fruit juice – which is mostly refined sugar)
• Turkey bacon (fat and protein)
• Whole grain, high fiber cereal (watch your portion size – our bowls are huge these days!)
• Low fat milk (skim or 1% fat) – provides fat and protein and carbs!

As always, I’m still looking for topics.  Please remember to email april-sandefer@ouhsc.edu or contact OU Physicians at 405-271-5067 if you have ideas you’d like to read about in this column.  Here’s to your good health!

Dr. Franklin is a board certified family medicine specialist. Her areas of special interest include preventive health and wellness and women’s and children’s health. Her advice has been featured in outlets including The Learning Channel, Parents Magazine and FitPregnancy. For an appointment with Dr. Franklin or any of the OU Physicians Family Medicine physicians, call 405-271-4311