Breakfast has long been touted as “the most important meal of the day.” It can be a good source of calcium and fiber, and gives your body fuel to get going.
Eating breakfast has also been linked to weight loss. The argument is that you’ll consume fewer calories the rest of the day because you won’t be as hungry.
A new study turns that rationale on its head.
Research by a team at Monash University in Australia shows skipping breakfast might in fact be a good way to reduce your total daily calories.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, reviewed 13 trials on breakfast eating, weight change and energy intake, and found little evidence to support the idea that eating breakfast helps you lose weight.
The team found instead that people who ate breakfast consumed 260 more calories and gained 1 pound more than people who skipped the meal.
The experts acknowledged their study was small and more research needs to be done to determine the long-term effects of skipping breakfast.
Kevin Whelan, a dietetics professor and head of King's College London's nutritional sciences department, told BBC.com people shouldn't get too hung up on calorie intake first thing in the morning.
"This study does not say breakfast is bad for the health," he said. "Breakfast is important for nutrient intake, such as cereals and milk which are good for calcium and fibre."
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