What Happens To My Body When… I Skip Breakfast
By Dietitian, Juliette Kellow BSc RD
Skipping meals, especially breakfast, is one of the commonest dieting mistakes that people make in an effort to lose weight. According to the Breakfast Cereal Information Service, a staggering 48% of British adults don’t eat breakfast at some point during the week.
Sadly, this is a potential waistline disaster as, contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t lead to an overall reduction in calories. Research shows time and time again that people skipping breakfast tend to compensate for the calories they miss at breakfast time by eating more during the rest of the day and so, in fact, are at a greater risk of being overweight.
Plus, skipping breakfast also means skipping fibre and nutrients including calcium, iron, vitamin A and B vitamins. Unfortunately, unlike calories, which tend to be overcompensated for during the rest of the day, fibre and nutrients are generally not compensated for by other meals and snacks. In other words, skipping breakfast alters the whole day’s nutritional balance.
Data from the National Diet and Nutrition survey reveals that breakfast skippers typically eat 21% less fruit and veg but 25% more fatty and sugary foods than breakfast eaters.
WLR’s Advice
Not convinced about the benefits of a nutritional breakfast? Then check out the example below which compares a bowl of cereal with milk and juice, with a jam doughnut and can of cola – exactly the sort of snack you’re likely to choose mid morning if you’ve skipped nutritional breakfast that’s healthy and sets you up for the day:
| 30g of branflakes with 100ml semi-skimmed milk and 150ml glass orange juice | 1 jam doughnut and 1 can cola | |
|---|---|---|
| Kilocalories | 199 | 387 |
| Fat (g) | 2.4 | 10.9 |
| Saturates (g) | 1.2 | 3.2 |
| Sugars (g) | 24.7 | 50.1 |
| Fibre (g) | 4.5 | 0 |
| Iron (mg) | 7.6 | 0.9 |
| Calcium (mg) | 147 | 74 |
| Vitamin B1 (mg) | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Vitamin B2 (mg) | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Vitamin B12 (mg) | 1.4 | 0 |
| Folate (mg) | 136 | 16 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 80 | 0 |
| Portions of fruit and veg | 1 | 0 |
Why Eat Breakfast?
Skipping breakfast can lead to eating too many calories in a day. Use the WLR tools to check your calorie quota, stick to it and find yummy, nutritional breakfast recipes to try. Try it free for 24 hours.