When it comes to breakfast, dietitians say eating something is always better than nothing — even if that something happens to be a doughnut, muffin or slice of cake.
This was just one of the surprising tidbits The State News found when interviewing registered dietitians Diane Fischer from Sparrow Health System and Peggy Apostolos from Ingham Regional Medical Center. They dished on everything from healthy on-the-go breakfast choices to what to eat when nursing a hangover.
The State News: Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?
Diane Fischer: Breakfast is a great way to get you started. Some people tend to forget or are too busy, but it is important. Breakfast eating is associated with better attitudes, higher productivity and better memory. People that tend to eat breakfast before an exam tend to score higher, too.
What's the ideal breakfast combination?
DF: Something that has three food groups … (like) peanut butter toast and a glass of milk, or scrambled eggs with cheese and a glass of orange juice. Leftover pizza has tomatoes, cheese and grains — that's three food groups.
Peggy Apostolos: Breakfast is a good time to get a calcium source. Have low-fat milk, light yogurt or light cheese. You could get a whole-grain in there with oat bran or wheat cereal. It's also a time you could get fruit — potentially fresh fruit.
What are some healthy on-the-go breakfast choices?
DF: Granola bars, or you could make your own instant oatmeal packets. Or you could use a blender and mix up yogurt and fruit for a smoothie … like going to Starbucks or Beaner's, but you'll save money.
Is it better to eat several small meals throughout the day or three large meals?
PA: It is better to eat small, frequent meals as snacks. Four to six small meals as snacks burn more calories, and you're not overfeeding the tank. If you have too many calories at one time, there's a higher potential for the extra amount of calories to turn into fat.
Can eating breakfast really help you lose weight?
PA: Yes. The average person that makes no other changes in their lives other than add breakfast will lose 25 pounds in the first year. That's what studies show.
DF: They found people that eat breakfast are able to control their weight better for a couple proposed reasons. One, if you don't eat breakfast, you'll be so hungry you'll overeat later in the day. If you wake up and aren't hungry for breakfast, it may mean you overate the night before. (Breakfast eaters) may have more energy; they may be able to run around better. That may be a factor.
Is it better to eat a doughnut for breakfast or nothing at all?
PA: Anything would be better than nothing. If you don't eat anything, the body thinks it's starving because you've already gone so long without eating. When you're in starvation mode, the body stores calories as fat. By not eating breakfast, you're actually causing weight gain. It's typically recommended that within an hour of waking up, it's time to eat something — some kind of fuel for your tank.
Isn't eating a muffin just like eating cake for breakfast?
DF: I think one thing that's happened to muffins, like bagels, is that they've gotten huge. So if you look at the muffin portion size, the traditional muffin that's a basic size is a pretty good choice. If you have one that's four times the size, then you've got four times the calories and four times the fat. They can absolutely have as many calories as a piece of cake. People certainly have strawberry shortcake for breakfast, or angel food cake with strawberries with a glass of milk. That's a good choice for one way to have breakfast if you're really not a breakfast eater.
Are sugary cereals, such as Froot Loops, at all nutritious?
DF: Well, they can be part of a nutritious day. Now, you're going to get much more nutrition if you're getting something that has more complex carbohydrates, that has more fiber. Froot Loops may not last you long. But again, if you're in a hurry, there's nothing wrong with a bowl of Froot Loops. There's just better choices.
What about sugary cereals that say "1/3 less sugar" or "made with whole grains"?
DF: The whole grain is a good start, and it's always good to have less sugar, but you have to put it in the right perspective. Just because something says "low sugar" or "sugar free," it's not necessarily a good choice. It could say sugar free and it has honey in it instead of sugar — then there's no nutritious benefit.
On boxes of Special K cereal, it says replacing two meals with Special K can help you lose weight. Is that risky?
PA: It's like having 200 calories (each) for lunch and dinner, so you would lose weight because it's less than the average amount we eat at lunch and dinner. You'd be missing a lot of vegetables, fruit and lean protein in your diet. Anyone who cut their portions in half for lunch or dinner would lose weight. It's not like it's a magic dinner.
What's the best breakfast for nursing a hangover?
PA: Some type of high-fluid breakfast. Maybe cereal and milk, because you're getting fluids from milk, or drinkable yogurts. Fruit has a high water content. A boiled egg will have some water in it. Try not to go too dry, like dry toast and peanut butter.
Some people say you should eat a big breakfast the morning after drinking to absorb the alcohol in your stomach. Is this true?
PA: It's not necessarily true. By morning time, things have really digested and you get the end product of alcohol, which is the dehydration factor. I would, if your stomach is upset, stick to lower-fat types of foods — typically oat bran or wheat cereals or low-fat milk or yogurt.
