So many people who struggle with nutrition want to start at the end of their day. I get it. Sometimes at the end of my day, if I’m tired or stressed, feeling a bit peckish, or still a little hungry, I’m apt to overeat foods that don’t make me feel my best. It makes sense that you might think you need to start there to improve your nutrition.
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t eat an ice cream treat at the end of your day. The goal is simply to avoid overdoing it so much that you end up feeling like crap.
Set Up for Success
When you don’t eat enough at the beginning of the day, you often end up feeling overly hungry later on. When you skip meals, your body releases more ghrelin (which increases hunger) and decreases leptin (which usually helps you feel full). This increase in ghrelin and reduction in leptin sets you up to grab convenience foods and highly satisfying snacks—and then to overeat them because your body isn’t sending the signal that you’ve had enough.
When you start your day with an empty belly (or, as I have done many times, a belly full of coffee and nothing else), that process can get rolling pretty quickly. Eating breakfast helps prevent this cascade from occurring. When you eat an appropriate breakfast, you set yourself up to avoid excessive hunger later in the day.
“I Don’t Have Time for Breakfast”
Babe, I get it. I’m at the gym pretty early most days of the week, and I don’t want to get up at 3am to cook a full meal. Finding some grab-and-go options has been really helpful for me.
If you’re a meal prep person, making something ahead of time is great—but I know sometimes that just isn’t going to happen. Some of my personal grab-and-go options are microwave breakfast sandwiches, Kodiak protein waffles, avocado toast (extreme millennial breakfast mode), or a Greek or Icelandic yogurt with some fruit.
Are these the absolutely optimal breakfast options? No—there’s certainly room for improvement with most of them. However, they’re options that I like, can grab on my way out the door, and eat on my drive.
Benefits to Breakfast
More Stable Energy
One of the biggest benefits of eating breakfast is simply having more consistent energy throughout the day. When you wake up, your body has gone several hours without food. Eating breakfast gives your body some fuel to work with, which can help stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent that mid-morning crash that leaves you desperate for caffeine or whatever snacks are closest.
For people who train in the morning, this can also make a big difference in performance. Even a small breakfast can help you feel stronger, more focused, and less sluggish during your workout.
Better Appetite Regulation
Breakfast can also help regulate your appetite throughout the day. When you start the morning with some protein, carbohydrates, and maybe a little fat, your body gets a clear signal that food is available and energy is coming in regularly.
This makes it easier to notice normal hunger and fullness cues later in the day instead of bouncing between “not hungry at all” and “so hungry I could eat everything in the fridge.” Regular meals—including breakfast—help create a rhythm that your body can rely on.
Conclusion
Breakfast doesn’t need to be elaborate, perfectly balanced, or Instagram-worthy to be helpful. Sometimes it’s just about getting something into your body so you’re not starting the day running on fumes.
If you’ve been struggling with evening overeating or feeling out of control around food later in the day, it might be worth looking at the beginning of your day instead. A simple breakfast won’t solve everything—but it can be a surprisingly powerful way to set the tone for the rest of your day.
