Is Breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day? Breakfast is important because we’re supposed to eat it to break our overnight fast. “Eating a balanced breakfast helps to up our energy, as well as protein and calcium used throughout the night.” dietician Sarah Elder, via BBC A study of 50,000 people over seven years found that those who made breakfast the largest meal of the day were more likely to have a lower body mass index. (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Breakfast helps reduce daily calorie intake, improves the quality of our diet and improves insulin sensitivity at subsequent meals. (U.S. National Library of Medicine) "In order for other tissues to respond well to food intake, you need an initial trigger involving carbs responding to insulin. Breakfast is critical for this to happen.” Fredrik Karpe, professor at Oxford Centre for Diabetes, via BBC Skipping breakfast has been associated with a 27% increased risk of heart disease, a 21% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in men and a 20% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in women. (U.S. National Library of Medicine) High-protein breakfasts have been found particularly effective in reducing food cravings and consumption later in the day. (Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) “A balanced breakfast is really helpful, but getting regular meals throughout the day is more important. Breakfast isn’t the only meal we should be getting right.” Sarah Elder, via BBC