3 Simple Steps to a Better Breakfast

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It’s a simple truth: breakfast eaters tend to be slimmer. “Studies show that those who skip breakfast have inferior dietary habits generally,” says Terry Graham, chair of human health and nutritional sciences at the University of Guelph. Here’s how you can eat a healthier breakfast.

1. Eat protein for healthier breakfasts

Overweight people who ate two eggs for breakfast daily for two months, as part of a calorie-reduced diet, lost 65 percent more weight than those who ate a bagel of equal calories, the International Journal of Obesity reported recently. (Cholesterol and trigly­ceride levels did not change for the egg eaters.) Study author Nikhil Dhurandhar, associate professor at the Louisiana State University System, says high-quality protein foods, such as eggs, make you feel full longer.

2. Skip the coffee?

Consider it if you’re overweight or diabetic. A recent study led by Graham found that caffeinated coffee combined with low-sugar cereal raised blood-sugar levels for many hours. Graham thinks caffeine makes the body resistant to insulin, increasing blood sugar. She stresses that coffee is fine for healthy people.

3. Load up in the a.m

The more we eat for breakfast versus other meals, the less likely we are to gain weight, says a study out of Cambridge, England. Over four years, those who ate 11 percent or less of their daily calories at breakfast gained up to one pound more than those who ate 22 to 50 percent.Not a morning eater? Try making a healthy breakfast smoothie.