Because it’s important! Naturally, I’m talking about breakfast. And yes, I may have just referenced the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.” Why not?

one of my favorite breakfasts—oatmeal in an almost-empty peanut butter jar

As a dietitian-in-training, it’s basically my (unpaid) job to tell people to eat some f***ing breakfast, but it’s for good reason. Studies have repeatedly shown that eating a morning meal helps rev the metabolism and boost work and school performance. It’s also been shown that eating breakfast can help prevent overeating later in the day.

A new study using MRI brain scans showed that when participants skipped breakfast, they had a variation in the pattern of activity in their orbitofrontal cortex, an area of the brain linked to the reward value and pleasantness of food. Pictures of high-calorie foods were shown to trigger that area, suggesting that those who wait until later in the day to eat may be more susceptible to cravings for unhealthy items.

Nothing new, but still interesting, no?

Do you eat breakfast? Why or why not? If you do, what are some of your favorite breakfast foods?