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To eat or not to eat breakfast – the debate has raged on for decades about whether skipping breakfast is good or bad for health and nutrition.
Media influencers, food manufacturers, scientists and nutritionists all weigh in on the subject with differing opinions.
For those trying to lose weight or manage a healthy diet, the information available about the benefits of breakfast can often be confusing and conflicted.
Whether you prefer to eat first thing or are satisfied with an Americano to go, it is something to be considered when making changes to your diet.
As a specific food type, breakfast as we know it today wasn’t invented until the Industrial Revolution. Before that, a morning meal consisted of whatever was available from the previous day or a freshly laid egg.
Then came the invention of cold breakfast cereals in 1863, born from a combination of moral and religious notions, and new healthy-eating trends.
The blandness of cereals was promoted as a way to eliminate moral and physical failings in society, particularly by John Harvey Kellogg.
Society has moved on significantly since then, and eating meat or seasoned foods in the morning is no longer a sign of sinfulness. However, the idea that breakfast is the most important meal and is limited to certain types of food continues today.
In conflict with 20th-century advertising by cereal companies, breakfast might not actually be the most important meal of the day. Nor is it essential to “go to work on an egg” as the British public was told in the 1950s by the UK Egg Marketing Board.
Research on the adverse health effects of missing out on a morning meal has been well-researched both clinically and observationally, and does not all agree with the advertising slogans.
Published in 2019, a review and meta-analysis of controlled trials concluded that the “addition of breakfast might not be a good strategy for weight loss”. It suggests that eating a regular breakfast might cause a slight weight gain of a few pounds.
However, the authors of the paper have cautioned that further research needs to be conducted on how breakfast is approached and implemented in weight loss programmes.
Another research paper from 2025 suggests that skipping breakfast raises the risk of obesity and cardiovascular problems. It also cited cognitive decline, mood disorders and impairment of glucose control as at higher risk.
A key takeaway from the paper states, “regular breakfast helps synchronise hormones and metabolism through chrono-nutrition.” In other words, the timing of meals matters when it comes to regulating circadian rhythms and overall metabolic health.
A more recent meta-analysis of observational studies found that skipping breakfast was linked with a 10 per cent increase in risk of metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a collection of health issues that increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems.
It is a common medical issue and is thought to be connected to how the body reacts to insulin and carrying excess fat around the waist.
Since it may not present with any symptoms, metabolic syndrome can only be diagnosed with a combination of blood tests and health checks, such as weight and blood pressure.
The likelihood of metabolic syndrome occurring increases if you eat a lot of saturated fat, are obese, smoke, drink large quantities of alcohol and don’t exercise.
The NHS recommends four actions to take to prevent metabolic syndrome.
Many people find that they are not hungry in the morning. There can be many causes for this, such as:
If you are currently taking GLP-1 jabs such as Mounjaro, you might find that you are especially disinterested in breakfast.
In these cases, it might be better to have a light snack or a meal replacement for breakfast rather than eat nothing at all. This is so that you can lose weight safely while giving your body all the nutrients it needs.
Low-calorie, nutritionally complete breakfasts are not always found in the cereal aisle of the supermarket. Many common breakfast cereals are highly processed carbs and contain high amounts of sugar.
At the same time, traditional fried breakfasts in the UK, while much higher in protein content, are often high in fat and salt.
If you’re not hungry, being weighed down by a plate full of bacon and eggs might not seem appealing. Lighter options to mix up your morning menu can include adding fruit, scrambled eggs with vegetables, or no-fat Greek yoghurt with berries.
Breakfast meal replacements for weight loss can provide a low-calorie, healthy and more convenient way to start the day.
They are designed to support a balanced nutritional diet for weight loss, providing protein, carbohydrates and all the essential minerals and vitamins your body needs.
The good news is that breakfast meal replacements come in vegetarian and gluten-free options, and they don’t have to be bland either.
Deciding to eat breakfast or not is a personal choice, regardless of weight loss plans. However, knowing what your body needs to stay fuelled and healthy while losing weight is vital for success.
Having breakfast options like these on hand can make your morning meal decisions easier. It can stop you reaching for the chocolate cereals and bacon sandwiches, and help you to stick to your weight loss diet plan.
