Americans love the breakfast. According to recent figures, sales of breakfast items pass those for lunch and dinner, and multiple stops fast food like McDonald's are planning to soon offer 24/7 breakfast fare.
Here are five things you didn't know you wanted to know about the most important meal of the day.
The breakfast food is a surprisingly recent invention.
The concept of breakfast food does not exist in the United States until the mid to late 1800 's, according to Abigail Carroll, food historian and author of three squares: the invention of the American meal. "People ate breakfast, but seemed very dinner or a snack," he says. In 1600, the breakfast was probably leftovers, cheese and bread, or boiled grains. Starting in the mid-1700 's 1800, people started to add meat and fish to their morning meal. "The meat became standard and Central for breakfast and represented the growing prosperity," says Carroll. "There was enough meat to have it as breakfast."
When people began flocking to the cities, continued to eat the breakfasts of large, medium and farmers while being more sedentary and indigestion (dyspepsia, called at the time) became a common health complaint. Dietary reformers like Sylvester Graham started promoting diet changes as vegetarianism and the consumption of whole grains as a way to combat indigestion. A certain type of whole wheat flour called graham flour (called after Graham of course) became popular.
Another health reformer, James Caleb Jackson, graham flour used to create the first breakfast cereal in 1863, which he called Granula. "He took graham flour, mixed with water, I made it, pulled out, broke up, once I made it and came out with a breakfast cereal that was supposed to be eaten dipped in water or milk," says Carroll. A few years later, John Harvey Kellogg invented his version of cereal, eventually calling him "Granola."
Yogurt for breakfast is a very recent phenomenon in the United States
Some reports cite 1980 as the first bump in popularity when yogurt options came to market, just in time for the mania for low-fat diet. The astronomical increase of Greek yogurt is even newer. Fage, a popular Greek yogurt company based in Greece began distribution in United States in 1998. According to Food Navigator, in 2007 Greek yogurt made up less than 1% of the us market yogurt, but today represents more than half of dollar sales in the category.
In fact, it probably isn't the most important meal of the day.
In June, two studies 2o13 's photo has caused a buzz when disproved what many thought to be the indisputable benefits of breakfast. Earlier studies associated with having breakfast with lower body weight, and breakfast continues to be recommended as a way to kick off your day with a healthy metabolism. However, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that skipping breakfast does not have any significant effect on weight loss efforts in 16-week study of obese and overweight participants. Another study found that eating breakfast every morning was not associated with improved metabolism.
"The general question on the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day ' is not based on scientific data, but more of an old saying," says the author of the second study, James a. Betts of the University of Bath.
In contrast, in a study published in the journal Circulation, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health have seen health outcomes of men and 26,902 found that men who missed the breakfast had a 27% higher risk of heart attack or death from heart disease than men who ate breakfast regularly. Researchers believe that people who don't eat breakfast will eat more at night, which could lead to heart disease and metabolic changes. It can be caused from person to person, but if you're hungry in the morning is still a good idea to eat, although it might not be the number one factor for better health.
Fiber and protein are the most important factors in a healthy breakfast.
To get as many vitamins and minerals in the morning, the Mayo Clinic recommends that you eat a breakfast consisting of whole grains, lean protein and fruits and vegetables. Consider foods such as oatmeal, eggs, peanut butter or juice without added sugar. A healthy breakfast should make you feel more energized throughout the day.
You can eat dessert with breakfast.
Eat a sugary treat in the morning may not be the optimal choice for a sustained energy, but do not cut off that pain au chocolat just yet. Some research suggests eating a little something sweet in the morning can help curb the desire for sweet tooth later. 2012 study for example found that people who were eating a low-calorie diet and a healthy breakfast, but also incorporated a dessert, had the best weight loss results. They reported fewer cravings and feeling less hungry during the day. This doesn't mean you should eat cake for breakfast every day, but if you want to eat healthier than time, occasional pasta that morning is not a bad choice.