Everyone knows the age-old adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day; however, many Canadian adults fail to take it to heart.

Everyone knows the age-old adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day; however, many Canadian adults fail to take it to heart—40 percent, in fact, report not eating breakfast daily.

Of these non-breakfast eaters, 50 percent revealed that the reason they skip this important meal is lack of time—not a good enough excuse when you consider how long it takes pop a slice of bread in the toaster.

Perhaps Canadians just aren’t well enough informed about the health benefits of eating breakfast, as well as the negative health effects associated with not eating breakfast. Let’s take a look at a few:

• A 2010 study reported that those who skipped breakfast had larger waste circumferences, higher total cholesterol, higher LDL (bad) cholesterol, and higher fasting blood glucose levels.
• A study from the International Journal of Obesity cited that teenagers who ate breakfast stayed fuller throughout the day, and those who ate a breakfast high in protein had reduced appetite, suggesting that eating breakfast may help to control calorie intake.
• According to a 2008 study of 379 children between the ages of 11 and 13, those who ate breakfast regularly showed significantly better memory recall than those who did not eat breakfast.

It’s obvious that eating breakfast is key to a long and healthy life, so quit it with the excuses and eat up! Need ideas? The following breakfasts are not only quick and nutritious, they’re also incredibly yummy!

• Eat Your Protein Breakfast Wraps
• Quinoa and Avocado Scram Slam
• Banana Berry Smoothie
• Maple Pecan Granola
• Grilled Banana and Maple Toast
• Very Berry Hemp Date Smoothie