For many people, rushing through breakfast or even skipping it altogether has become the norm, with the belief that a poor breakfast won't cause major issues. However, a new study has found that a high-quality breakfast benefits cardiovascular health and also helps improve kidney function, whereas a low-quality breakfast has the opposite effect. What harm does an irregular breakfast do to the body? How can breakfast be both convenient and nutritious? Let's take a look.

What harm does skipping breakfast do to the body?

有营养科医生表示，规律吃早餐有利于健康，反之会带来诸多不良影响：

The brain becomes sluggish: From a physiological perspective, the brain's primary energy source is glucose. However, after an entire night of consumption, if no food is eaten the next morning, the body's glycogen reserves will be insufficient, thereby affecting the brain's operational efficiency.

Triggering gastrointestinal diseases: Starting from the previous dinner, the gastrointestinal tract enters a prolonged "fasting" state. By breakfast time, it becomes active, but if no food is consumed at this point, the normal rhythm of gastrointestinal motility and digestive juice secretion can be disrupted, potentially leading to conditions like gastritis.

营养师表示，早餐食物种类单一，可能引起营养素摄入不足或某类营养超标。馒头、面条大多是精米白面，油条、油饼、手抓饼等食物油脂、热量偏高，长久摄入可能会影响胰岛素敏感性。

There's a Formula for Breakfast Pairings—Eat This Way for Nutrition and Health

A high-quality breakfast should be diverse and well-balanced. According to nutritionists, based on the *Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents*, a golden breakfast formula can be summarized as "+++." Simply "insert" foods into this formula to create a relatively ideal breakfast.

具体来说，早餐应该包含：

Plant grains and tubers as staple foods to provide high-quality carbohydrates.

Include dietary fiber in your diet and consume vegetables and fruits in moderation, ensuring a daily intake of at least one type of vegetable and one type of fruit.

High-quality proteins, such as meats like chicken, duck, fish, and other animal products, eggs and their derivatives, as well as beverages like milk and soy milk, can be paired in "dry and wet combinations";

Nuts, rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and other nutrients, can be the perfect addition to breakfast.

After pairing foods appropriately, it's also important to control the portion size to avoid increasing the risk of obesity. The *Chinese Dietary Guidelines* recommend that a healthy adult's breakfast should account for 25%–30% of the total daily calorie intake, with a suggested range of 400–500 kcal. A simple way to estimate portion sizes is using the "hand measure": one fist-sized portion of staple food (two palm-sized portions for sliced staples), half a palm-sized portion of meat, one handful of leafy greens (or one fist-sized portion of root vegetables), one fist-sized portion of fruit, along with one cup of milk, one egg, and a thumb-sized amount of nuts.

Among those who prefer a Chinese-style breakfast, staple foods can include steamed buns, porridge, dumplings, or yam, sweet potato, corn, and taro, while minimizing high-fat and high-sugar items like fried dough sticks, sesame balls, and fried cakes. For protein, options such as eggs, chicken, and beef are recommended, paired with soy milk or tofu pudding, along with a moderate amount of fruits and vegetables.

For those who prefer Western-style breakfast, staple foods can include whole wheat bread or plain oatmeal, while protein options may consist of chicken breast, steak, salmon, etc. Pair these with a glass of milk or yogurt, and add a moderate amount of fruits and vegetables. Note that salad dressings are high in calories, so it's advisable to use them sparingly or avoid them altogether.

Depending on health conditions, the breakfast formula can be adjusted appropriately.

早餐搭配虽有固定模板，但根据不同的健康状态，食物的种类、摄入比例也需要进行细微调整。

糖尿病患者：减主食增粗粮

Nutritionists recommend that for the three daily meals, you can replace rice and wheat-based foods in breakfast with low-glycemic index options like whole grains and mixed legumes to slow post-meal blood sugar fluctuations, aiding in better blood sugar control throughout the day. Additionally, it's advised to eat vegetables first, followed by protein, and then whole grains. Furthermore, the total intake of staple foods can be moderately reduced for the day. At the same time, it's best to avoid plain congee for breakfast and not to process whole grains into a "paste," as this can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels.

肾病患者：低蛋白低盐低脂

A high-protein, high-salt diet can increase the burden on the kidneys and accelerate the progression of kidney disease. Patients with kidney disease need to reduce their protein intake, but not excessively, to avoid impairing normal bodily functions. For breakfast, they can opt for relatively low-protein foods such as milk and eggs, or plant-based proteins like tofu and dried bean curd, while avoiding pickles, fermented bean curd, and processed meat products high in sodium. If the condition progresses to chronic kidney disease stage, staple foods should be replaced with sweet potatoes, potatoes, or related products, rather than protein-rich rice or wheat-based foods. Since patients with renal insufficiency often have lipid metabolism disorders, fat intake also needs to be controlled, making the overall diet low in protein, salt, and fat.

久坐人群：低脂肪高纤维

Office workers who sit for long periods usually have low levels of physical activity and spend little time outdoors, making them prone to fat accumulation and weakened intestinal function, often leading to issues like constipation. Therefore, breakfast should be low-fat and high-fiber, such as a vegetable and meat sandwich without any sauces—avoid settling for high-fat, high-sugar foods like desserts or cakes just because of time constraints. Those who spend extended periods in front of screens can also add foods like carrots, tomatoes, or oranges to their breakfast to help protect their eyesight.

减重人群：高蛋白高纤维

Many people trying to lose weight skip breakfast to control their total daily calorie intake. However, studies show that this group has a higher rebound rate and experiences stronger hunger throughout the day. Those aiming for weight loss should not only eat breakfast but also moderately increase their protein intake, as this can boost post-meal metabolism and reduce muscle loss. Staple foods can be replaced with high-fiber root vegetables like pumpkin or sweet corn, or whole grains such as rye bread, which enhance satiety and help manage overall calorie intake. Additionally, it’s important to control eating speed—for example, by chewing more, pausing between bites, or reducing the size of each mouthful.

体力劳动者：高碳水多吃肉

The carbohydrates in steamed buns, noodles, and rice are the body's primary energy source, quickly breaking down into glucose. Meanwhile, the protein in meat provides the raw materials for muscle repair. Since manual laborers have high daily energy expenditures, they should appropriately increase their intake of staple foods and meats, such as red meat with higher fat content, to enhance satiety and energy reserves. This helps the body maintain the strength needed for normal work.

Source: CCTV News WeChat Official Account, integrated with Life Times.