Overview
- New guidance urges a regular morning meal built around fiber, quality protein and complex carbohydrates with portions of fruit or vegetables.
- Fermented foods, nuts and seeds and even a little dark chocolate support the microbiome, and moderate coffee intake of roughly three to five cups is linked to benefits.
- Soaked oats are favored over hot porridge because overnight oats blunt glucose spikes and soaking reduces phytates that impair mineral absorption.
- Hidden sugars in fruit yogurts, muesli bars and smoothies or juices should be limited, and artificial sweeteners are discouraged due to microbiome changes and links to diabetes and weight gain.
- Researchers report stronger metabolic responses to morning eating, and an observational Peking University analysis associated frequent breakfast skipping with higher digestive-tract cancer risk.