Should we 'eat breakfast like a king'?

Answer:

Breakfast plays an important role as it provides energy for the body after a night’s sleep. It also helps us to have enough caloric energy for a new day.

Its importance is emphasized in the widely-known saying: "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." However, this does not mean you should take in a huge amount of food for breakfast while limiting your intake during the others.

Breakfast plays an important role as it provides energy for the body after a night’s sleep. Illustration photo by Freepik

According to health experts, an average adult should take in between 1,600 and 2,000 calories per day, divided into three main meals and other side meals throughout the day. It is thus recommended to have three 500-calorie meals, while the remaining calories intake can come from additional sources like fruits or other snacks.

In general, though people can eat however they like, it is advised not to make your meals too imbalanced with one another in terms of caloric energy, as each meal has its own role.

In other words, you should not only focus on breakfast and treat others more lightly.

Another important thing to keep in mind is to provide the body with all four nutrient groups of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and vitamins/minerals.

Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung

National Institution of Nutrition