How Does Breakfast Affect Your Metabolism?

Kick-start your morning with a breakfast that gives you the energy to get through the first half of your day. Those who eat a healthy morning meal packed with essential nutrients tend to have higher and more stable levels of energy throughout the day than those who don't. They also are less likely to reach for high-sugar, high-fat snacks late in the morning to obtain a quick boost of energy.

Your Metabolism

Metabolism refers to how quickly or slowly your body is using calories for energy. Metabolic chemical reactions that take place in your body convert the food you consume to energy. Your metabolic rate slows to its lowest levels when you are sleeping, then rises as you get up in the morning. Your peak time for your metabolic rate is midday. Since your metabolism is directly related to your energy levels, the higher your metabolic rate, the more energy you have and the more calories you burn.

Metabolism and Calories

Your morning metabolic rate depends on the amount of calories your body has available to burn. According to Pauline Williams, M.P.A., R.D., skipping breakfast may keep your metabolism at low levels, causing you to burn fewer calories each day. She notes studies that have shown that breakfast eaters consume fewer calories throughout the rest of the day. While a direct correlation between eating breakfast and having a higher metabolic rate has not yet been proved, a study performed by Ashima K. Kant, Ph.D., and colleagues and published in the November 2008 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" notes that those in the study who ate breakfast had a lower body mass index and ate more micronutrients than those who didn't eat breakfast.

Optimum Morning Intake

Your breakfast and morning snack should consist of between 350 and 500 calories, depending on your overall caloric intake. If you eat more than 500 calories, your body is likely to use some for energy and store the rest as fat. To fulfill your body's morning caloric requirement, look for foods with protein, fiber and nutrients. Eggs, peanut butter and lean breakfast meats provide protein, while whole fruits and vegetables supply a wide range of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Foods with complex carbohydrates are a source of steady-release energy, so include oatmeal and other whole-grain, high-fiber cereals and breads with your morning meal.

Foods to Avoid

Refrain from eating or eat sparingly foods that supply large amounts of empty calories, sugar and fat to your morning meal. Pastries and doughnuts fail to give you high-quality nutrients for the number of calories and amount of fat they contain. These foods, and breakfast cereals loaded with sugar, spike your blood sugar levels early on, giving you a rush of energy but leaving you feeling tired midmorning once your blood sugar levels drop again. According to The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, keeping your blood sugar levels steady can help reduce your levels of nonbeneficial low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides.