Start The Day Right

Overwhelmed by all the chatter around what to eat (or not eat!) for breakfast? We asked experts to cut through the noise.

- Dina Cheney

LATELY, THE morning meal has become complicated— and controversial. Chances are some of your friends swear by Bulletproof coffee, while others wouldn’t set foot out of the house without a full protein-packed meal, and still others grab a muffin on the go. What’s really best for starting the day with an energized body and brain? Read on for the rules experts say will both boost your health and keep your taste buds happy.

Don’t Skip It

First things first: “Breakfast is absolutely the most important meal of the day,” says Mark Hyman, MD, director at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Functional Medicine and Health Advisory Board member. After all, you are literally breaking your overnight fast. “Don’t you put gas in your car before you start it?” asks Sandra Arevalo, RD, a spokesperson for both the American Association of Diabetes Educators and Academy of Nutrition Dietetics. “Well, the same needs to apply to our bodies. We need to fuel them before we put them to work on our daily tasks— breakfast helps with energy.”