Does skipping breakfast save money?

[greentea]

What's your opinion on skipping breakfast. I rarely eat breakfast because I'm not hungry in the morning. Everyone tells me that this is a terrible idea and that it costs me more money and is bad for my health, but I really don't see how it does. If I'm not hungry, why force myself to eat something. I usually have an early lunch and then dinner with some snacks in between, and I seem to function perfectly fine like this.

[TheKayla]

You're probably not hungry because you're not used to eating in the morning, not because it's healthy not to eat. Breakfast is important because at night you go 8+ hours without food or water, and you need to restart your metabolism. I used to not feel hungry in the morning, but then I started eating breakfast anyway and my body has reset and now I feel hungry in the morning like I'm supposed to. My guess is your body is in 'survival mode' since you go longer without eating at a time.

As for cost savings, I think the theory goes that you would eat more food once you do eat and may be more likely to binge eat or go to something quick like restaurants or fast food when you go without eating for longer periods of time. Keeping your blood sugar levels even by eating regularly helps make smarter decisions about food, which often times lead to cost savings as well. Even if you don't fall into those traps, the savings in price of even something small like a slice of toast isn't worth any health risk of skipping breakfast constantly. Just have something small or easy to grab. I can never eat right when I get up, but I always bring some sort of breakfast with me to work, so I'm eating within 2-3 hours of waking up. Sometimes it's as small as a banana, or a small bowl of granola, but it's always something.

[rennigade]

I never bought into the fact that its bad to skip breakfast. I remember a while ago reading an article that stated that the whole "breakfast is the most important part of the day" was propaganda that one of the major cereal companies started. Not sure if that is true or not...wouldnt surprise me and does make sense for them to push a product.

People like to hang on the argument that it jump starts your metabolism. Sure...it probably does. The more food in your system the more your body has to work to process it. Duh!!

I work out each morning...when I get back to my place I take a protein shake and have 4 egg whites and some bacon each morning even if im not hungry. The main reason is im constantly trying to force food in my mouth to gain weight and build mass. Before I started lifting 3 years ago I never ate breakfast and I felt no different with or without it...and it didnt cause me to "over eat" later in the day. For this reason I dont buy into the fact that its more expensive to skip breakfast.

The bottom line is...if you're not hungry...dont eat. Theres no reason to force food down your throat.

[J.Apple902]

most people will tell you that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" and in many cases this is true. Lots of Americans dont eat breakfast for many reasons though. I find that if you eat the standard American dinner of high meat high carb late at night, then of course you may not be super hungry when you wake up. If you get to work at 8-9AM and sit at a desk, after probably driving your car, you definitely aren't burning enough calories to really even be hungry.

Eating properly, the right types of foods in the right quantities actually spikes your metabolism along with providing your body the right nutrients to not fall into a muscle breakdown state. Sometimes people think that by skipping meals and fasting and extreme dieting, that you are actually losing weight. You are hurting your body by doing this bc it begins to break down muscle tissues (along with fat reserves) for energy.

If you are trying to save money and trying to stay slim, eat at least a small breakfast for something. A glass of OJ and a little yogurt is perfect.

[hamchan]

I don't think for most people it makes a difference one way or another. If you don't eat earlier in the day you'll likely just eat more later in the day, but it's going to average out to about the same. Sometimes I eat breakfast and sometimes I don't. If there is one thing in my life that is stable, it's my weight.

[HappySaver]

Ah.. breakfast.
I too, went most of my life without eating it because I wasn't hungry in the morning.
I would have an early lunch, but I'm not a big snacker, so I was usually starved by dinnertime.

Finally I started eating breakfast a few years ago. I can't emphasize this enough - with protein!! My metabolism has completely shifted. I never feel starved anymore, my blood sugar levels are stable throughout the day, and overall I eat less. So I would say that eating the right kind of breakfast is absolutely a money saver, and important for your health. It will also help you lose weight, after you give your metabolism time to re-adjust.

The key really is protein in the morning. If you're going to just have carbs I would say keep skipping breakfast. It doesn't have to be a large breakfast - I just have one slice of bread with a protein on it (peanut butter or cold cuts), and milk. On the few days where I skip the protein (say, for a larger breakfast of pancakes) I find I'm noticeably hungrier for lunch more quickly. I can't go too long into the day without protein.

There have been many studies establishing the importance of a protein-based breakfast.

[bjl584]

What's your opinion on skipping breakfast. I rarely eat breakfast because I'm not hungry in the morning. Everyone tells me that this is a terrible idea and that it costs me more money and is bad for my health, but I really don't see how it does. If I'm not hungry, why force myself to eat something. I usually have an early lunch and then dinner with some snacks in between, and I seem to function perfectly fine like this.

If you force yourself to eat something small, then you will probably start to wake up hungry within a few days. I have to eat breakfast. I'm starving when I wake up. I'm not sure how much money you are saving by not eating breakfast. If breakfast is an extra value meal at McDonalds, then you are saving a ton of money. If breakfast is a glass of juice and a piece of toast, then you aren't saving much.

[kork13]

If you force yourself to eat something small, then you will probably start to wake up hungry within a few days. I have to eat breakfast. I'm starving when I wake up. I'm not sure how much money you are saving by not eating breakfast. If breakfast is an extra value meal at McDonalds, then you are saving a ton of money. If breakfast is a glass of juice and a piece of toast, then you aren't saving much.

Something to point out... Breakfast is easily the least costly meal of the day, regardless of what you call breakfast. Eggs, toast, oatmeal, homemade waffles or pancakes, and so on are all very inexpensive, less than a quarter. The most costly breakfast items would be cold cereal & milk, yogurt, fruit (in-season can be very cheap), or meat products (sausage/bacon/ham/etc.), but a serving of any of those is still easily less than 50-75 cents.

[MonkeyMama]

My blood sugar dips quickly so I could not function if I did not eat breakfast (& if I did not eat several small meals a day).

My spouse is not a breakfast eater. He is probably the healthiest person I know (as far as good blood test numbers and healthy eating habits - he has other health issues that are unrelated to anything else).

I don't think we are saving any money because we all have very high metabolisms in my house. This means we eat A LOT. My spouse just tends to do it in two giant meals per day, while the rest of us graze all day long. I might break out my spouse's 2 big meals into 4 or 5 smaller meals throughout the day - probably similar food consumption at the end of the day.

I think every body is different and good to be in tune as to what works for you. I don't believe that skipping breakfast is inherently bad for everyone.

[ua_guy]

I used to not be a breakfast eater and I think it actually cost more money. The reason being, I'd get hungry before lunch and have to grab a snack (brought from home or purchased), OR, if I brought my lunch, it usually never felt like enough food, so I'd snack again later in the day.

The transition for me came when I made myself a morning person. I started really focusing on my sleep habits and schedule and I've nailed it down to bedtime between 9-10pm and wake between 5-5:30am. I do this every day, weekends included, and I'm sleeping better than ever. I discovered that with good and routinized sleep, I have atomic-grade energy early in the morning now.

But back to the original question. Rising at 5am makes for a long day, even if I'm not going to work until later. I find that I'm hungry at that time of morning, so I make an effort to eat food at home before I start my day. Especially when it's cold and dark, it's time to eat! I discovered I have much more energy later in the morning, and that lunch has become more of a "quick stop" (read: much less expensive) versus a full-on meal. Whatever I eat at lunch gets me through until 5-6pm when I eat dinner. Since I've already had two decent meals, dinner feels more balanced too. If I'm hungry, I remind myself that it's just a few hours and some sleep until I get to eat again. The net benefit is 3 better-balanced meals, the first which is cost-neutral or cheaper, given the frequency of snacking and additional food needed during the day being sharply reduced or eliminated.

The silver lining? Breakfast food is pretty cheap, depending on what you eat. And, the coffee is free before I leave the house

[SeanH]

The biochemistry explanation I was given for eating breakfast is that sleep blood sugar levels are maintained by gluconeogenesis which is fueled partially by the alanine-glucose cycle. This conversion of your muscles to blood sugar can be halted by eating breakfast.

[NetSkyBlue]

I feel like I'd starve to death without eating breakfast, and I have an 11:30 lunch! I often eat a very small dinner, though, rarely enough to call a meal. Something like a few bites of cold chicken and a piece of cheese. Enough to not be hungry anymore. I eat the majority of my calories at breakfast & lunch.

Assuming you're eating the correct # of calories (i.e. you're neither gaining nor losing weight), eating breakfast SHOULDN'T mean eating more food. It should just mean eating some of your food at an earlier hour. If you regularly add in a meal on top of what you're currently eating, you'd be eating more calories and probably gain weight.

[Jason35]

The only reason I eat breakfast is because I am always hungry when I wake up. If I was not hungry I would not eat - whether it cost me money or not - I have never thought about the connection between money and my stomach. I also believe your body tells you what it needs - if you are hungry eat (preferably choose something healthy to eat) but don't just eat because it is a meal time. Listen to you body!

[Amanda695]

You should probably eat something, even if it's something really small like a piece of toast. I don't know really if it saves money or not, but it's better for your health!

[krantcents]

I find that if I eat too much at dinner or after dinner, I am unlikely to be hungry in the morning. I like to spread out my meals and eat reasonable portions. If I were not hungry in the morning, I will still have juice and take a piece of fruit for latter. Food provide more than filling our stomach, it is fuel for energy and as well as supporting a variety of nutrients etc. Better to lighten up on dinner and have a bigger breakfast health wise.