Taking another look at breakfast

This is going to seem counterintuitive but nutritionists all seem to agree that one sure way to keep your weight under control is by eating breakfast. Yes, that’s right: Being sure to eat  more (and specifically, to eat breakfast) is likely to help you shed pounds. In fact, studies have shown that people who skip breakfast are 4.5 times more likely to be overweight than people who don’t.

Why is that? Apparently there are several reasons. One is kind of a chicken-and-egg thing. People who don’t eat breakfast tend to be people who eat a heavy late-night meal. Are they eating a lot late at night because they’re hungry from not eating breakfast? Or are they not eating breakfast because they were up late (and perhaps eating ice cream from the carton while watching late night television)? It’s hard to say, but apparently this pattern does not lead to slim hips and trim thighs.

Another theory is that people who don’t eat breakfast (and specifically a healthy breakfast with foods that burn slowly) get hungry before the noon meal and begin snacking, usually on the sugary, salty or fatty foods that are so easily available in most office vending machines and at most local convenience stores.

There are also more complex reasons that I won’t attempt to explain or understand, that have to do with how the human metabolism works.

I’m perfectly open to the idea of eating breakfast every day. Certainly I wake up hungry most mornings. But I also find that most foods don’t appeal to me until after I’ve had a cup of coffee (which I know fills me up and makes me less likely to eat a healthy  meal). And I prefer not to eat breakfast at home, because I usually end up being hungry at work before noon — which leads to unwanted pre-lunch snacks (and that of course discourages me from eating a healthy lunch, which in turn sends me right up to the vending machine at around 3 p.m.  . . .).

The easy, fast breakfast that I often end up eating is either something baked, or some kind of cereal with whole milk. These are exactly the breakfast foods that nutritionists tell you not to eat in the morning. They tend to give you a sugar high and then burn fast, leaving you tired, bleary . . .  and hungry.

In winter, the temptation is really high to take in some fat and calories early in the morning. But in summer, there are so many wonderful fruits so easily available. Why not spend the next few warm-weather weeks trying to incorporate fruits and whole grains into your breakfast routine (yogurt with fresh fruit instead of a sugared fruit flavoring is also a good idea).

And take a tip from Marsden Epworth, editor of Compass and several supplements to The Lakeville Journal. She likes to eat vegetables for breakfast, which seems unappealing until she starts to describe some of her favorite foods: a bowl of acorn squash and cranberries, or a fresh baguette with some sautéed asparagus stalks, or, for those who can’t quite bring that off, some scrambled eggs with tomatoes, herbs and whatever other vegetables are around.

The Country Bistro in Salisbury, for example, offers a popular combination: an omelette made with mushrooms, parsley and some finely chopped garlic.

Or if you have a group over, cook eggs for four using some fresh garden pickings, such as peppers, tomatoes and basil. Add any other herbs that are handy, or any other veggies that appeal to you.

                                                             Skillet eggs with herbs and more

                                                                              Serves four

                                                            Adapted from a recipe at iFood.tv

Butter or olive oil for cooking the vegetables and eggs;  1 pepper, cleaned and seeded and sliced into strips;  1 shallot, peeled and chopped;  1 clove of garlic, chopped (if you have time, roast the garlic; better yet, roast a whole head some evening and you’ll have soft roasted cloves ready when you need them);  Coarse salt and pepper to taste;  2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped;  1/2 cup basil leaves, or to taste;  8 eggs; 1/4 cup Boursin cheese (optional)

Sauté the peppers and shallot in the butter or olive oil over medium heat. When they become tender, add the tomatoes and heat until they’re warm. Drain any excess liquid from the skillet. Set the vegetables aside. Heat whatever butter or oil remains in the skillet over medium heat. Beat the eggs and add the Boursin if you want it. When the skillet is hot, reduce the heat to low and add the eggs and cheese. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for three to five minutes, until the eggs are thick but not cooked through. Add the vegetables to the eggs and quickly combine them before removing from heat and serving immediately.