Eating Breakfast Really Does Make You Smarter

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. And it's also good for your brain.

There's a reason it’s considered the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast is a chance for your body to break its overnight fast. Hence the name - get it? It also helps your brain to get its first source of energy for the day ahead. And, replenishes your supply of glucose to boost your energy levels and alertness, while also providing important nutrients required for good health.

There are some great breakfast options out there for your brain health - and of course, some not-so-good ones. Protein is the way to go in the morning.

Eating a high-protein breakfast is important for a few reasons. It supports blood sugar balance, and helps you feel a little more full - which is key for helping you stay energized, and focused through the morning—and less likely to struggle with compulsive snacking on those chips and salsa before lunch!

We can keep our brains limber by doing activities like crossword puzzles, Wordle (yes, it's still a thing), but our diet also has an effect on our brain function. And believe it or not, some of the things you eat might actually reduce that function, experts say. In other words - food can make you dumb!

Here are the top WORST breakfast foods for your brain

Not all, but many smoothies are really just sweet milkshakes in disguise. Smoothies that are made just of fruit (often high-glycemic bananas and mangoes) and fruit-flavored sherbets or yogurts, pack a high amount of sugar. Without fat or protein to taper its blood sugar-spiking effects, it may cause an energy spike - with a fast crash a few hours later. Then comes the fatigue, anxiety, and irritability.

There’s a place for antioxidant-rich fruits at breakfast, but fruit-based breakfast bowls often serve up portions big enough to feed a family. And, topped with fun stuff like granola, coconut flakes, and honey, they pack a lot of sneaky sugar.

Ahh, coffee. For many, drinking a nice cup of joe is the only way to start the day. But when we say coffee these days, it means a few things: A black coffee, an almond milk cappuccino, something like that. “Loaded coffees" piled with artificial flavors, sugar, syrups, and dairy increase inflammation in the body and brain - which is linked to increased symptoms of psychiatric illness and impaired cognition.

Ok, hear me out on this one. Not many breakfast foods come together as quickly as cereal -just add milk! The type of cereal you choose is important for your cognitive function throughout the rest of the day. When it comes to cereal, try to go with whole grains, nuts, healthy fats, and lots of fiber. Most store-bought cereals offer little of these nutrients, but some do. Read the labels. I know it's a pain, but you can make your own homemade granola or cereal mix to control sugar and increase your nutrient intake.

Breakfast burritos can be made with some healthy ingredients, but the wrap itself introduces unnecessary simple carbs and refined starches. To make your burrito more brain-healthy, just skip the wrap and eat your eggs scrambled with some tofu, fresh vegetables, black beans, and a splash of tangy salsa.

Fruit-flavored yogurt is just a lot of sugar masquerading as a balanced breakfast. Check your nutrition labels: 4g of sugar is 1 teaspoon—so if you're eating  6 or 8 teaspoons of sugar in your supposedly “healthy” breakfast yogurt - it's not real healthy! Start with whole, unsweetened yogurt, add in chopped fruit of choice, and top it with cinnamon and a little drop of honey.

Easy, portable, can eat in the car. But, Donuts and coffee are BAD FOR THE BRAIN! Donuts are high in refined carbs and FRIED! This is setting you up for brain fog in the short-term, and poor memory in the long term. Throw in a dose, or several, of caffeine and you're starting your day with a seriously lopsided nutritional profile.