Is it worse to eat junk food early in the day?

Many of us have grown up with the mantra that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

But whether it’s snatching an extra half hour of sleep, or focusing on getting the kids out of the house, there are various reasons why assembling a healthy breakfast might slip down your list of priorities – especially on a weekday.

So, is it worse to eat unhealthy foods first thing, compared to later in the day? And what about skipping breakfast altogether?

It’s not just about calories

You probably know eating foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fats – especially when they’re highly processed – puts you at greater risk of a range of serious health conditions. These include diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Poor diet can also affect our gut health, mental health and reproductive health.

Eating a diet high in vegetables and fruit, lean meat and alternatives, such as chicken and lentils, wholegrains, and reduced-fat dairy and alternatives (such as plant-based yoghurt) will improve your overall health and wellbeing, and reduce the risk of serious health conditions.

For breakfast, aim to include a source of good-quality protein, wholegrains, fruit and/or vegetables and healthy fats.

This could look like: toasted wholegrain bread with avocado, a poached egg and sliced tomato. Or it might be wholegrain porridge oats,...

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