EAT BREAKFAST LIKE A KING, LUNCH LIKE A COMMONER AND DINNER LIKE A PAUPER.
A quote by a nutritionist, Ms. Adelle Davis, said way back in 1954. This is an apt quote which focuses on the significance of three important meals of the day. This quote has more relevance today, when people skip breakfast or consume unhealthy food in lunch or dinner. The best habit is to eat a substantial well-balanced breakfast, lunch, and dinner at proper time.
Important Meals Of The Day
1. Eating Breakfast
Benefits Of Eating Breakfast
Breakfast is the crucial meal of the day. If you miss a healthy breakfast, the day will begin on a dull note. A breakfast before starting the day’s activity has the following benefits –
- Keeps you mentally alert
- Provides fuel for the body
- Replenishes energy for the day ahead
- Provides essential nutrients needed by the body
- Supports weight loss and weight management
- Reduces the chances of other lifestyle disorders
Consequences Of Skipping Breakfast
- Sugar level drops. Eating food in the morning helps to restore glycogen and stabilize the levels of insulin.
- Persistent hunger, irritability, and fatigue are common.
- The body’s metabolism slows down when there is a long gap in meals. The body stores as much energy it can by lowering the metabolic rate.
- Stress hormone levels are likely to increase. It makes a person nervous.
- It causes a higher risk of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.
- It causes food cravings throughout the day.
- It leads to impulsive snacking at any time.
- The lunch and dinner portions tend to be larger.
Thus, a breakfast like a king means eating lots of food – proteins, carbs, fruits, dairy, etc. A good breakfast can contain protein-rich foods, fats, and essential micronutrients. It should be a well-planned one. After years of research, many theories have emerged. However, the fact that we should eat a hearty breakfast has never changed. Today, when the prevalence of diabetes increases, there is a need to cut down on carbs and increase protein. Similarly, for hypertension, we cut down salt and reduce dietary fats in heart diseases.
2. Eating Lunch
Lunch is a meal that is away from home due to the occupations chosen. It has become a packed meal. But here, too, the emphasis has to be on a meal providing adequate proteins. The traditional meal patterns are good but may not be feasible as physical activity patterns are changed. While we may not eat a full traditional lunch with several dishes, it is essential to cut down on fried food and sugary sweets.
Select a variety of vegetables and fruits in the meal. A packed lunch can be supplemented with curd or buttermilk or a snack to make it a filling meal. This meal will sustain your energy to work and do all the activities necessary.
With more and more women working, the dependence on processed food has increased. It is of utmost importance that the packets’ labels are correctly read and even questioned if some are not understood. A good selection is the one that chooses the foods closest to natural foods with minimal preservatives. The lunch should be like a commoner, which means have enough food to eat. Do not eat too many dishes. Keep them limited but with high nutritional content.
3. Eating Dinner
Dinner like a pauper. It tells all. A pauper cannot afford heavy meals. But even if one can afford to spend on food, eat little, and use up the energy gathered from the other meals of the day. The time after dinner is usually resting time, so the body does not need too much energy. Dinner is the meal that is supposed to be family time. More than the nutrition, dinner contributes to emotional bonding and sharing between family members. Nutritionally, we should ensure that any nutrient missed in the day is consumed in dinner.
Fried food and sweet dishes are to be kept at bay. We have some snacks between lunch and dinner, so it becomes more significant to keep dinner minimal. One bit of caution that if you miss breakfast and a proper lunch, do not bulk up the dinner. All the energy and fat are stored in the adipose tissue. Thus, it may lead to obesity and even hyperglycemia, the first step of diabetes.
Kingdoms of Kings do not exist, but this analogy, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a commoner, and dinner like a pauper,” is significant. Finally, do not ignore the important meals of the day while considering a balanced diet to remain healthy and fit.
