The Golden Trident

By Morgan Cranford 

We’ve all heard it. “You need to eat breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Granted, humans- especially teenagers- need to be fueling their bodies for the day ahead of them, but there is no conclusive evidence for the superiority of breakfast when compared to the other meals.

The origin of this cliche comes, unsurprisingly, from breakfast cereal companies. The idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day gained popularity in the 20th century, boosted largely by these companies in an attempt to increase the consumption of their product by maintaining that breakfast improves energy levels, betters school performance for children, and balances body weight. While not entirely untrue, these claims were often oversimplified and lacked long-term scientific support.

Modern studies show that, like with most things, the impact of breakfast varies based on age and lifestyle. Different people have different health and body goals, so their nutrient needs will naturally be different. Some studies have pointed to those who consume a balanced breakfast performing better at memory and attention tasks, likely as a result of the steady supply of glucose they are providing their brains (glucose is a chemical that the brain requires in order to function at full capacity). So, eating breakfast does have its benefits, but the importance lies more with providing your body with consistent and good nutrients and less with breakfast specifically. 

Teens, especially teen girls, do not tend to have the most consistent eating habits. The teenage years are some of the most stressful times, full of changes and constant comparison. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 95% of people with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 to 25. This means that teens, more susceptible to eating disorders than any other age group, need to make sure that they are eating consistently. It feels impossible to be a teenager; all the odds feel stacked against you. 

Everyone around you seems like they are doing better than you are; social media tells you that you will never be enough, no matter what you do to change your appearance or alter your lifestyle. Eating becomes something that’s secondary, a thing that you can forgo to achieve certain goals. Obviously, this is a harmful outlook both physically and mentally, but this logic seems impossible to remember when you’re living with the constant pressure to be perfect. 

Breakfast is important in the sense that it gives the body essential nutrients that it needs in order to function at full capacity. However, it is also not necessarily the “most important meal of the day” as breakfast companies would have you believe. For teens specifically, as far as I’m concerned, as long as nutrients are being provided for the body, you’re doing something right. 

We all know how hard it can be at times to get food down, whether it be because of disordered eating, stress and anxiety unrelated to food, or just simply not having the time to make yourself a meal. It is difficult to be this age, with all the pressures of school, extracurriculars, social life, and stigma around looking and behaving in certain ways. The motto that breakfast is the most important meal of the day can unintentionally create pressure and shame around eating, things that very much already exist and do not need to be perpetuated any further. 

Ultimately, teens just need to do what they need to do. We need to be encouraging eating in a way that doesn’t alienate anyone or make them feel like they are doing anything wrong. As long as we are getting our bodies the nutrients that they need, that’s a win. Everything else is secondary.