First and foremost, people do need to eat breakfast if they wish to lose weight, and if anyone has blood sugar problems, it's absolutely mandatory. It kick-starts your adrenalin and begins the fat-burning process after sleeping. In fact, one of the best ways to lose weight is to eat a huge breakfast (not necessarily bacon and eggs or other fatty products-try a well-trimmed grilled pork chop or an omelet made with 2 egg whites and one whole egg, fried in olive oil cooking spray only. Add a good-sized glass of V-8 juice (veggies are always important), whole wheat dry toast or wheat toast with just a bit of olive oil plus a bit of fruit. Even potatoes, if you can eat that much in the morning, are less fattening in the A.M. than at night. Then eat a medium sized lunch-and a truly light dinner at night. Even if you aren't needing to lose weight, a good breakfast will help you start the morning comfortable and healthy.

Do rethink breakfast "foods." Bacon, sausage, waffles and pancakes with syrup, toast with anything except a light dusting of olive oil or whole-fruit (NO sugar) jam, and all of the things we think of as "breakfast" are fattening, no matter when you eat them. A non-sugared whole wheat cereal is okay-with fresh fruit and low-fat milk. I don't use substitutes for sugars, even, but you can if you love the sweet taste.

These rules are important for children. When they are very small, children need the higher fat content of whole milk, but that's only for a few years. Neither they (nor adults) need sweet rolls, donuts and the like. For a treat, maybe, if you're thin, but these are mostly wasted calories. The energy spurt from sugar lasts a very short time, and then you will crave more sugar long before noon.

However, if a sugary sweet is truly all you have time to eat (and don't have health problems caused by non-complex carbohydrates), even that is better than nothing. But why not buy a few low-sugar, low carbohydrate protein bars instead. They have sugar substitutes in them unless you can find a honey-based bar. They also pack more energy and are healthier.

Learn more about this author, Margaret Shauers.
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