What 4 nutrition experts eat for breakfast, and what they say about the best foods to have

Breakfast should not be skipped, especially if you are a woman, nutritionists say. Eat it soon after you awake and include protein, they add

Do you eat breakfast? If so, what do you have?

The first meal of the day has long been seen as the most important, with research showing links between having breakfast and better health through lower incidence of diabetes and heart disease and a lower body mass index.

The rise in popularity of intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating has prompted many people to skip breakfast, however, and sparked a debate about this meal's importance.

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We asked four experts in nutrition, three of them in Hong Kong, whether breakfast is important, what they ate and the reasons for their choices. Their consensus: never skip breakfast, eat it not too long after waking - and include protein.

Katia Demekhina, nutritional therapist

If you are on holiday and relaxed, skipping breakfast might be something you can do without negative effects.

If you are dealing with a lot of stress, breakfast is especially important. Why? Because fasting is a stressor on the body and you have fasted all night.

Skipping breakfast can raise your cortisol level - which is higher when you awake - adding to the effect of stress on your body. When we are running on empty, our body produces cortisol to release energy from storage.

It is because our level of cortisol, the "get up and go hormone", is naturally higher in the morning that people find it easy to skip breakfast.

I wake up at 6am and eat around 9am. My breakfast consists of a mix of protein - we should aim for 25 grams (1 oz) of protein with breakfast, about half our daily requirement; healthy fats such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nut butter and seeds; and fibre, which we can get from berries, avocado and vegetables.

It is essential to ensure the right balance of nutrients to start your day. Avoid simple carbs and empty calories - pastries and cereals - as they will send you on a blood sugar and cortisol roller coaster.

I believe in "the breakfast of a king and the dinner of a pauper". I keep my complex carbs for dinner, when I find they benefit sleep.

Studies show that eating the biggest meal at breakfast and the smallest at dinner has significant health benefits. For example, we have seen this reverse symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common condition that affects how a woman's ovaries work.

I opt for a Japanese breakfast of roast salmon with miso soup and pickles, to which I add avocado and berries.

I cannot eat enough eggs to get 25 grams of protein - an egg has only 6 grams of protein - so if I am to have two eggs I add some feta cheese to a side salad that I have with them.

Chicken breast with avocado and rocket in a high-fibre, low-carb wrap is another great option. I change it up for Greek yogurt and berries with home-made, grain-free, low-sugar granola or overnight oats.

I always think about adding extra fibre to these. Replace part of the oats with ground flaxseeds, chia and hemp, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, and add protein - egg white in cooked porridge, or protein powder in my overnight chia/oat pods.

It is not advisable to have coffee first thing on an empty stomach. Save it for after breakfast to help balance its effects on your stress hormones.

Puja Kumari, nutritionist and holistic practitioner

Eating breakfast can help keep blood sugar and blood pressure levels steady, which probably explains why those who skip it suffer headaches, blood sugar dips, faintness and difficulty concentrating.

Skipping breakfast in the morning increases blood viscosity and slows flow over time, leading to heart attack risk. So a good breakfast not only gives you energy for the day, but it is good for your heart.

I eat breakfast every day within an hour of waking up, as it helps to regulate my blood sugar levels, appetite and metabolism.

My breakfasts vary. I may have sandwiches with wholewheat or multigrain bread and vegetables, tofu, cottage cheese or egg whites; overnight oats with nuts, seeds and fruit; or wholegrain wheat toast with banana, nut butter and a pinch of cinnamon.

A healthy breakfast refuels your body and boosts brainpower so that you are more alert at school or work. Many studies show that eating breakfast can improve memory and concentration levels.

It can even make us happier, since it can improve mood by lowering our stress level.

Sandra Carvajal, nutritionist and health coach

Breakfast kick-starts metabolism, provides the energy to function during the day, keeps you satisfied so you avoid overeating later, and is important for brain function.

Sometimes I enjoy a sweet breakfast and have a rich protein smoothie with banana, berries, protein powder, seeds, nuts and any sort of green leaves; or muesli; or overnight oats with fruit.

Sometimes I like a savoury breakfast of scrambled tofu with kimchi on top of turmeric quinoa, or eggs and sweet potato burritos.

I try to ensure there is always protein - tofu, eggs, Greek yogurt, cheese, nut butter, quinoa, chia seeds; healthy fats from nuts and seeds, avocado, olive oil; and carbohydrates in the form of oats, fruit, greens or whole grains.

If I am exercising, I have a small high-protein bite before training, like a banana and nut butter, or a protein bar, and then one hour after training I have a high-protein breakfast.

Alexa Mullane, nutritionist specialising in female hormonal health and perimenopause

I eat breakfast every day and try to eat it within an hour of getting up. Men can generally skip breakfast without issues, but women have to consider the impact on our hormonal health.

Women who skip breakfast have increased cortisol levels, and high cortisol can disrupt reproductive hormones like progesterone, which can have knock-on effects for our overall health.

Many people believe that skipping breakfast helps with weight loss because it extends the overnight fast. However, research has found that this is not the case for women, and that skipping breakfast actually increases the risk of developing obesity and hypertension.

My breakfast is usually something like eggs and avocado on sourdough toast topped with herbs and seeds, or a green smoothie with celery, cucumber, avocado, berries, nuts and a protein source like cottage cheese or kefir.

I always make sure I have protein, healthy fat and fibre from vegetables, nuts or seeds. This combination will keep me full until lunchtime to stop me snacking, and it also feeds my gut and brain to give me a great start to the day.

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