Eating Two Breakfasts Is Probably A Lot Healthier Than You Think

We adults know eating breakfast jump-starts our metabolisms and allows us to burn more calories throughout the day, but kids are exempt from dietary rules like these, right?

Wrong, actually. While the young 'uns may appear to have an endless reserve of natural energy and an ability to metabolize even the junkiest of foods, they're not free from the dietary benefits and pitfalls experienced by adults.

A recent study in the journal Pediatric Obesity found children are better off having two breakfasts than eating no breakfast at all.

The researchers recorded the weight gain of 600 middle school students over the course of two years, noting along the way whether each student skipped breakfast, ate one morning meal at home or school or ate breakfast in both places, racking up double the morning calorie count.

Results showed children who skipped breakfast were twice as likely to gain weight as the real heroes, aka the two-breakfast kids.

Overeating is never the answer, but shoveling down a hearty breakfast (or two) can presumably lead to less bingeing as the day wears on, whether you're in eighth grade or your eighth year of retirement.

Citations: Having two breakfasts is better for you than having none, says science (Metro), School breakfast and body mass index: a longitudinal observational study of middle school students (Pediatric Obesity)