You’ve no doubt heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day, whether it is in the form of avocado toasta plate of eggsa buttered bagel or a handful of Cheerios snatched from the cereal box as you rush out the door. But what if your stomach Doesn’t seem to have gotten the message that it’s time to eat?
Many people face this dilemma, Lizzy Pope, PhD, RDassociate professor and director of the undergraduate dietetics program at the University of Vermont, tells SELF. “It’s not abnormal or unique to not be hungry in the morning,” she says. In a small 2020 study of 193 adolescents published in the journal BMC NutritionResearchers found that only 32 percent reported eating breakfast year-round, for reasons that included—you guessed it—exactly that.
Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: If this describes you, your lack of appetite isn’t necessarily a major cause for concern, but there are a few reasons why you might not wake up feeling hungry. Maybe you’re less sensitive to hunger cues, according to Dr. Pope. Maybe you’re experiencing fluctuations in certain hormones, whether it’s due to stress, the timing of your menstrual cycle, or even a tough morning workout. (For example, epinephrine, aka adrenalineand estrogen can act as appetite suppressants, while progesterone and testosterone can have the opposite effect, says Dr. Pope. And Vigorous exercise can decrease the hunger hormone ghrelin (For a few hours afterward, as SELF previously reported.) Or maybe you ate a lot before bed. (However, any sudden change in appetite may be worth discussing with a doctor or dietitian, Dr. Pope adds.)
So, depending on your biology, routine, and lifestyle, not feeling hungry in the morning may come naturally to you. But here’s the catch: even if you don’t have much of an appetite right after you get out of bed, it’s still a great idea to try to eat. something right after waking up — ideally within an hour or two, Anna Maria Merz, MS, RD, a registered dietitian at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF. “It doesn’t have to be a huge, fancy breakfast. It can even be a snack,” she says.
There are a few reasons for this recommendation. First, a morning meal helps kickstart your metabolism for the day, so your body has the energy it needs to tackle the tasks at hand, according to Merz. Second, it can provide important nutrients, says Dr. Pope. For example, some breakfast foods — think chia pudding, fruit salads, or scrambled eggs with vegetables – they are rich in fibera type of carbohydrate that has many digestive benefits, she says. Third, it can keep you from feeling too hungry later, according to Dr. Pope. Finally, eating in the morning can help keep your blood sugar more stable throughout the day, which can stave off “that crashing feeling after a meal,” Merz says. Additionally, if you have a medical condition like diabetes or take medications that need to be taken with food, it can be extra important for health reasons to eat early, Merz says.