Are we getting breakfast all wrong?

In the UK, breakfast often features a select few types of food. Combine this with busy schedules and a lack of focus on the morning meal and it's no wonder Tim Spector, professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London, is concerned our breakfasts have become "very, very limited."

In lots of cultures, breakfast is far more similar to lunch and dinner, meaning it varies from day to day.

And this is important, says Spector. Eating a healthy breakfast isn't about picking one nutritious dish to have every morning. The more variety there is in your diet, the better it is for your gut bacteria.

The British Dietetic Association, external (BDA) recommends eating foods high in fibre (such as wholegrain bread, oats or certain cereals) and protein (like yoghurt, beans and eggs), as well as fruit and veg.

Is it best to fuel up as soon as we're awake, or delay breaking the overnight fast?

"We need to move away from this one-size-fits-all advice," says Spector. "Some people are programmed to prefer eating earlier in the day and others later, which might suit our unique personal metabolism."

That said, Spector does suggest trying to leave 12–14 hours between your last meal of the day and your first meal the following morning. This might mean an early dinner with a morning breakfast, or a later dinner with breakfast pushed back.

It's thought this could help keep your gut happy.

"Our thinking is that it allows a whole repair team to come out that don't eat your food but eat your gut lining and clean up the debris from the night before. The more they do this, the stronger your gut wall is, and [this] appears to help your immune defences."

Rupy Aujla, medical doctor and author, says, "If you're stressed or rushed in the mornings… fasting until noon, then having a nice leftover meal or high-fibre item, might be better than rushing."

Intermittent fasting or skipping meals doesn't suit everyone, with side effects including dizziness and headaches, external.

Skipping breakfast may affect your short-term memory, too. A Public Health England review, external concluded there is "convincing evidence that consuming breakfast, compared to skipping breakfast, has positive impacts on short-term cognition and memory."

Eating a quality breakfast is also linked to other healthy outcomes, like lower risk of weight gain and cardiovascular diseases, according to the BDA, external.

Breakfast is especially important for children, and is linked to better outcomes at school as well as more positive weight status and general diet quality, external.

Cereal can have a place in a healthy balanced diet, but it's important to check nutrition labels as lots have high levels of sugar, fat or salt. Compare nutrition based on 100g of cereal rather than the recommended portion size, as this varies and surveys show we eat 63% more cereal than the recommendation, external.

Cereal can be a good source of calcium when eaten with milk, no-added sugar yoghurt, or fortified soya or oat drinks.

Adding fruit increases sweetness, contributes to your five-a-day and boosts the fibre content, too.

Try porridge and homemade granola, and beware of shop-bought cereal bars, which can be high in sugar and fat.

If toast is your breakfast of choice, use wholemeal, multigrain or seeded bread, which often contains "dietary fibre, calcium, iron, folate and B vitamins," says dietitian Catherine Rabess.

Healthy toppings include nut and seed butters, cheese, eggs, avocado, mushrooms, yeast extract and fresh fruit, says Rabess.

What about fry-ups, ranked by over a quarter of Brits as their all-time favourite breakfast?

"Cooked breakfasts can be balanced and healthy," says Rabess. A breakfast of tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans and a glass of juice can give you four of your five-a-day, if you have a portion of each. Eggs are also nutritious.

It's best to limit the processed meats that often come with fry-ups though (think sausages and bacon), due to high saturated fat and links to various health risks, external.

Originally published February 2021. Updated March 2026.

Want more? Visit BBC Food on Instagram, external, Facebook, external and Pinterest, external or watch the latest Food TV programmes on BBC iPlayer.