Should men and women eat different breakfasts? A study shares new findings — and experts share their thoughts

Breakfast has to be the most controversial meal of the day. Some people swear an omelette starts their morning off right, while others get nauseous at the thought of eggs at 8 a.m. Now, a study from the University of Waterloo has more to add to the conversation. The new research dives into the different ways men and women metabolize carbs and fats for energy.

“After an overnight fast, men and women process high-carbohydrate and high-fat breakfasts in distinct ways,” Stéphanie Abo, the lead author of the study, tells Yahoo Canada. “Our findings show that women tend to store more fat during meals but burn significantly more fat than men during fasting.” In other words, women may use a high-fat breakfast more effectively for energy, whereas men may benefit more from high-carb breakfasts.

But how does this research translate into actionable steps for men and women? Plus, what are the other things we should all keep in mind when eating the supposed "most important meal of the day"? Registered dietician Abbey Sharp, host of the new Bite Back with Abbey Sharp podcast and co-founder of protein powder brand Neue Theory, gives her two cents.

Should men and women eat different breakfasts?

The study out of the Ontario university points to a promising future for personalized nutrition, according to factors like biological sex. But Abo notes “further experimental testing is required before drawing definitive conclusions.”

Sharp says the study is great for exploratory research, but that it doesn’t mean the results are ready to be practically applied to life: “Everything else that you would do in that day would play a role in how things get metabolized, whether it's how much protein and fibre was in that meal, the source of the carbohydrates or your fitness and exercise levels.”

Do you need to eat breakfast to jumpstart your metabolism?

“We used to think that eating breakfast boosts your metabolism, so you need to wake up and immediately eat,” Sharp says. “But this theory has been thoroughly debunked. There is no difference between skipping or eating breakfast when it comes to resting metabolic rate.”

If you're trying to lose weight, the timing of your meals should come down to personal preference and whatever type of eating allows you to stick within a calorie deficit, or when you consume fewer calories than you burn.

• Skipping breakfast: If you’re never hungry in the morning and skipping breakfast means you can save your calories for later in the day, then fasting in the morning is totally fine for weight loss.

• Eating breakfast: If you find skipping breakfast means you end up overeating — especially high-sugar, high-fat foods — later in the day because you’re so ravenous, then eating breakfast is probably a better idea.

Does eating breakfast impact mood or cognition?

Although eating breakfast isn’t necessary for weight loss, it can have an impact on the brain. “Children who skip breakfast are more likely to test poorly on math and other school-based skills and activities,” Sharp says. “In adults, it kind of depends on what you're eating. We know that eating a massive carb-rich breakfast, like a box of corn flakes with no protein, might get your blood sugar to spike and then crash, which can interfere with your mood and cognitive ability.”

To improve cognition and memory, as well as stabilize mood, try eating a protein-rich breakfast. “If you have a balanced breakfast that includes a solid amount of protein, you’re more likely to have stable blood sugar and be able to concentrate and work optimally,” Sharp explains.

What should you eat for breakfast while trying to lose weight?

Sharp notes she likes a “hunger-crushing combo” for breakfast. That includes three components: Protein, fibre and healthy fats, which will help you feel full for longer. Here’s an example of a hunger-crushing breakfast:

• Protein: Greek yogurt

• Fibre: Raspberries

• Healthy fats: Sprinkle of hemp or chia seeds

“There are very few populations who don’t benefit from focusing on protein,” Sharp says. “And fibre helps stabilize blood sugar, which is important for maintaining stable energy all day long. Then you don’t get that crash where you’re going for donuts in the staff room.”

Should you cut carbs at breakfast?

Sharp doesn’t advocate for cutting any foods if you enjoy them. However, she does note that eating “naked carbs” — which are low-nutrition carbs like sweet breakfast cereal — will likely leave you feeling hungry in an hour.

Rather than cutting these carbs out of your diet, Sharp recommends adding them to a hunger-crushing combo. For example, you could add a handful of Lucky Charms to Greek yogurt, raspberries and chia seeds. “Even though naked carbs aren’t necessary for nutrition, they are for your own enjoyment,” she says.

The Toronto-based expert also says some people find they actually need more carbs in the morning: “If anything, our bodies are more insulin sensitive in the morning, so it's advantageous to include the bulk of our carbohydrates earlier on in the day. That’s kind of the way the human body works because of our circadian rhythms, which are naturally inborn.”

How can you add more protein to your diet?

The types of protein you might choose to include in your diet will depend on your goals:

• To lose weight: Opt for protein-rich food sources that have lower calories such as chicken breast, turkey breast and egg whites.

• To cut down on prep time: Low-fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese are both “great sources of high biological value protein,” Sharp says. Protein shakes are another quick meal you don’t have to heat in an oven or stove.

• To stick to a plant-based diet: Several different plant sources are high in protein, including plant-based protein powders, soy products (tofu, tempeh and edamame) and legumes (black beans, chickpeas and lentils).

In conclusion

In the future, the goal is that nutrition will become personalized enough to lessen conditions like obesity and related metabolic disorder like type 2 diabetes. “Nutrition is the primary modifiable factor that can help mitigate these conditions,” Abo says. “Understanding sex-specific metabolism [how males and females turn food into energy] is crucial for developing personalized nutrition strategies that improve health outcomes for both men and women.”

For now, general health guidance for breakfast remains the same for both sexes. Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t analyze your own habits to discover what mealtimes and food types work best for you. For example, you can take note of your mood and ability to concentrate after eating different types of breakfasts, how your digestive system reacts, plus how long it takes for you to get hungry afterward.

“As we evolve in the research and our data-collecting capacity for individualized care, we are going to get more information on how an individual reacts best to certain foods or food combinations,” Sharp says. “But we don't necessarily need a fancy tracker or research to tell us what to eat. We need to listen to our bodies.”

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