“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” We’ve all heard the saying, but we don’t all believe it.
Personally, I find myself opting for a hot cup of coffee first thing (yes, even before water). I don’t wake up with much of an appetite; plus, I don’t usually feel like putting in the effort to cook before work. I know it’s probably not what’s best for me, but most days it is just a reality.
What does this say about me, a breakfast skipper? I asked Barbara Sparacino, MD, and Israa Nasir, an award-winning psychotherapist, if they see any common patterns among people who skip breakfast. These are the seven traits they shared, and I’ve gotta say: I feel seen.
1. They Tend to Skew “Night Owl”
Nasir says that people who tend to skip breakfast are normally an evening chronotype, meaning their sleep and appetite rhythms run later. She explains that people who are just “not hungry in the morning” feel this way because of timing, not willpower. People with a later chronotype are more likely to delay their first meal and eat later overall, she says.
2. They’re Likely to Be “Go Hard All Day, Crash at Night” Types
Sparacino says that frequent breakfast skippers “are often people who slam into the day at full speed.” She adds that so many things take up their attention in the morning (emails, kids, commute, tasks, etc.) and then they realize at 2 or 3 p.m. that they’ve barely eaten that day.
Coffee or energy drinks may become their lifeline for pushing through the day, she explains. And since they’re not eating enough in the morning or throughout the day, she says the “wheels come off” at night, where they may have larger meals, lots of snacks, and more sugar as the body tries to make up for the deficit.
3. They Might Consider Coffee a Meal
“Many breakfast skippers use caffeine as a stand-in for food,” Sparacino explains. She also says that many people in the morning feel “fine” because they’ve got coffee carrying them, but later in the day may experience “energy crashes, irritability, or shakiness.”
4. They May Be Grazers and Snackers Later in the Day
“People who skip breakfast often don’t skip calories; they just shift them,” Sparacino says. What this means is that they might “pick” or snack all afternoon and evening. Sparacino says that some people engage in grazing and mindless eating, especially in front of screens, which she says can make it hard to recognize fullness.
5. They Might Be Overscheduled and Undernourished
From her experience working with people who skip breakfast, Sparacino also says they are frequently people who are chronically rushed in life and tell her, “I don’t have time for myself in the morning.” A lot of the time, these people are caregivers or high-pressure workers.
6. They Might Be Disconnected from Hunger Cues
If someone is skipping breakfast every day, Sparacino says they may have gotten used to ignoring their body’s signals. This means they may tend to eat when it’s convenient, not when their body is telling them they’re hungry. She says that over time, “They may struggle to tell the difference between true hunger, stress, and fatigue.”
7. They May Be More Likely to Reach for Quick, Sugary Fixes Later
Sparacino also says that if you delay eating for long enough, you’re more likely to reach for refined carbs, sweets, or fast food when you finally do eat. She explains this decision as the brain saying, “We’re low on fuel; give me something fast and easy.”
So, What Does Skipping Breakfast Tell Us?
Sparacino said people’s habits often reflect their stress levels, priorities, and relationship with their own body. These are her three takeaways about what skipping breakfast may say about someone:
Of course, everyone is different. Just because you skip breakfast, for example, doesn’t mean you’re impossibly overbooked and stressed. We want to know. If you’re a breakfast skipper, do you relate to any of the traits shared above? Let us know in the comment below!
