Athletes come up with familiar excuses for skipping the morning meal:

"I don't have time."
"I'm not hungry."
"I'm on a diet."

Studies show that concentration and alertness fail without breakfast. Why? Because the brain only uses glucose as an energy source - not stored fat. After sleeping you need to "break" the "fast" and put glucose back into your system. Your goal is to eat 1/3 of your daily calories in the morning.

Here are some breakfast ideas that can be eaten in your room, on the go, or even between classes:

• Yogurt topped with granola or cereal
• Banana
• Cheese
• Bran muffin - add peanut butter and/or jelly
• Graham crackerse
• Raisins and peanuts - prepacked in plastic baggies
• Peanut butter crackers
• Bagel with cream cheese or fruit spread
• Plan a breakfast-to-go the night before: peanut and banana sandwich plus a juice box - these are also easy to pack and eat after practice
• Cereal with milk - add raisins if you want
• If you're really pressed for time and on the go, make instant breakfast mixed with milk in a water bottle.

No morning appetite?

You may have eaten too many calories the night before. Late night snacks can curb a morning appetite, contribute to wait gain and even result in dietary deficiencies (if too many munchies replace nutritious meals). Try snacking on low-carb snacks such as carrot sticks or fruit. If you hold off on snacking altogether, you will have the incentive and hunger to get up earlier and eat a nutritious breakfast.

If you still don't have the appetite for a morning meal, try drinking your calories instead. 1 cup of fruit juice is around 120 calories and 1 cup of chocolate milk is around 200 calories. Eat or drink as much as you can and then take some pre-packaged food with you to eat later as a mid-morning snack. If you gradually add a little bit more each day to your breakfast, you may eventually have the appetite for a complete breakfast.

Morning workouts are another reason athletes aren't hungry for breakfast. Exercised muscles are hungriest for carbs within the first 2 hours after a workout. Breakfast promptly replaces the depleted glycogen stores and invests in the next training session. Pack your bag with dried fruit, banana, apple, yogurt and a bagel. Eat these when you are hungrier - even during class if you can.

Skipping breakfast to lose weight? Don't be so sure!

Research indicates that breakfast skippers struggle the most with weight than breakfast eaters. You burn breakfast calories more easily than the same amount eaten at night.

50-calorie diet toast is not enough to satisfy your appetite, which could lead to overeating the rest of the day. Here are some sample 500-calorie breakfasts for a 1,500 calorie diet.

Breakfast at home			Approximate Calories
1 cup of orange juice			100
2 oz of cereal				220
1 cup low-fat milk			100
1 small banana				80
Total:					500

Breakfast on the run			Approximate Calories
Bran muffin					300
Vanilla yogurt					200
Total: 						500

Non-traditional breakfast		Approximate Calories
2 slices of pizza				500

There should be no excuses for skipping breakfast! Eat to win!

Recommended Resource: Nutrition for Performance, by Dr. Kristine Clark

Additional Resource: Nutritional Supplements. by Dr. Kristine Clark