There's A Reason You Eat The Same Breakfast Every Day

Many of us have a routine in the mornings. On a regular work week when you have to get up, get ready, and get your day started it can be nice to have a go-to meal. A recent study explored why people tend to eat the same breakfast every day, reports Live Science.

According to the study, most people want variety in their meals, but that usually only applies to lunch and dinner. For some reason, many of us just don't mind repeating the most important meal of the day. To figure out why, researchers evaluated the eating habits of thousands of Americans and French people as well as previous research on the topic.

What they found was that multiple factors contribute to our desire for variety, but what it really comes down to is timing. Live Science explains that our bodies follow circadian rhythms, which basically means we naturally follow a 24-hour cycle. Think about how most of us feel tired when it gets dark out and are more awake when it's light out. The same logic applies to our eating habits, but the authors of this particular study wanted to see if psychological factors had any effects.

In addition to circadian rhythms, the authors of the study found that meal choices are often made with either utilitarian or hedonic goals in mind. So either we choose our meals for the convenience or we choose them for the pleasure of eating. This led the scientists to suggest that psychological factors could affect the circadian rhythms. Earlier in the day when people have more energy, they're more likely to make practical (utilitarian) decisions which leads them to have the same breakfast for multiple days whereas later in the day they when energy levels lower we focus less on utility and more on pleasure.

My recent go-to meal has become a protein smoothie and a bowl of cereal, but that's mostly out of laziness. Some mornings when I have the energy to actually make a full-on breakfast I'll make protein waffles and turkey bacon or some eggs with toast. All of this is only possible because of work from home comfort. Getting back into the routine of having an actual commute will likely turn my morning breakfast routine into a coffee and anything I can pop in the toaster real quick.

So, is your breakfast the same every day? Do you have a whole routine or are you a fly by the light of the morning kind of person? Let us know in the comments.