Breakfast is a meal preceding lunch or dinner and usually eaten in the morning. Less frequently, the term breakfast may also be used by people that work evenings or late nights to refer to the first meal of the day, although it may not include the same ingredients as breakfast in the standard sense.
The erosion of breakfast has been an ongoing trend in the West since at least the early 20th century, coinciding with later waking times than when most Westerners had agricultural occupations. Today, hampered by busy morning schedules, many neglect breakfast or skip it entirely. This trend now exists in industrialized nations worldwide, where it is accompanied frequently by replacing local breakfast traditions with modern Western-style foods, often packaged or pre-made. Nevertheless, many nutritionists consider breakfast a very important meal, since it provides vital nourishment and energy for starting that day. Studies have indicated that food eaten early in the day is less likely to contribute to fat gain than food eaten in the evening.
