[Captured from Lee Guk-ju's YouTube channel]
[Captured from Lee Guk-ju's YouTube channel]

"Eat breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a commoner and dinner like a beggar."

The saying is a familiar one in discussions about healthy eating habits — the idea being that you should fuel up well in the morning and taper off by evening. But some take it as license to binge at breakfast, which is far from healthy.

Comedian Lee Guk-ju, 40, recently drew attention after posting a video on YouTube showing her morning meal: a fruit sandwich, instant rice, grilled fish, pancakes and a pork cutlet — an amount that would be generous spread across an entire day, let alone a single sitting.

Eating that much at breakfast can actually work against weight loss. A 2019 study published in the BMJ found no clear weight-reduction benefit among people who ate breakfast. In fact, those who ate breakfast consumed an average of about 260 kilocalories more per day than those who skipped it.

[Getty Images Bank]
[Getty Images Bank]

Eating large amounts of simple sugars on an empty stomach — as in Lee's breakfast — can cause blood sugar to spike sharply. The pancreas responds by releasing a surge of insulin to bring levels back down, which can then cause blood sugar to drop just as abruptly. Repeated cycles of this pattern can lead to insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body's cells fail to absorb glucose properly even when insulin is present. The pancreas must then produce even more insulin to compensate. Over time, if the pancreas can no longer keep up with that demand, blood sugar regulation breaks down and type 2 diabetes can follow.

[Getty Images Bank]
[Getty Images Bank]

That said, skipping breakfast or eating as little as possible is not necessarily the answer. People who wake up hungry or have a physically demanding morning may benefit from a substantial meal. Conversely, those with little appetite in the morning have no reason to force themselves to eat a large amount for the sake of health.

What you eat matters just as much as how much. Rather than filling up on refined carbohydrates and sugars — white bread, sweet cereals and sugary drinks — nutritionists recommend combining protein-rich foods such as eggs or tofu with whole grains, vegetables and fruit. Even the same quantity of food can deliver very different nutritional quality depending on what it consists of.

So what does a good breakfast actually look like? Experts say the ideal morning meal draws on protein, dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates rather than simple sugars. Practical options include a bowl of multigrain rice with steamed egg, tofu and vegetable banchan, or whole-grain bread paired with eggs, unsweetened yogurt and nuts.

For busy mornings, oatmeal topped with unsweetened milk or yogurt, nuts and fruit such as apple is another solid choice. Protein and dietary fiber help sustain a feeling of fullness, while fiber-rich carbohydrates like whole grains are better for blood sugar management than refined bread or sugary cereal.


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