Guest Author - Jennifer Murray

We've all heard it: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But just how important is it when we're trying to be healthy and/or lose weight?

For whatever reason, skipping breakfast is a habit that a lot of us have. Whether it's because we're in a rush to get the day started, get to work or even thinking we will lose weight, skipping breakfast is not a good idea. It is harmful to our health and can actually cause weight gain. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that women who skipped breakfast for two weeks had higher "bad" LDL cholesterol levels than women who ate breakfast every day. Also, this study showed that women who ate breakfast ate fewer calories throughout the day and burnt off 100 calories more than women who did not eat breakfast. Another reason not to skip breakfast: not eating breakfast causes a drop in blood sugar, which can lead to feeling fatigued and lethargic throughout the day.

So if you want to be healthy and/or lose weight, make sure to start your day off right and eat breakfast. Here are some quick and healthy breakfast ideas:

Whole wheat toast or bagels. Try spreading peanut butter on top for added flavor.

Make waffles or whole wheat pancakes on Sunday morning and freeze any leftovers. Just pop them in the toaster to heat them up. Look in your frozen foods section to find whole grain waffles or pancakes as well.

Bake muffins early in the week and then just grab one in the morning.

Cold cereal. No, not the sugary kind. For a healthy choice, try Kashi, Wheaties, or Cheerios.

An egg white (or egg beaters) omelet made with fresh vegetables that were already cleaned and cut up.

A protein-packed smoothie.