A high-fat breakfast of bacon and eggs may be the healthiest start to the day, a new university report showed.

For the first meal eaten after a night’s sleep appears to programme the metabolism for the rest of the day, the researchers found.

And the age-old maxim “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper” may in fact be the best advice to follow to prevent metabolic syndrome, according to a new University of Alabama at Birmingham study.

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, insulin resistance and other cardiovascular disease-risk factors.

The study, published online March 30 in the International Journal of Obesity, examined the influence exerted by the type of foods and specific timing of intake on the development of metabolic syndrome.

So with that in mind…

Smokey Bacon And Egg Bake

Ingredients

200g (7oz) Dry cured oak smoked thick cut back bacon rashers – about 6 rashers
5ml (1tsp) Olive oil
1 Red onion, finely chopped
1 Garlic clove, crushed
15-30ml (1-2tbsp) Smoked paprika
400g (approx) Can chopped tomatoes
30ml (2tbsp) Tomato ketchup
1 Red pepper, deseeded and cut into small pieces
4 Eggs

Preparation

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6, 200°C, 400°F.

Method

Leave 4 rashers of bacon whole and chop the remaining 2 into large pieces.

In a large pan heat the oil and add the chopped bacon, onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion begins to soften. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Pour into four individual shallow gratin dishes or one large dish. Take the whole rashers of bacon and curl into a rough circle and place on top of the mixture. Make a slight indent in the mixture, crack the eggs and place in the centre of each individual dish or evenly on the top of one large dish. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until the eggs have set.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with chunks of crusty bread for dipping.