Nothing fancy here.

Despite the popularity of cold cereal, an estimated 31 million Americans don't eat breakfast regularly. But there's new research to suggest that eating a healthful breakfast may be one of the reasons that thin people are able to stay that way.

In a study of nearly 150 people who are "slim by design," meaning those who are a healthy weight and who don't struggle with weight issues, researchers from Cornell Food & Brand Lab found that only 4 percent of the participants reported skipping the meal.

"One important take away from this study is that a very high rate of slim people actually eat breakfast instead of skipping, which is consistent with previous research on the importance of breakfast," said lead author Anna-Leena Vuorinen. "But what stands out is that they not only ate breakfast, but that they ate healthful foods like fruits and vegetables."

Indeed, rather than sugar-laden goods like pastries and Pop-Tarts, more than half of the registry's participants reported eating fruit for breakfast. Other popular foods included eggs, cold cereal or granola. These healthy morning meals aren't anything out of the ordinary: No fancy Paleo recipes or expensive juices appeared in the findings. Check out more of the study's conclusions in the infographic below. Perhaps it's time to give your morning meal a makeover.

Cornell Food and Brand Lab

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