Here's a reason to put down that cereal box and start cooking up some bacon and eggs for breakfast instead.

Researchers conducting a study on mice discovered that those fed a high fat meal after waking remained healthier than those given a carb-rich breakfast followed up by a fatty dinner. The carb-eating mice also tended to put on weight and had trouble processing sugar, which raised their risk of diabetes.

It is thought that by consuming high-fat foods for breakfast, it helps sets up the metabolism for the rest of the day, making it easier to burn off other meals and snacks.

The researchers thus concluded that eating full English breakfast is in fact better for the heart, waistline and blood pressure as opposed to consuming carbohydrate-rich cereals, breads and pastries.

As the old saying goes, 'eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper' may in fact be the key to achieving optimum health.