Why Skipping Meals Can Trigger Migraine and How to Avoid It

For many people living with migraine, not eating can trigger migraine attacks. Even for those who don't suffer from chronic migraine, it's important to eat regularly to avoid migraine attacks from not eating and hunger headaches. Here’s why you should avoid skipping meals and the best tips and nutrients, so you never miss a meal again.

Symptoms of Missing Meals

It can be challenging to find the time to get our body's needed nutrients. But when you skip a meal or choose unhealthy foods, you're creating unhealthy eating habits and missing out on the benefits of a balanced diet.

When you skip meals, your blood sugar levels drop and can trigger migraine episodes along with other symptoms. On top of the hunger headache or migraine, you may also feel nauseated and experience cold, shakiness, and drowsiness.

Enjoy Tasty Snacks and Avoid Missing Meals

You may know Joy Bauer as the nutrition expert for NBC'sToday show. She is a New York Times bestselling author of seven books including Joy Bauer's Food Cures. Joy is one of the few nutritionists and registered dieticians we’ve discovered who educates about how food can be medicine for people with migraine. In addition to her book, we’ve compiled some of her delicious migraine-safe recipes. Paula K. Dumas, founder of Migraine Again, spoke with Bauer about migraine attacks from not eating.

Joy Bauer Interview: Skipping Meals With Migraine

Paula Dumas: We talked about which nutrients are best for migraine and which foods and drinks can trigger migraine. Missing meals is another common migraine trigger that we have yet to address. What healthy snacks would you recommend keeping with you when you are just too busy to eat a full meal?

Joy Bauer: This is a great point that you bring up. Skipping meals is a big migraine trigger because if your blood sugar level dips, you are going to get yourself into trouble. You should always pack emergency snacks because the name of the game is steadying those blood sugars — and keeping them steady, not letting them drop or spike, by the way.

So I would say things like rice cakes, dry whole-grain cereal, or sunflower seeds are terrific. Even things like small baggies of baby carrots and green apples are good. Some people respond negatively to red apples because of the skin, so that's why I'm specifically saying green apples. And a lot of people are totally fine with nuts.

Paula: Why are nuts a good choice as an emergency snack to keep on hand?

Joy: Nuts are wonderful because they are portable, and they are filled with healthy fats, protein, and fiber. So you can choose almonds or walnuts — and walnuts, by the way, have omega-3s —or even cashews and peanuts. It all just depends, again, if you personally are okay with nuts.*

I think the important takeaway here is to make sure that you have an emergency snack stash in your purse, in your desk drawer, and wherever you are traveling, just to make sure that those blood sugar levels don't dip.

*Note: For some, nuts are a migraine food trigger. If nuts trigger migraine for you, opt for another snack.

Avoid Blood Sugar Crashes and Migraine With These Healthy Snacks

The next time you have a busy day, throw a couple of these snacks in your bag. Keeping your blood sugar steady — even if you don't have time for a whole meal — will help keep migraines at bay.

• Sunflower seeds
• Baby carrots
• Rice cakes
• Whole-grain cereal
• Green apples
• Nuts — walnuts, cashews, peanuts, or almonds
• Joy's sweet potato fries
• Salad in a jar
• Gluten-free carrot muffins

Long-Term Effects of Missing Meals

While skipping meals may give you immediate symptoms such as headaches, it can have long-term effects as well. Researchers at Columbia University in New York found that skipping meals, specifically breakfast, can lead to several high-risk diseases. Over time, your blood vessels may begin working less efficiently. Once your blood vessels are not working properly, stroke, heart attack, and high blood pressure can occur.

Additionally, our body releases hormones to alert us when we're hungry. If you consistently miss meals, these hormones can stop functioning and lead to diabetes. Most common hunger headache symptoms tend to be easy to resolve, and it's important for your long-term health that missing meals not become a habit.

Having a consistent energy source will keep you feeling vibrant and healthy, especially on your busiest days.