When planning your daily meals, breakfast should always take precedence. The adage is well-known and with good reason. After fasting for ten hours while sleeping, breakfast is our chance to refuel our bodies.
If we give some thought to what we put into our bodies first thing in the morning, we may give ourselves a leg up in terms of energy, focus, and output, setting us up to take on the world.
However, if we eat the incorrect things for breakfast, we could feel energized in the short term, but exhausted and sluggish in the long run. It’s possible that we would feel compelled to make further poor eating choices later in the day as a form of penance.
We’ve compiled a list of the 10 worst options for breakfast, many of which you may be eating regularly. Some of these, notably number 10, will come as a complete surprise to you.
Continue Reading This Article
1 Sugary, ultra-refined breakfast cereals
We’re all aware that the cereals sold in brightly colored packaging to kids have sugar levels that are downright scary. However, the true danger comes from “healthy” morning cereals that actually include a lot of sugar.
To be honest, we eat a lot of breakfast cereals every day. Cereal is a fantastic choice for a hearty breakfast since it is simple to prepare, requires few ingredients, fills you up without any processed foods, and provides a healthy nutritional foundation for the day ahead. However, this only holds true for products that are created with whole grains and have no added sugars.
Make sure there are no hidden sugars in your cereal by looking at the nutrition label. Choose a cereal with a high fiber content produced from whole grains to keep you full till lunch. Choose cereals like shredded wheat, cornflakes without added sugar, or classic porridge oats; avoid microwavable porridge, which sometimes contains sweet syrups for flavor.
- Pancakes or waffles
Flour, eggs, milk, sugar, and a raising agent like bicarbonate of soda give pancakes their light texture and flavor when cooked from scratch. Gluten-free pancakes may be made with gluten-free flour alternatives, and vegan pancake recipes that call for egg and milk substitutions do exist.
You might be wondering, “Okay, but what do all of them have in common?” Sugar! Even waffles share this similarity. In spite of this, they are both quite prevalent in the morning. The fact that we seldom eat pancakes and waffles on their own adds sugar to the mix, which means that a pancake or waffle-based breakfast can be rather sugary.
We slather them with sweet syrups and salty, fatty bacon, which raises the calorie count without contributing much in the way of healthful fats or proteins.
In addition, white flour, from which the whole grain and healthy B vitamins have been removed, is typically used to manufacture both. Therefore, they are best saved for special morning meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas morning.
- Bagels and their fillings
Because they can keep their fillings without becoming mushy as easily as other types of bread, bagels are a popular choice for on-the-go breakfasts.
Most bagels are produced with white flour, which as we mentioned above, is flour with all its essential nutrients and fiber taken away. So you’re not getting much nutritious benefit from eating a bagel.
And then there’s the issue that butter, cream cheese, and salt beef—the three most common spreads for bagels—are all quite rich in fat, and salt beef, in particular, has a lot of salt and chemical processing elements.
If you really can’t live without your morning bagel, then I suggest limiting your intake and pairing your bagel with a protein-rich spread, such as low-fat cream cheese, smoked salmon, or peanut butter.
- Pastries and muffins
Having a muffin for breakfast is like having cake in the morning, which is something we should really save for our birthdays exclusively, right? A fruit-filled blueberry muffin, for example, is marketed to consumers as a “healthy” option, but it’s still essentially a cake.
On the other hand, a blueberry muffin at least has fruit, making it a better option than a regular muffin or, even worse, a chocolate chip muffin. If you’re going to have a muffin for breakfast, make it a fruit one—blueberries are an excellent source of antioxidants and vitamins that assist to keep the immune system healthy. You should still only eat them occasionally.
The same can be said for the hotel’s morning pastries, which always look so appetizing in their wicker baskets. If we don’t want to start the day with a sugar high, we should save them for later, like hotel or holiday sweets.
- Low-fat or fat-free yogurts
Yogurt, whether it be prepared with cow’s milk or a non-dairy substitute like soya, is a nutritious option due to its high protein and probiotic content (good bacteria that help to look after a healthy gut).
So at first appearance, we’d be forgiven for believing that a reduced or no fat yogurt was an even better choice. But beware. In reality, the added sugar content of the fruitier flavors of these supposedly healthy yogurts is often higher than that of the full fat versions. (Even nonfat or low-fat yogurts with a Greek or basic flavor may have sugar added.)
Low-fat yogurt without added sugars isn’t particularly filling and won’t keep you full for long. You may prepare a nutritious and substantial breakfast by adding your favorite fruit and topping it with almonds or oats.
- Processed meats, including bacon
Bacon, sausages, ham, and other processed meats may taste good, but this is usually the result of processing methods and additional salts that are intended to appeal to our sense of taste. At least, in the minds of meat eaters.
Saturated fats, of which there are many processed types of meat, contribute significantly to the calorie content of food. Consuming such meals can lead to health concerns, including gaining weight.
Another contributing factor is the high sodium content of many of these meats. At best, eating too much salt will make us feel parched and dehydrated. In addition, eating processed meats has been related to gastrointestinal issues in old age.
We aren’t advocating a life devoid of bacon and sausage. If you really appreciate them, though, reserve them for a special weekend breakfast once in a while instead of having them every morning.
- Fast food breakfast items
Try to picture it. You’re too rushed to make a nutritious smoothie to perk you up before a crucial meeting at work, and you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Or maybe you’re not late to work because of an urgent deadline, but you made the mistake of drinking too much the night before and now you’re too sick to function.
So, what are your plans? No choice except to make a beeline for the next fast food takeout restaurant like the rest of us and order. Find your favorite breakfast foods here, such as sausage muffins, cheese toasties, hash browns, and bacon butties.
You’ll feel better right away, that’s for sure. However, its effects will be fleeting, and you may be unable to get through your important meeting or deadline before the inevitable crash sets in.
Most fast food breakfasts are heavy in saturated fats and salt and, when combined with a carbonated beverage or a large glass of juice, may be very high in sugar as well. None of these is a good way to kick off the day, and if we indulge in them first thing, we’re more likely to keep it up all day long.
- Coffee with added sugar
There are plenty of people who, like you, require a cup (or two) of coffee first thing in the morning before they can do anything useful like get ready for work or interact with coworkers. Every morning, millions of us stumble groggily into the kitchen and search for the coffee maker. After that, zap! It’s morning, and we’re up and about.
Coffee itself poses no health risks. In fact, it has a high concentration of antioxidants, which strengthen the immune system and improve our mood.
But how we take our coffee makes a huge difference. Large cups of coffee with all the works—full-fat dairy milk, calorie-dense nut milk, sugar, and syrups—include a whole lot of extra sugar and fat, which can build up quickly.
Consuming one of these specialty coffees with another unhealthy breakfast option might easily put us on track to consume more calories than we need for the day. On the other hand, if we exclusively drink black coffee in the morning, not only will we be in a calorie deficit and struggle to feel energized, but we will also be missing out on the beneficial nutrients, fiber, and protein that would be provided by a more varied and well-rounded meal.
- Shop-purchased smoothies
Smoothies are an excellent method for obtaining the many health benefits associated with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
The difficulty is that if we buy one from a store for convenience, it’s likely that sugar has been added so that it tastes better. Sugar in whatever form is sugar; increases calorie intake without providing any nutritional benefit, and this includes honey, agave syrup, and maple syrup.
Therefore, the solution is to create one’s own. Fortunately, all you need is a high-quality blender or a dedicated smoothie maker like a NutriBullet, and the task may be simpler than you think. In most cases, a liquid such as water, cow’s milk, or a dairy-free substitute such as oat milk or protein-rich pea milk can suffice as a basis.
- Bananas
Bananas, yes! We had a feeling this one will catch you off guard. Bananas are a healthy and delicious snack. They are high in micronutrients like potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants, and provide plenty of fiber to keep the digestive tract working smoothly.
However, they tend to be rather sugary, which, as we’ve seen in the preceding paragraphs, can contribute to blood sugar highs and lows and, in turn, the urge to snack before noon.
Bananas are high in sugar, which is a form of carbohydrate, but they are low in healthy fats and protein. So, if you eat only a banana for breakfast, you’ll be hungry again before too long because bananas aren’t a full food.
Bananas are a healthy addition to homemade smoothies, and they also taste great when chopped and spread on whole-grain bread. Adding a small spread of your preferred nut butter will offer a nutritious dose of protein and healthy fats. Get your banana fix, but pair them with something else to ensure you’re filled till lunchtime.