Breakfast is often hailed as the most important meal of the day, providing fuel and nutrients to kickstart your morning. However, not all breakfast foods are great for your health. Some breakfast options, often loaded with sugar, unhealthy fats, and refined carbohydrates, can lead to spikes in blood sugar levels and contribute to weight gain around the waistline. Understanding which breakfast foods to avoid is crucial for maintaining stable energy levels, supporting overall health, and managing weight effectively.
We checked in with Michelle Saari, MSc, RD, from eHealth project, to learn about two worst breakfast foods that could spike your blood sugar and add inches to your waistline. She revealed that cereal and baked goods are the ones to stay away from. Read on to learn more.
Cereal
Many commercial breakfast cereals are high in refined carbohydrates and added sugars, which can lead to rapid increases in blood glucose after consumption. These spikes in blood sugar can result in energy crashes, increased hunger, and cravings for more sugary foods later in the day, contributing to weight gain around the waistline over time.
"Not all breakfast cereals are made equal, but they tend to be high in sugar without much other nutritional value," Saari says.
But there are plenty of healthy cereal options out there if you check the nutrition facts on the box. "If a cereal doesn’t have fiber, then there is nothing to help regulate your blood sugars. If you want to have a morning breakfast cereal, look for one that has less than 10% of the calories from sugar. Ideally, there should be no sugar added to it at all. You can help regulate your blood sugars by eating it with chopped fruit for a source of fiber and milk, which is a good source of protein. By having protein and fiber in foods, it can help to slowly release sugar into your bloodstream, which helps to control blood sugar spikes."
Baked Goods
Many commercially available baked breakfast items, such as muffins, pastries, and sweet breads, tend to be high in refined sugars and refined flours. These refined carbs can lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar levels, potentially contributing to insulin resistance over time. Moreover, the calorie-dense nature of these treats, combined with their often low nutritional value, can contribute to a bigger waistline.
Saari shares her alternatives to baked goods that won't cause your blood sugar to spike or lead to insulin resistance. "[Baked goods] are loaded with fat and sugar, none of which are beneficial for your health. Rather than stopping at the coffee shop for a pastry, make sure that you have something prepared for yourself in the morning to grab on the go. Make some toast and put all-natural peanut butter and bananas on it. This is a better option than buying baked goods."
