Flavoured yoghurt
Many people don’t realise that yoghurt is not exactly “low carb” if they’re getting the stuff from the supermarket. Check the ingredients list closely and you might find sugar and sweeteners to be very high on the list. And that’s just in plain yoghurt! Imagine the sugar content in the flavoured stuff! These yoghurts can contain more sugar than your regular soft drink. Even worse, those that claim to be “light” or “low sugar” might use artificial sweeteners instead, which tend to cause your body to heighten your cravings for sweets!
Bananas
Talk about way too much sugar! Bananas may seem like a great choice for breakfast — it’s starchy, and will probably give you plenty of energy to last you until lunchtime. While it’s true that it provides plenty of energy, it certainly won’t last you until the afternoon! High-GI and high in simple sugars, your body will burn off this energy in no time, and leave you feeling even hungrier than before. If you want to eat sugar-heavy fruits in the morning, make sure to combine them with protein sources like nuts, to slow down the digestion process.
Coffee
Some of us are definitely guilty of downing just a single cup of joe (and nothing else) for breakfast and hoping this will be enough to fuel us through the day until lunchtime. Bad news for coffee-drinkers with this habit. Coffee on an empty stomach, especially with the lactose from added milk or creamer, can severely impact on our digestion in the morning. Coffee is, unfortunately, acidic. Same goes for black tea. These breakfast “staple” beverages shouldn’t be taken on their own. Always have your coffee or tea with additional food.
Processed meat
Say no to luncheon meat and highly processed hams. Not only do they contain incredibly high doses of sodium, they also possibly contain very little actual meat. Check the ingredients list closely and you might be met with the words “potato starch” (a popular filler ingredient), “dextrose” and “corn sugar”.
White bread
White bread has little to no nutritional value. Why stuff yourself full of something that won’t help your body? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and your body is hankering for something that’s actually good for it at this time, so don’t feed it empty calories! Go for wholemeal breads or seeded breads instead. And no, don’t settle for sugary jams and chocolate spreads! If they can make your kids go haywire, they can certainly mess with your digestion!
Orange juice
We’re not just talking about the sugar-laden versions you get at the supermarket. Even freshly squeezed orange juice without any added sugar still contains a lot of sugar! And you need several oranges to make a full glass of orange juice. You wouldn’t eat 3 or 4 whole oranges for breakfast, would you? Well, that’s what you’ll be doing if you have a glass of the juice… and you can stand to avoid the spike in blood sugar.
“Kids” cereal
Plenty of adults cling onto these sugar-laden favourites! Frosted cereals, flavoured cereals… all with additives and enticing food colouring. Sure, you may think these cereals can help increase your energy levels, but, as they are very high-GI, you’ll crash in an hour or two, and because these cereals have very little nutritional value, your body is going to crave, crave, crave as much food as possible afterwards. You’ll be stuffing your face with the nearest foods you can find — and these tend to be unhealthy.
Bacon
Bacon for breakfast? Sounds like a dream. While animal protein isn’t exactly bad as a breakfast ingredient (eggs are great), bacon is very calorie-heavy because of the fat it contains. And ingesting too much fat first thing in the morning is definitely not a good way to start the day. Go for lean meats like turkey ham instead.
Muffins
Muffins are high in carbohydrates and usually contain very little else other than sugar and flavourings. For a more substantial meal first thing in the morning, it’s better to introduce more fibre and protein to your diet.
Butter
Butter isn’t bad in small amounts, but if you’re slathering your toast with it every single morning (in copious amounts), you’re ingesting high doses of fat each day. And it’s not healthy fat either. Substitute your butter with other healthier options like low-fat cream cheese.
Breakfast bars
Often made of grains, nuts and seeds, but also usually full of sugar, dried fruit, and flavours that “entice” the consumer (like chocolate or peanut butter), these bars can contain the same amount of calories as a full meal, but because they are so small and compact, you will be left feeling very unsatisfied with your breakfast!
Sausages
If you’re eating sausages for breakfast, you might want to double-check the ingredients list. Cheaper sausages are usually made out of “filler” ingredients. Often, around 25% of the “meat” you consume is actually wheat flour, corn starch and rusk, not actual meat!
White rice
The Japanese usually add white rice to their morning meals. But they also consume other things alongside the rice, such as fish, miso soup, and vegetables. If you’re the type to have your rice and nothing else substantial, you should stop! Like white bread, white rice has very little nutrition and shouldn’t be eaten on its own.
Spicy food
First thing in the morning? Better think twice. Eating curries and spices on an empty stomach might make you run for a toilet break while you’re trying to get to work.
Mango
Extremely high in sugar, it will provide a spike in your blood sugar levels and leave you crashing before lunchtime. Consume fruits that are a little more tart, and have more fibre.
