Top 3 Most Unhealthy Breakfast Foods
Looking for ways to kick-start your morning? Improving your daily breakfast routine is a great place to start. A healthy and balanced breakfast can help boost metabolism, keep weight down and give you the energy you need to take on the day ahead. Unfortunately, many popular breakfast foods are loaded with sugar and excess carbs, which can result in sluggishness and mid-morning energy dips, while also contributing to weight gain and decreased metabolism performance.
Read on to find out the top three most unhealthy breakfast foods and why you should take them out of your daily breakfast routine.
Sugary cereals
Though cereal can be a good breakfast option when you’re short on time, a number of popular kids’ cereal brands contain unhealthy food dyes that have been linked to hyperactivity in some children through studies conducted by the FDA. In fact, the EU and UK have banned these harmful dyes from food manufacturing altogether, so it may be worth reconsidering including them on your breakfast table. In addition to food dyes, many kids’ cereal brands also contain a hefty amount of sugar and empty calories, which is why it’s best to stick to cereal brands that are high in whole grains and low in sugar content.
Doughnuts
Despite its reputation as the perfect pairing with a fresh cup of coffee, doughnuts are high in calorie content, averaging between 250 and 550 calories. But it’s the sugar that’s the real problem. For most adults, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 36 grams of sugar per day to maintain a healthy diet. Doughnuts average between 15 and 30 grams of sugar each, which means that a single doughnut could likely contain nearly a day’s worth of recommended sugar intake. And that’s if you stick to one doughnut, which is much easier said than done.
Consuming such a high amount of sugar causes your body to release loads of insulin, so you have a significant blood sugar spike and then a major sugar crash not long afterwards. It won’t be long before you feel hungry again and crave other foods loaded with refined carbs, resulting in a cycle of unhealthy eating and weight gain.
Bagels
Even though bagels are an easy and affordable on-the-go breakfast option, they are often loaded with starch and carbs, making them a gold mine of empty calories. The average bagel contains between 300 and 500 calories’ worth of starch, totaling nearly 65 grams of carbohydrates. And that’s without the cream cheese or butter spread, which adds even more empty calories and saturated fat. Diets that are high in refined carbs have been proven to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, so if you want your morning bagel fix, switch to the occasional 100% whole grain bagel with light cream cheese to reduce your morning carb intake.
Visit Midwest Express Clinic today to speak with one of our experienced physicians about how you can improve your diet and lifestyle to best achieve your health goals. Find a clinic location nearest you at midwestexpressclinic.com/locations.
