Fruit juice
Fruit juice is one of the worst breakfast options if you’re trying to avoid hunger, weight gain, and chronic disease. Some fruit juices on the market actually contain very little juice and are sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup. But even 100% fruit juice contains a lot of sugar. And high sugar levels increase the risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases. Consuming a lot of fruit juice can have the same impact on your weight and health as drinking sugar-sweetened beverages. Drinking fruit juice causes a very rapid rise in blood sugar because it has no fat or fiber to slow absorption, and the resulting spike in insulin and drop in blood sugar can cause fatigue, tension, and hunger.
Sweet low fat yogurt
A serving of plain whole milk Greek yogurt with fresh or frozen berries is a great example of a healthy breakfast. But a container of low-fat, sugar-sweetened fruit yogurt is not. In fact, many flavored low-fat yogurts contain more sugar than a comparable serving of ice cream (so wouldn’t it be better to eat it and at least get enough of the desired treat?). Keep in mind that fats help keep you feeling full because they take longer to digest than carbohydrates and also trigger the release of the satiety hormone cholecystokinin. And removing the fat from dairy and adding sugar turns a nutritious breakfast option into a meal that’s better suited only to indulge.
Granola bars
Muesli bars may seem like a great breakfast option, but they’re often no better than your average candy bar. Although raw oats are high in fiber, they are low in fiber – muesli has an average of only 1-3 grams of fiber with lots of added sugar, and sometimes a combination of sugar, honey and corn syrup, which poses an even greater health hazard. . Muesli bars often contain chocolate chips or dried fruit that make for a seemingly innocuous snack, a real sugar bomb that will not only quickly raise blood glucose and insulin levels, but also increase the likelihood of inflammation. In addition, the protein content of muesli bars is also generally low.
toasts
Toast is a quick and easy breakfast option, but the ingredients it includes aren’t all that healthy. Often you will find white flour, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup and soybean oil. In addition to being high in sugar and refined flour, toaster baked goods contain only a couple of grams of protein. One study found that women who ate a breakfast with 3 grams of protein and 44 grams of carbohydrates were hungrier and ate more at lunch than women who ate a high-protein, low-carb breakfast.
Pancakes and waffles
Both pancakes and waffles contain flour, eggs, sugar and milk. Although they have more protein than some breakfast foods, pancakes and waffles are very high in refined flour, which can not be appreciated. Many researchers believe that refined grains such as wheat flour contribute to insulin resistance and obesity. In addition, pancakes and waffles are commonly drizzled with pancake syrup, which often contains high fructose corn syrup, which in turn can cause inflammation that causes insulin resistance, which can lead to prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Pure maple syrup, although high in sugar, is safer.
Muffins
Despite their reputation for health benefits, most muffins are just little cakes in disguise. They are made from refined flour, vegetable oils, eggs (the only healthy ingredient) and sugar (if the composition contains chocolate chips or dried fruits, its content rises even more). In addition, in shops and cafes, cupcakes are often very large, significantly exceeding the standard serving size (sometimes 2-3 times). The dramatic increase in portion sizes over the past 30 years is believed to have played a major role in the obesity epidemic.