Dieters, Here Are the 5 Worst Items to Have at the Breakfast Table
Breakfast is a vital part of the day, but sitting down at the table to refuel for the rest of the day doesn't mean that one should just eat whatever is available. Especially for dieters, some common breakfast foods can wreck a carefully managed diet plan. Here's a list of five particularly dangerous ones, calorie counting-wise.
Skipping breakfast is also bad, too, considering that rushing off without a meal could even lead to a wider waistline later on, especially for children. It just pays to be a bit picky at the breakfast table, and try to cut down on these in the morning, as the Business Insider recommended.
Sweetened Cereal
There are all sorts of cereals, but sugary ones are just spiked with enough carbs to get one's blood sugar-jacked up early in the day.
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"Classic breakfast foods can often be high in sugar, lower in nutritional value including vitamins and minerals, healthy fat, fiber and protein that can help to carry us forward into the day feeling satisfied and energized," Isabel Smith, a registered dietitian, noted about some popular items like Frosted Flakes and Lucky Charms.
Waffles
Fluffy and sweet, waffles and the syrups that go with them are chock-full of simple carbs.
If there's one thing simple carbs and sugar is known for, it's their tendency to get digested quickly and deliver a sugar high that usually doesn't last too long. The result is hunger pangs and snacking binges later in the day.
Besides, depending on how a waffle has been dressed up, it would be just like eating a hearty dessert for breakfast. A varied set is often better, as Smith noted: "When it comes to picking a great breakfast, you always want to combine protein or fat with minimally processed carbohydrates that are rich in fiber."
Orange Juice
A regular on the breakfast table, there are all sorts of ways to prepare orange juice. The ones that come pre-processed out of a box, however, can be unhealthy despite the Vitamin C.
Most store-bought varieties come sweetened, meaning they've been loaded up with sugar, and in some cases, coloring and preservatives. Some brands also sell heat pasteurized juice, and that means some of the nutrients from the fruit may have been lost in the process, too.
Orange juice lovers are much better off with a freshly squeezed glass, or for convenience, there is also the cold-pressed or pressure-pasteurized variety that are more nutritious than the usual juice box on the supermarket.
Bagel and Cream Cheese
Bagels are just packed with carbs and calories — everyone already knows that.
For some reason, though, people have turned to the bread snack item to fill their breakfast needs. One of these is more than plenty — a bagel has enough calories to equal four slices of bread, and the cream cheese and toppings add a lot more to that.
Flavored Yogurt
Yogurt, just like orange juice, is a healthy, nutritious item when made from scratch or bought just as-is: simple, unsweetened and unflavored.
When choosing yogurt, dieters should reach for the plain ones. Makers of flavored yogurt tend to add artificial colors, flavors, and a good serving of sugar on some varieties, even those with the fruit at the bottom.
Yogurt lovers are better off making their own mix, topping off plain yogurt with some healthy fruit, nuts, or one or more of the 10 most nutritious food items in the world to dress up their first meal of the day.
