10 Foods That Should Be Avoided In the Morning
We all know the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and many experts also recommend it be the heartiest meal of the day. There is a solid basis for this claim, but many people consume multiple calories in the morning without paying attention to their quality, and this can cause some serious health problems instead of helping to start the day on the right foot.
Breakfast should be balanced, contain all the food groups and provide us with energy for the rest of the day, so it is important that it be quality and not just hearty. In order to ensure that this is the case, we recommend avoiding the following 10 foods at breakfast, as they may have the opposite effect from what we wish to achieve.
1. Pancakes
Pancakes are a sweet, and easy to prepare dish, so many choose it for their breakfasts. Unfortunately, this favorite may harm you if you eat it in the morning, as it causes a strain on your body's digestive system, which can cause fatigue and various health problems. Most pancakes sold in stores and restaurants contain processed flour that doesn’t benefit the body, and also causes resistance to the hormone leptin that signals the body is satiated.
When the body becomes resistant to this hormone, people eat too much because their hunger-satiety mechanism goes awry and they can’t distinguish between the two states. Moreover, the sugar in pancakes and in the syrups that accompany them may lead to a sharp rise in sugar levels that lead to insulin resistance, which can sometimes develop into diabetes.
2. Granola Snacks
Much has been said in recent years about the benefits of oats, giving people the false impression that any food containing them is healthy. This includes, among other things, granola and energy bars containing oats, dried fruit, unsweetened chocolate and other ingredients that give the illusion of great health in a small package. Despite this promise, it is hard to say that these snacks are as healthy as we would like because they contain many ingredients that aren’t good or our bodies.
First of all, they have high levels of sugar to sweeten the oats and other ingredients in the snack. Apart from refined sugar, many granola bars also contain sugary corn syrup, which adds to the already high sugar levels, as well as flavorings and preservatives. While it is tempting to reach out for these snacks when you’re in a hurry in the morning and don’t want to skip breakfast, reading the fine print and the ingredients they contain will deter you from doing so and will make you go for healthier options.
3. Fruit Shakes
Fruit shakes have swept us all over the past few years thanks to the positive publicity they received and the fact that they contain only natural ingredients. It is true that eating fruits in the morning will provide you with a good amount of vitamins, minerals, natural sugars and fiber, but it is important to consume them in moderation. When you make a shake, you probably put in a lot of fruit to get enough liquid to fill a cup.
In these cases, the body receives a "sugar stroke" which causes a rise in sugar levels in the body, which can lead to diabetes. This is partially true of homemade shakes, but those bought from shake shops and stalls are many times more dangerous. Many of these places add a few teaspoons of sugar to sweeten the shakes even. If you like drinking your breakfast, buy or make a smaller glass of shake, and incorporate vegetables, not just fruits, to keep your blood sugar from rising.
4. Orange juice
This is another favorite drink in the morning that many prefer over shakes because of the thought that it contains small amounts of sugar compared to them. This thought is quite popular but completely wrong since one glass of orange juice contains 36 grams of sugar, which is equivalent to 9 teaspoons of sugar! Here too the problem lies in the large amounts of fruit that are needed to make one cup of juice that is supposed to be nutritious and healthy. The juicing process alone also causes loss of the dietary fiber found in the flesh of the orange, making it better to eat a fresh orange instead of drinking the juice of at least 7 oranges in one cup.
5. Bread/rolls with jam
Many people like to open the morning with a roll and some jam, but as this combination tastes good, it is harmful. The two ingredients of this breakfast contain a high amount of sugar that isn’t good for your body, and in addition to this sugar, bread or rolls often contain white flour which isn’t recommended in the morning. This small meal contains a very high amount of calories, therefore its best not to eat it in the morning, especially considering the fact that all it contains is empty calories with no essential nutrients for the body.
6. French toast
It's hard to find a person who can resist French toast made from fresh bread fried in egg and butter. Its comfort food that makes you feel good in the morning, but this seemingly innocent toast won’t help you throughout the day. Eating fried food in the morning may cause unpleasant heartburn, and when made with white bread that contains gluten which acts like glue in your stomach, the temptation seems less great.
7. Breakfast cerealsToo many parents rush to fill bowls with cereal and milk because of the many advertisements of the companies that produce them that promise plenty of vitamins and minerals, whole grains and all the good in the world in one bowl. But before you rush to buy cereal, you should know that besides high sugar, these foods also contain ingredients called lectin that humans can’t digest, and that eating too much of may cause digestive problems down the road. In addition, it may damage children’s stomach lining, which is especially sensitive in the morning, after going all night without food, so it is recommended to give up cereal and try healthier alternatives like oatmeal with natural sweeteners.
8. Croissants and other pastries
There is nothing like a hot, sweet pastry for breakfast next to coffee or tea. However, these pastries contain high amounts of sugar and fat that cause fatigue, as well as refined white flour which can cause an imbalance in the hunger-satiety system. In addition, many pastries contain vegetable oils and margarine which cause infections throughout the body leading to unpleasant pain that interferes with our daily routine, and over time can get worse.
9. Flavored yogurt
Natural Bio-Yogurt contains proteins, calcium and friendly bacteria that are good for the body, but we won't enjoy these benefits if we start our day with flavored yogurt. In such products, which contain fruit concentrates in different flavors, dried fruits and more, you can find many unpleasant surprises such as high sugar, and artificial flavors, as well as various stabilizing materials. These substances can cause cellular damage, so it isn’t recommended to consume them in large amounts, especially in the morning.
10. Skipping breakfast
Experts agree that it is better to eat something small in the morning to "reboot our systems" than not to eat anything at all. After the body fasts during the night, it is important to give it important nutrients such as fiber, whole grains, vitamins, and minerals, so that it can function properly during the day.
Many people tend to skip breakfast and think that nothing will happen if they do, but during the day those people feel tired, lack energy and tend to eat too much at other meals. To avoid this, try to prepare yourself a small breakfast in the evening, or eat something as small as yogurt sweetened with honey so that your body gets the minimum amount of calories it needs to start working.