Many consider breakfast as the most important meal of the day because it is the first meal that the body needs to start the day right. When eating breakfast, it is essential to eat food that is loaded with protein, vitamins, and minerals as compared to those that contain fat, cholesterol, preservatives, and many unhealthy ingredients. When you eat unhealthy food, this can be very counterproductive as you end up feeling weak, faint, lethargic, and lazy. If you want to be productive at home or in the office, here are the worst breakfast foods and their healthier alternatives so that you live a healthier and longer life. Let us begin.
1. Pastries
Danish rolls, cinnamon rolls, and doughnuts are examples of pastries that are considered to be unhealthy as breakfast food. Most pastries contain processed white flour that contains empty calories, which are bad type of calories because they lack nutrition, fiber, and vitamins. Another ingredient that pastries have is sugar, which is not good for a healthy diet because sugar increases your blood sugar levels which increases your hunger and depletes the amount of energy inside your body. Eating pastries certainly gives you a burst of energy because of the sugar; yet, the energy rapidly disappears and causes your body to crash.
Verdict:
- Provides Empty Calories
- Spikes Your Blood Sugar
- Gives You a Sugar Crash
- Lacks Fiber and Vitamins
Healthy Alternatives:
- Whole-wheat Bread
A healthy alternative to pastries in your morning breakfast is whole-wheat bread as it contains carbohydrates that will give your body sustainable energy.
- Fruits
If you need sugar in the morning, fruits present a healthier alternative to eating pastries. Fruits contain minimal sugar and they load your body with essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that your body needs to function properly.
2. Cereal
Cereal is usually considered to be a good breakfast food because it is made out of grain and contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. Cereal is a favorite among many people because it is easy to eat, tastes delicious, and is available in numerous flavors. What many do not realize about cereal is that most manufacturers use ingredients that are not nutritionally rich such as sugar, starch, and food flavoring. Through these ingredients, your body receives empty calories similar to eating pastries and it experiences a sugar crash.
Verdict:
- Provides Empty Calories
- Spikes Your Blood Sugar
- Gives You a Sugar Crash
Healthy Alternatives:
- Oatmeal
Oatmeal is high on fiber and do not contain empty calories that will cause your system to gain weight and experience sugar crashes. Supplementing your body with fiber is a great way to fill your stomach with food as well as to regulate your bowel movement.
- Whole-wheat Cereal
Another alternative is to eat cereal that is 100% whole wheat. Whole wheat cereal, like whole-wheat bread supplies healthy carbohydrates that will act as the fuel that you body burns throughout the day.
3. Egg Whites
For breakfast, most people love eating eggs that are either scrambled or prepared sunny-side-up. Eggs are generally considered healthy because their yolks contain protein, omega 3 fats, and vitamins. For people who diet, they usually avoid eating the yolk and stick to eating the egg whites because they believe that this is where the healthy protein lies. This is definitely a misconception because egg whites do not contain essential protein and the good type of fat that your body requires.
Verdict:
- Do not contain essential fat
- Hard to Digest
- Do Not Have any Taste
Healthy Alternative:
- Hard Boiled Eggs/Soft Boiled Eggs
When you eat eggs in the morning, it is recommended that you either hard boil or soft boil your eggs so that you can eat them entirely. Avoid frying your eggs because it is fattening and counterproductive to getting essential omega 3 fats in your system. Frying your egg or scrambling your eggs includes unhealthy cholesterol and fat.
4. Fake Butter Spread
Another part of most people’s breakfasts is butter because it is used on bread, pastries, and eggs to name a few. Some even use fake butter spreads and margarine as alternative to traditional butter. Fake Butter spread as well as all the other variations of fake butter spreads contains various vegetable oils such as sunflower oil and canola oil that are whipped rapidly to make their consistency similar to butter. When these spreads are made, they develop trans fats and other chemicals that are not good for your body.
Verdict:
- Contains Trans fats
- Contains Chemicals
Healthy Alternative:
- Real Butter
Instead of using fake butter on your toast or eggs, a better and healthier replacement is to use traditional, real butter instead. Butter is not only delicious but it also contains good fats, oils, and nutrients that your body needs.
5. Soy Protein
Many people make soy protein shakes to take as their breakfast. Soy is actually unhealthy for your body because it is very difficult to digest. Another reason why soy is unhealthy is because it can cause dysfunctions of the thyroid, which is responsible for producing essential hormones in your body. When your body fails to produce these hormones, you end experiencing mood disorders, continuous fatigue, and other adrenal problems.
Verdict:
- Difficult to Digest
- Causes Thyroid Dysfunctions
- Causes Mood Disorders
- Causes Fatigue
Health Alternatives:
- Hemp Protein
Hemp protein contains many nutrients aside from protein. It also contains essential fatty acids that your body needs to function properly. Hemp protein contains fiber, which is good for your digestive system and bowel movements.
- Smoothies
Smoothies are a great alternative because they are much healthier and are easier to prepare. When you make a breakfast smoothie, you can virtually add anything that you want to make it more delicious. You can add almond butter or even peanut butter to thicken you smoothie. You can also add nuts to provide your body with protein. Additionally, taking smoothies in the morning keeps you full until lunchtime.
