In a world full of complex and rapidly changing health advice, the slogan “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is simple and, most importantly, backed by experts.
“Everyone agrees that it’s probably best to eat a nutritious breakfast,” says Dr. Sami Gill, a registered dietitian. It prepares you for the day, helps regulate energy levels, reduces feelings of hunger, and helps with focus, alertness and productivity.
While there’s no one right way to fuel your body in the morning, there are many ways we can get it wrong, from sugar-laden breakfast cereals to ready-made bottled smoothies and cereal bars. Dr. Jill shared the worst breakfast options and healthy alternatives you can make to set yourself up for the day.
Ready-made breakfast bars
Breakfast bars are practical and delicious, and often give the impression of being healthy through claims on the packaging such as “100% natural”, “vegan” and “light”, with an emphasis on ingredients such as oats, nuts and fruit.
But, more often than not, these claims don’t live up to them, warns Dr Gill, who is also a spokeswoman for the British Nutrition Society. “Many brands have a lot of added ingredients to improve the taste and texture.”
These include emulsifiers, flavorings and sugar, which may be labeled as golden or brown rice syrup, date or coconut sugar. She points out that “using other names for sugar hides the fact that it contains added sugars.”
Researchers fear that these artificial ingredients may cause problems in our intestines. Emulsifiers, in particular, have been linked to intestinal disorders, while animal studies have highlighted that they may play a role in bowel cancer.
Replace them with homemade oat bars
If a ready-made breakfast suits your morning, Dr. Jill says the healthiest option is to prepare breakfast bars yourself in advance. It can be prepared by mixing only 3 ingredients: oats, banana and peanut butter.
Large cereal bowl
“It can be confusing choosing breakfast cereals,” says Dr. Jill. This is how a quarter of the UK’s population starts their day, but their ingredient list and the amount of sugar they contain vary radically, meaning what you pour into your bowl could have implications for your health.
She says sugar-coated cornflakes are high in sugar and low in fiber (they often contain the equivalent of 3 sugar cubes and just 0.5g of fiber per 30g serving), which is disastrous for our guts.
Research indicates that excessive consumption of it destroys beneficial bacteria in the intestines, while fiber is essential for the intestines because it feeds the bacteria that live in it.
However, some low-sugar cereal options contain almost no fiber (such as plain puffed rice), while some sugary options, such as sugar-coated shredded wheat, provide a good amount of fiber.
Replace it with porridge
“I always recommend choosing a plain, high-fiber option and then adding your own toppings,” says Dr. Jill. Porridge, or if you’re in a hurry, plain wheat crackers and shredded wheat, are all safe options.
You can then add honey or fruit to sweeten these less flavorful options, but most importantly, you can control the amount.
“You can add seeds and nuts for more fibre, protein and healthy unsaturated fats. One of my favorite recipes is porridge with mashed banana and peanut butter.”
Ready-made smoothie juices
Leaving the peels on fruits and vegetables when preparing a smoothie can increase the fiber content by up to 50%.
Dr. Gill explains: “Ready juices contain the liquid and solid parts of the fruit, the fruit juice and pulp, after mixing them together.” Although this sounds nutritious, the blending process reduces the amount of fiber provided by the fruit and increases the sugar content.
Although they still provide some fiber and compounds beneficial for gut health, such as plant compounds called polyphenols, there are more gut-healthy ways to start your day.
Replace it with a homemade smoothie made with oats, nut butters and seeds.
“Homemade smoothies are the perfect choice, because you can make them more nutritious by using all the edible parts of fruits and vegetables, including the juice, pulp, seeds and peels,” she says.
Peels are a rich source of fibre, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals.
“If you add other ingredients like cow’s milk, oats, nut butters, or chia seeds, you’re adding extra fiber, protein, and healthy fats to your smoothie, too.”
Juice
Dr. Jill points out that fruit juices provide a concentrated source of sugar, especially fructose, which may cause symptoms such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea in people with sensitive intestines.
This drink is also rich in free sugars, which is the type that is recommended not to be consumed in excess because it contributes to weight gain and tooth decay. Common advice is to limit free sugars to 30 grams per day, but one 150 ml cup (recommended serving size) contains up to 18 grams.
However, this does not mean that fruit juice cannot be part of a healthy diet. “In fact, studies have shown that drinking orange or apple juice is associated with lower levels of inflammation and improved cardiovascular health, such as cholesterol levels,” she adds.
Replace it with 100% fruit juice or fruit tea.
Instead of having a “fruit juice drink” or “fruit drinks,” which often contain a lot of sugar, always choose 100% fruit juice, says Dr. Jill.
“Juice drinks are not 100% fruit juice,” she explains, “but are rich in other ingredients such as sweeteners, colors, and flavors. To reduce the amount of sugar, you can mix fruit juice with half the amount of water, drink fruit-infused water, or fruit tea.”
Commercial flavored yogurt
“Commercial flavored yogurt is usually high in sugar and other additives such as emulsifiers, flavourings, thickeners and sweeteners,” Dr. Jill points out. This means that these yogurts are not only ultra-processed foods, but they may cause problems in our intestines.
While yogurt does contain natural sugar in the form of lactose, this represents only about 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams. “Any amount more than that is considered added sugar,” says Dr. Jill. Common yogurts contain up to 20 grams of sugar per 100 grams.
Dr. Jill says replacing plain yogurt and adding your own flavors will make a big difference in your gut health. Greek yogurt is higher in protein and lower in lactose (natural sugars) than regular yogurt, while “natural” yogurt contains more beneficial gut bacteria.
Eating two servings of yogurt a week also helps protect against bowel cancer. This is because the probiotics it contains encourage a wider range of beneficial bacteria to live in our gut, reducing inflammation and reducing cancer-causing chemicals, scientists believe.
Dr. Jill suggests adding healthy compounds for added flavor and gut health benefits, such as fruit, nuts, nut butters, seeds, and dark chocolate chips.