“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper,” goes the adage, and with good reason. Breakfast sets the tone for the day by increasing your alertness and improving concentration levels, explains Dr. Karolina Miśkiewicz, faculty at the Lodz University of Technology, Poland, in her blog.

Skipping breakfast is the wrong way to lose weight because the calories are added during lunch and dinner. “Breakfast helps you maintain stable insulin levels and at the same time reduces the risk of diabetes and obesity. What's more, it provides you with energy for the day, which improves brain functioning and general well-being,” Miśkiewicz wrote.

The question of what to eat for a healthy breakfast confounds the best of people, who oscillate between carbohydrates, protein and fat. While there are several theories about what the perfect breakfast constitutes, an overindulgence of fat disrupts oxygen delivery to organs and delays digestion, according to Miśkiewicz. Lean protein and fiber-rich breakfast contributes to fullness, more than fat.

Also it is easier to skip breakfast if you are late to work, have kids to send to school or are running short of time. This is when we eat pancakes, muffins, waffles and smoothies as they are easier to make, while ruining our health in the long run. Opting for unhealthy breakfast foods available at the grocery store saves time, which is why we often make the wrong choices. Here are a few examples taken from an article on msn.com.

Frozen Carbs

Frozen waffles and pancakes are packed with carbohydrates, particularly simple carbohydrates, which do not make you feel full as they are quickly digested. It’s important to read the quantity of whole grains and fiber mentioned on the label. Some of these products claim to be healthier than they really are, so maybe next time be pickier when choosing frozen french toast sticks.

Sugary Breads

Bagels, breads and biscuits are nothing but sugar and gluten. These foods are nothing but sugary treats meant to be eaten as dessert on a cheat day and should be avoided for breakfast.

Breakfast Bars

It might be enticing to eat breakfast bars that are ready-to-go and don’t require cooking. They also claim to be packed with protein and fiber, but in reality they have tons of chemicals and sugar. Reading the labels for how much real nutrition is added is crucial to stop feeding your body an unhealthy breakfast.

Blueberry Almond Pancakes
Blueberry Almond Pancakes. Photo courtesy of Sweet Peas & Saffron

Sugary Juices

Tropicana and Welch’s juice products appear to be healthy, but in fact contain loads of sugar. Some products claim to be probiotics, however, they do not end up adding good bacteria because of the excessive sugariness that has the opposite effect.

Some fruit juices claim to be 100 percent natural without any added sugar, but they just mean that cane sugar was not added to the drink. They still contain fructose that converts sugar to fat.

Yogurt

Flavored yogurt might come across as a harmless breakfast food. However, flavored yoghurt could contain artificial flavors, added sugars and calories. Read the label to find yogurt filled with protein and probiotics.

Smoothies

Again, smoothies and milkshakes are high in sugar content and lacking in nutrients.

Unhealthy Cereals

Companies use false marketing strategies to sell cereals by writing phrases such as “antioxidants” on cereal boxes. They misuse medical jargon to sell more products, which cannot be regulated by the FDA. Paying more attention to the nutrition label may help you understand the nutrition content of your cereals better.

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