Breakfast Foods I Won't Feed My Kids
GUY LAWRENCE
Breakfast is such an important meal and I can’t say it enough - it should not be missed. Making time for a healthy breakfast to break your fast is ideal in achieving a healthy metabolism, balanced weight, good concentration levels and making good food choices for the rest of the day.
Breakfast sets us up. Missing breakfast gives us lack of focus, low concentration and energy levels, more chance of cravings, especially sugar, and less chance of making good food choices through the day. Some so called ‘healthy’ breakfast foods like fruit juice and cereals are loaded with sugar and not a good start. Here are my breakfast do’s and don’ts for myself and my children …
Muesli
Muesli Don’ts
Most supermarket bought muesli is high in sugar and contain processed carbohydrates. Toasted muesli also contains damaging vegetable oils. I avoid these.
Muesli Do’s
Make your own homemade muesli. You can use olive and coconut oil to toast your own muesli. You can avoid using sugar or use sugar-free alternatives and can make it grain-free by using quinoa flakes or other grain-free alternatives.
Fruit Juice
Fruit Juice Don’ts
Fruit juice is just straight up sugar and just as bad as a fizzy drink. Fruit juice can contain more sugar than a can of Coca Cola. Up to 12 tsp per glass. You are better off eating a whole piece of fruit so that you consume the fibre along with the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and feel full after one or two pieces. There can be up to 10 apples in a 200ml bottle of apple juice and that’s not the fibre just straight up sugar.
Fruit Juice Do’s
Make your own juice with 80% vegetables and 20% fruit or make a Green smoothie instead. I love smoothies as you consume the fibre as well so nothing is wasted. I always include protein, vegetables, good fats and low fructose fruits like berries.
Toast
Toast Don’ts
Don’t have gluten free toast and think you are doing yourself a favor, or add 'organic' strawberry jam. Most gluten free breads have sugar in their ingredients, contain thickeners, stabilizers and emulsifiers to give them the same texture as the gluten based breads. Also many gluten free products are made from corn, potato, tapioca and maize starch, which send your blood sugars sky-high.
Toast Do’s
Try instead spelt sourdough, which is a little easier to digest, or a paleo style gluten free bread which is high in protein and nutrient dense. Spelt is an ancient grain which has slightly lower levels of gluten, and sourdough is made with a fermented dough making the bread easier to digest and doesn’t cause undesirable spikes in blood sugar levels.
Fruit Salad
Fruit Salad Don’ts
Have you seen those fruit salads that are piled high with fruit the size of a truck. I suggest having no more than 3 pieces of fruit in a whole day. If you are going to eat a mountain of fruit which contains sugar you are going to have spikes in your blood sugar levels and leave you hungry for more.
Fruit Salad Do’s
Try adding protein like greek yoghurt or chia seeds along with having low fructose fruits like berries.
Cooked Breakfast
Cooked Breakfast Don’ts
Hash browns fried in vegetable oil, and for that matter everything fried in vegetable oil. Ketchup/BBQ sauce is laden with sugar. Do you know that 1 tablespoon of BBQ sauce has 2 teaspoons of sugar? No veggies on the plate and a side of white bread containing gluten and no fibre. This is why I don’t eat wheat here.
Cooked Breakfast Do’s
Cook with coconut and olive oil. Include tomatoes, mushrooms, greens, asparagus and avocado. Have paleo based breads. Include free range bacon, smoked salmon, eggs or what about sardines.
Don’t be scared to think outside the box. Breakfast can be the same as lunch and dinner. It’s OK to have leftovers from the night before. Make sure you include real food, good fats, vegetables and protein.
What's your regular breakfast meal?
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