Last updated on June 13th, 2022
Do you feel sleepy after having breakfast? Then, the first thing, you need to do is prepare a list of breakfast foods naming ‘what are healthy breakfast foods for weight loss in India and what to avoid. Because there are types of foods that are the worst for breakfast. Some of them are healthy but they are good for dinner not for breakfast.
What you eat in the early hours of your day has a great impact on the rest of the day. Yes, the wrong food choices can make you sluggish all day long. Also, they can hinder your weight loss efforts.
According to science, food is said to have a significant effect on your body weight, brainpower, and body energy. Studies have proven that foods have the potential to alter (both harm and protect) your brain health and mental function. So, you carefully need to choose the types of food that not only help you increase your mental alertness but also help you lose weight.
However, making small changes in your lifestyle can help you get your energy back and make you feel more fit. But, one important change you should have more focus on is to stop eating weight gaining and sleep-inducing foods in the morning.
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Here are 5 types of worst breakfast foods you should avoid eating in the morning for your breakfast on all the ordinary days. Also, it’d be wise to not consume them in your lunch if you are going to attend an important post-lunch meeting or interview. Plus, I have also included the best healthy breakfast foods (as their healthy alternatives) that would increase your mental alertness, improve your concentration at work and help you lose weight also.
1. Processed Foods
The first worst types of foods in your ‘what to eat for breakfast’ list should be low processed foods. All processed foods are low-nutrient foods. They include muffins, bars, chips, cheesy burgers, candy, soda, cookies, french fries, fried chips & pizza.
Processed foods are the worst foods for breakfast. Because these foods are the sources of bad calories, harmful chemicals, and synthetic ingredients. They induce sleep and lower your energy levels.
Calories taken from processed foods are absorbed into your bloodstream quickly causing a rapid increase in insulin levels. In the worst case, it can also end in fatigue and weakness.
Alternative Healthy Breakfast Foods
Try to take your carbs and calories from real and less processed foods. The best breakfast foods list can include whole-grain cereals, low-fat yoghurt, brown bread sandwiches with fillings of vegetables, boiled beans with some spices & salads, and sprouts with the flavour of honey.
The carbs from these foods would take more time to enter the bloodstream. Therefore your body would not have to deal with a quick increase in insulin. You will feel more active and alert. Apart from it, whole grain cereals, vegetables and yoghurt also help you lose weight which makes them the best foods for breakfast.
Therefore, when you are confused about what to eat for breakfast that will increase your alertness and weight loss efforts, add more sprouts, grains and vegetables to your morning diet.
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2. Red Meat & High-level Fats
It’s no denying that red meat has iron which gives your body an instant energy boost, but you should avoid it if you need to be alert at work. Yes, red meat can make you tired. Along with being a good source of iron, it is hard to digest and also has a high level of fat.
High-level fats are not easy for the body to break down. Because of this, your body requires to increase the blood flow to your stomach so that the food can be digested properly. This process ends up causing tiredness and drowsiness in the body.
So, the next types of foods which you have to avoid in the morning are sugary drinks, fruit juices from the supermarket, candy bars, pastries, ice cream, cakes and foods high in added sugar.
Alternative Healthy Breakfast Foods
Incorporate healthy fats that are full of nutrition and can make you active the day long. For Example, beans, brown rice, sweet potato, fruits, vegetable oils, avocado, peanut butter, and caffeine. In fruits, don’t make mango your first breakfast food.
Besides it, herbs & spices such as ginger, capsaicin, pipeline, and curcumin are what to eat for breakfast. Try adding them to your meals to kill bloating and let the food digest better.
Spices are a metabolism booster. Metabolism is responsible for digesting food. It does so by changing your food into energy. When your food is digested easily, you are not likely to suffer bloating and gas problems. It makes your mind more focused on the work.
Spices also help you lose weight indirectly by increasing your metabolism. The higher the metabolism rate, the more quickly you lose weight.
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3. Refined Foods (Bread, Grains & Sugars)
Refined grains like pasta, white rice, white refined bread, all-purpose flour and pastries, snacks, sweets, sodas, and added sugars are labelled as ‘empty calories. They have a high glycemic index. Consuming foods with a high glycemic index has been associated with several diseases and obesity (Source).
They spike your blood sugar dramatically, which may temporarily boost your energy, but shortly after can provoke it to drop drastically. A sudden decrease in energy makes you feel tired.
Avoid eating refined bread in the morning and whenever you need to attend an important meeting right after your meal, and when your productive skills are most required.
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Healthy Alternatives to refined foods for breakfast
The next best types of healthy alternatives you should add to your ‘what to eat for breakfast’ list are healthy carbs. All carbs are not bad. Your body doesn’t process all the carbs the same. Whole carbs ranking low in glycemic index are great for you.
Therefore try switching to healthy carbs that give you a steady dose of energy so you don’t have to deal with an energy crash. They include whole-grain slices of bread, whole grain, whole grain or brown rice pasta which still have not lost the fibre, vitamins, and minerals of the original grain.
For snacks, you can try baked sweet potato, whole-grain toast, and raw veggies. Combine refined carb food with several whole carb foods to keep your meal tasty and full of variety.
4. Sleep Inducing Beverages
And here is what to drink and what to avoid for your breakfast. There are a variety of sleep-inducing drinks that you should only take before bedtime. Because they are healthy and help you sleep (Source).
When you drink them in the morning or during the daytime, these healthy drinks may affect your level of alertness.
The list of sleep-inducing beverages includes chamomile tea, passionflower tea, almond milk, almond banana smoothie, and cherry juice.
Alternative Healthy Breakfast Foods & Drinks (what to drink in breakfast)
The beverages that can make you focus are green tea, water+ lemon, berries, cinnamon tea, coffee, water, and avocado smoothie.
5. Serotonin Boosting Foods
Serotonin is a chemical messenger in the brain that’s believed to produce healthy sleeping patterns. Foods containing an amino acid known as tryptophan can increase serotonin levels in the brain. Therefore, consuming foods that are rich in tryptophan, can make you feel drowsy at work.
Just try avoiding such foods on your special days when you are expected to be more focused at work. The foods that are high in tryptophan are cherries, turkey, warm milk, spinach, chia seeds, soy products, almonds, tofu, salmon, fried eggs, cheese, and pineapple.
While these foods are healthy, they’re better for bedtime than mid-day or morning, as the amino acid tryptophan in them can make your serotonin levels high and you may feel sleepy and sluggish. The goal is to make sure your energy stores are high during the day to be the most productive.
Healthy Alternatives for breakfast
Green tea, chocolate, whole grains, fruit salad, and all the foods mentioned in the ‘healthy alternatives’ sections above.
Wrapping up
Your breakfast is the main meal of the day. Therefore your food should be enriched in nutrition, and healthy ingredients. In modern times, the best breakfast foods are those that help you in aiding your weight loss efforts and make you alert for the whole day.
Apart from having a fit body, you should also focus on increasing your mental alertness which largely depends upon the food you choose to eat. Several studies are claiming that foods play an important role in both increasing and reducing alertness and productivity at work.
So, choose your food wisely. Preparing a list of ‘what to eat for breakfast would be a good idea. It will be easier for you to eat the best foods in the morning. The foods that would produce some health benefits and not drain your energy during productive hours.
However, many different factors influence your body and brainpower, so consult a health care provider if drowsiness continues to interrupt your day.
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DISCLAIMER: All suggested tips and suggestions are based on expert advice, research and my personal experience. The content in this article is meant for spreading awareness and not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. It’s always better to seek the advice of your physician, fitness trainer or another qualified health care provider with any question you may have regarding health and fitness advice.
Trusted Resources
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5787353/
- https://www.gisymbol.com/about-glycemic-index/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6170050/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5015038/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6764927/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4737446/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/16231692/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6146358/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805706/
Please take extra care of your health, maintain hygiene, and inhale only healthy air free from impurities. Consider having a good air purifier at home:
- Best Air Purifiers in India ( A Complete Buying Guide & Reviews)
- Top 10 Best RO Water Purifiers to Buy Online in India for Home
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Navita Bhatia says
A very thought-provoking post. Yes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Thanks for all the alternative food options you shared. all the useful information in one place.
Srishti says
Thanks Navita for your lovely comment! I am glad you liked it 🙂
anupriya says
This was extensively researched and well presented informative post. I thin I am going to come back to it time and again.
Srishti says
Sure Anupriya 🙂 Thanks for your kind words!
Samira Gupta says
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you have given very good explanation as to what should or should not be taken at that time.
Srishti says
Thanks 🙂