Five Breakfast Foods That Sabotage Weight Loss

Starting the day off with a low-sugar, high-protein breakfast will give you more sustained energy and boost your fat burning mechanisms. Indeed, these healthy breakfast foods will keep you feeling satisfied and jump-start weight loss!

One of the most popular physical resolutions is weight loss. As with most resolutions, this is a very general goal, making it difficult to stick to. This year, why not focus on setting specific goals rather than resolutions? Setting a series of smaller goals that are attainable increases your chance of success on your weight loss journey! A great goal to start with is committing to a nutritious breakfast. Starting your day off with healthy breakfast foods helps curb cravings and makes you more likely to stick to healthy eating throughout the day.

The types of food you eat, and how you combine them, affect your metabolism, appetite, and ability to burn fat throughout the day. The common breakfast foods below actually increase hunger, decrease energy, and slow weight loss. Opt for the healthy swaps for a more balanced option to start the day strong!

Alternative breakfast options

1. Fruit Juice: Juice is high in calories and sugar, and contains no fiber, fat, or protein to keep you feeling full; drinking it alone also causes blood sugar spikes and crashes that leave you tired and craving sugar for the rest of the day.

Healthy breakfast food alternative: A smoothie with whole fruit. Try frozen fruit with protein powder, almond milk, and almond butter for a balanced meal replacement. Add a handful of spinach or kale for an extra nutrition boost!

2. Yogurt and Granola: This breakfast staple is a recipe for a mid-morning energy crash. Store-bought granola is surprisingly high in calories, and low-fat varieties are loaded with sugar. Flavored yogurts are also high in sugar, low in protein, and contain artificial ingredients like modified food starch and food dyes.

Healthy breakfast food alternative: High protein plain Greek yogurt with almonds, berries and a teaspoon of raw honey or maple syrup. The small amount of sweetener will add far less sugar than store-bought varieties!

3. Cereal: Cereals are packed with added sugars that increase appetite and cravings for more sugar. Most people also don’t realize the recommended serving is only 1/2 cup, so chances are you’re taking in a lot more calories than you think with a full bowl!

Healthy breakfast food alternative: Warm quinoa cereal. Quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain, and high in protein. Cook it just like oatmeal, and toss in fresh berries and a handful of nuts!

4. Breakfast Sandwich: A sandwich may be a convenient, portable breakfast, but the combination of bread, eggs, and cheese can be a major calorie bomb! Fast-food versions may contain powdered eggs, which are high in oxidized cholesterol that increases inflammation, weight gain, and cardiovascular risk.

Healthy breakfast food alternative: Grab-and-go egg “muffins.” Scramble together eggs, nitrate-free turkey bacon, and veggies and bake in muffin tins for an easy, high-protein breakfast!

5. Low-Fat Muffin: Even if you choose a low fat/calorie option, store bought pastries are loaded with refined flour, sugar and trans fats, all of which promote weight gain. Your “blueberry” muffin may not even contain real blueberries, but a concoction of corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, and food dyes!

Healthy breakfast food alternative: A homemade version! Muffins are quick and easy to make- try making large batches and freezing leftovers! You can also swap refined grain flours for coconut/almond flour for a lower carb version. Try adding fresh berries and mashed banana for natural sweetness, and top with almond butter for healthy fat and protein.