How Much Sugar is in Your Favorite Breakfast?
By Sara Butler
In a world that is perfect, you would start every single day with a green detox smoothie and a bowl of whole grain oatmeal with fresh fruit. Maybe throw an egg in there for good measure. But it’s not a perfect world and many people don’t eat perfectly nutritional breakfasts. Hey – sugary breakfasts are bound to happen from time to time, but there are options that are better than others. Here’s how much sugar your favorite breakfast might be hiding.
Why Not Sugar?
Unless you just arrived from another planet, you know sugar isn’t good for you and it’s not the best way to start a super healthy day. Sugary treats tend to be low in fiber, healthy fat, and protein, while being made with highly refined carbohydrates that won’t leave you feeling satisfied throughout the morning. In fact, they may leave you feeling sluggish and craving more sugar to help keep the inevitable sugar crash at bay.
Your Options
The first step to starting your day off right is to understand what you’re dealing with. If you have to choose between a snack of pancakes and a giant blueberry muffin, which is going to be the best choice? Well, here’s a breakdown of your favorite sugary breakfast items and how much sugar it has in grams. Remember, men are supposed to only have 37 grams of sugar a day while women are only supposed to have 25 grams.
Here are the most common sugary breakfast items:
- Yogurt parfait – 49 grams
- Cinnamon roll – 41 grams
- Muffins – 38 grams
- Donut – 24 grams
- Cereal – 18 grams
- Bagel – 6 grams
- Pancakes (without syrup) – 2 grams
- French toast (without syrup) – 2 grams
- Waffles (without syrup) – 2 grams
Do you find these results surprising? Well, they might be. Yogurt is usually thought of as a healthy option but is one of the worst offenders on this list. Of course, plain yogurt is a great option, but who eats plain yogurt? You can always throw a few berries into plain yogurt for a kick.
What Should You Do?
When you have no choice for breakfast but something sugary, there are things you can do to try to find a little balance. For example, have half of a muffin but pair it with a source of good protein, such as eggs, nuts, or Greek yogurt. That will make the digestion of it go a little slower and have less impact on your blood sugar.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.