The Hidden Risks in Common Breakfasts–and How to Fix Them
Many common breakfasts are marketed as healthy, but they don't always give the body what it needs to start the day. What we eat in the morning, or whether we eat at all, can influence everything from our mood and energy to long-term health.
Problems With Common Breakfasts
The biggest concerns with common breakfast items like cereals, pastries, granola bars, or instant oatmeal packets are that they're often high in sugar and low in protein and fiber. This combination can lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes, noted Mary Curristin, a nutritionist at ART Health Solutions, in an interview with The Epoch Times.
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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
7-Day High-Protein, Gut-Healthy Meal Plan, Created by a Dietitian
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD If a healthier gut is your goal, then fiber and probiotics are key. They help the community of friendly bacteria in your gut to grow and thrive, promoting overall digestive wellness. It's also worth limiting your intake of added sugars. Studies show that Western diets rich in added sugars can lead to an unhealthy balance of bacteria in your gut that increases chronic inflammation. We've taken this into consideration to create a high-protein, gut-healthy meal plan. In addition to being rich in fiber and probiotics, each day has at least 80 grams of protein to keep you satisfied and support muscle growth, especially if you're incorporating resistance training in your week. Meal Plan at a Glance Protein shake/ Nuts & berries Tzatziki bowl/ Yogurt Salmon with salad Chia pudding/ Yogurt Veggie sandwich/ Tuna salad spread Tzatziki bowl Chia pudding/ Nuts & berries White chicken chili/ Cottage cheese Baked Brie pasta Chia pudding/ Apple & nut butter Veggie sandwich/ Tuna salad spread One-pot chicken orzo Chia pudding/ Apple & nut butter White chicken chili/ Yogurt Sheet-pan tacos Protein shake/ Cottage cheese White chicken chili/ Nuts & dates One-pot pasta/ Nice cream Smoothie One-pot pasta/ Yogurt & dates Chicken & veggies/ Nice cream Day 1 Breakfast (337 Calories) 1 serving Chocolate-Cherry Protein Shake Morning Snack (256 Calories) ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts ½ cup blueberries Lunch (514 calories) 1 serving Roasted Potato Tzatziki Bowls Afternoon Snack (202 Calories) 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 2 clementines Dinner (514 Calories) 1 serving Salmon with Cucumber & Avocado Salad Daily totals: 1,824 calories, 96 g fat, 95 g protein, 167 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 1,392 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Omit peanuts from morning snack and omit clementines from afternoon snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 hard-boiled eggs to breakfast. Day 2 Breakfast (422 Calories) 1 serving Strawberry Chia Pudding Morning Snack (202 Calories) 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 2 clementines Lunch (534 calories) 1 serving Beet & White Bean Sandwiches Afternoon Snack (149 Calories) 1 serving Tuna Salad Spread 1 cup sliced cucumbers Dinner (514 Calories) 1 serving Roasted Potato Tzatziki Bowls Daily totals: 1,821 calories, 74 g fat, 87 g protein, 213 g carbohydrates, 43 g fiber, 1,611 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Reduce to ½ serving of Strawberry Chia Pudding for breakfast and omit clementines from morning snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts as an evening snack. Day 3 Breakfast (422 Calories) 1 serving Strawberry Chia Pudding Morning Snack (284 Calories) ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts 2 clementines Lunch (403 calories) 1 serving Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Freezer Pack ⅓ avocado Afternoon Snack (124 Calories) ½ cup 1% cottage cheese with probiotics ½ cup blueberries Dinner (547 Calories) 1 serving Baked Brie, Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Pasta Daily totals: 1,779 calories, 93 g fat, 84 g protein, 175 g carbohydrates, 42 g fiber, 1,976 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Reduce to ½ serving of Strawberry Chia Pudding for breakfast and omit clementines from morning snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 pitted Medjool dates with 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter as an evening snack. Day 4 Breakfast (422 Calories) 1 serving Strawberry Chia Pudding Morning Snack (193 Calories) 1 serving Apple with Cinnamon Almond Butter Lunch (534 calories) 1 serving Beet & White Bean Sandwiches Afternoon Snack (149 Calories) 1 serving Tuna Salad Spread 1 cup sliced cucumbers Dinner (536 Calories) 1 serving Cheesy One-Pot Chicken-Broccoli Orzo Daily totals: 1,834 calories, 73 g fat, 95 g protein, 212 g carbohydrates, 45 g fiber, 1,796 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Omit snacks. To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts as an evening snack. Day 5 Breakfast (422 Calories) 1 serving Strawberry Chia Pudding Morning Snack (193 Calories) 1 serving Apple with Cinnamon Almond Butter Lunch (403 calories) 1 serving Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Freezer Pack ⅓ avocado Afternoon Snack (202 Calories) 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 2 clementines Dinner (535 Calories) 1 serving Crispy Sheet-Pan Black Bean Tacos Daily totals: 1,756 calories, 67 g fat, 92 g protein, 214 g carbohydrates, 54 g fiber, 1,540 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning snack and omit clementines from afternoon snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts as an evening snack. Day 6 Breakfast (337 Calories) 1 serving Chocolate-Cherry Protein Shake Morning Snack (124 Calories) ½ cup 1% cottage cheese with probiotics ½ cup blueberries Lunch (403 calories) 1 serving Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Freezer Pack ⅓ avocado Afternoon Snack (347 Calories) ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts 2 pitted Medjool dates Dinner (478 Calories) 1 serving One-Pot Spinach, Chicken Sausage & Feta Pasta Evening Snack (128 Calories) 1 serving Chocolate Strawberry Nice Cream Daily totals: 1,817 calories, 67 g fat, 89 g protein, 240 g carbohydrates, 44 g fiber, 2,039 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Omit afternoon snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 hard-boiled eggs to breakfast. Day 7 Breakfast (448 Calories) 1 serving Raspberry-Peach-Chia Seed Smoothie 2 tablespoons walnuts, blended into smoothie Lunch (478 calories) 1 serving One-Pot Spinach, Chicken Sausage & Feta Pasta Afternoon Snack (266 Calories) 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 2 pitted Medjool dates Dinner (502 Calories) 1 serving Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs with Red Cabbage & Sweet Potatoes Evening Snack (128 Calories) 1 serving Chocolate Strawberry Nice Cream Daily totals: 1,822 calories, 70 g fat, 95 g protein, 227 g carbohydrates, 46 g fiber, 1,716 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Omit walnuts from breakfast, omit dates from afternoon snack, and omit evening snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts as a morning snack. Frequently asked Questions Is it OK to mix and match meals if there's one I don't like? Yes! This meal plan is meant to serve as inspiration. It doesn't need to be followed exactly to reap the benefits. When choosing recipes, we made sure to check the calories, fiber, protein and sodium to align with the parameters of this plan and be within our sodium limits. If you're making a recipe swap, it may be helpful to choose a recipe with similar calories, fiber, protein and sodium levels. For more inspiration, check out these delicious gut-healthy recipes. Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day? Definitely, it's fine to eat the same breakfast or lunch every day. The breakfasts range from 337 to 448 calories while the lunches span 403 to 534 calories. These ranges are fairly close, though if you're closely monitoring your calories or other nutrients, like protein, you may want to adjust a snack or two. Why is there not a 1,200 calorie modification? We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it's unsustainable for long-term health and well-being. Health Benefits of This Meal Plan Supports gut health. This meal plan contains at least 30 grams of fiber per day. It's also rich in probiotics and low in added sugars. This makes it great for gut health. These nutrients help the bacteria in your gut to grow and thrive, and maintain a healthy balance of different strains of bacteria. Promotes satiety. Protein and fiber take longer to digest than other nutrients, so they help you feel fuller longer. Since the meals and snacks in this meal plan are high in these nutrients, they can help you stay satisfied for longer so you're not hungry again an hour after eating. Supports muscle growth. Since this meal plan is also high in protein, with at least 80 grams per day, it can also help you build muscle. Protein helps repair and rebuild your muscles after you do resistance training. Just know that eating protein alone won't lead to muscle growth; you need to do regular resistance training, too. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Invasive zebra mussels making their way east in Colorado's high country. Find out why you need to be paying attention.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife let Coloradans know that zebra mussels have been found in a private body of water in Eagle County this month. That marked progress from the creatures' first spotted location on the Western Slope is a big step for the mussels in their effort to spread, and bad news for everyone else. The Colorado River District's Lindsay DeFrates explained we still have the oppurtunity to turn this around, but the window to act is closing. "I think right now is a moment in Colorado's history with water that is going to be defining how we handle this," DeFrates said. "We really have to be focused on the long game right now." The CRD is hosting a webinar specifically about the mussels, because the organization understands what's at stake should the mussels continue to end up in other bodies of water, and multipy. "Infrastructure impacts," DeFrates said, to start. "These diversions, canals, whether it's for irrigation or drinking water, are essential lifelines for all of our communities across the Western Slope, and mussels impact on infrastructure is well known and well documented, and it's not cheap to fix." The other issue? "Water quality, people hear 'filtration' and they think, 'oh, that's great.' But the reality is our rivers are used to carrying a pretty high silt load, which basically provides shade and lowers the temperature for fish and ecosystems." Too much heat, fish die. Too few nutrients in the water because the mussels are eating it all, other ecosystems collapse. DeFrates said mussels are an added blemish on an already aggressive acne meltdown, to keep with the skincare metaphor. "The municipal, the recreation, agriculture, the environment, they're already facing tremendous pressure from hotter, drier summers and the lower stream flows," DeFrates said. "You add that to the fact that a lot of our infrastructure for water in this state is close to 100 years old, and we're seeing this compounding effect that mussels are going to bring where the issues that we're already dealing with are now even more urgent, and they're going to have to find ways to manage and upgrade their systems to reflect this new situation." Tom Hogeman, Marina Service Manager over in Frisco said his team has been checking for invasive species on boats for more than a decade at this point, but zebra mussels are a threat he hasn't seen the likes of. "They can cause tremendous damage to the ecosystem, infrastructure ... that could shut down recreational boating if, you know, Denver Water decides that they present enough of a threat." "So that's a big deal," Hogeman said. "My livelihood depends on it," he added, glumly. But it's not a time to throw in the towel, according to DeFrates. Quite the opposite in fact. "If there's one uniting factor in our very, very divided landscape of politics, socioeconomic experience and everything going on in our country, water is a place where so many of us come together," DeFrates said. "All of these different interests find common ground, and that's where these solutions are built. But I don't want to make it sound like it's that easy: this will not be easy." But a big fight starts with simple steps, like Tiffany Hays, a paddleboarder prepping to take on Dillon Resivor. She also happens to know about the zebra mussel infestation, and that it's up to people like her to make sure they aren't spreading the infestation. "I wipe mine down really good, after each use with a towel," Hays said. "I inspect all the different parts just to make sure there's not something on there that shouldn't be there." She believes if we all do a little effort, we can keep this from getting any worse than it already has. "if we can get ahead of it and keep it from going to some of the other lakes, that we can have some success," Hays said.
UPI
3 days ago
- UPI
New study vindicates eggs, says they don't hike bad-cholesterol levels
July 21 (UPI) -- A new egg study has produced sunny-side-up results for the oft-maligned breakfast staple. Eggs are commonly thought to increase the risk of heart disease by raising people's cholesterol levels. But people who ate two eggs a day experienced reductions in their "bad" LDL cholesterol levels, as long as the rest of their diet remained low in saturated fat, researchers reported in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Indeed, the amount of saturated fat in a person's diet tended to increase their LDL cholesterol levels, not the cholesterol found in eggs, results show. "You could say we've delivered hard-boiled evidence in defense of the humble egg," senior researcher Jon Buckley, a professor at the University of South Australia, said in a news release. "So, when it comes to a cooked breakfast, it's not the eggs you need to worry about -- it's the extra serving of bacon or the side of sausage that's more likely to impact your heart health," Buckley added. Eggs are a unique food, in that they are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat, he said. "Yet, it's their cholesterol level that has often caused people to question their place in a healthy diet," Buckley said. For the new study, researchers recruited 61 adults 18 to 60 with an average LDL cholesterol level of 105. LDL cholesterol levels above 100 are considered "at risk" for heart disease, and 160 and higher are "dangerous," according to the Cleveland Clinic. This type of cholesterol contributes to plaques that can block arteries and cause heart attacks or strokes. Participants took turns cycling through three different types of diets for five weeks each: • A high-cholesterol, low-saturated fat diet with two eggs a day. • A low-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet without eggs. • A high-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet that included one egg a week. "To date, no studies have directly compared the effects of a high-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet, as is common in Western diets, with a high-cholesterol, low-saturated fat diet or a low-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet," researchers noted in their report. By the end of the study, 48 people had completed all three diets. Blood samples were taken after each cycle, to see how the different diets affected their LDL cholesterol. People's LDL cholesterol fell when on the two-egg diet, compared to the other two eating patterns, results show. They wound up with average LDL cholesterol levels of just under 104, compared with 108 and 109 for the other two diets. "In this study, we separated the effects of cholesterol and saturated fat, finding that high dietary cholesterol from eggs, when eaten as part of a low saturated fat diet, does not raise bad cholesterol levels," Buckley said. "Instead, it was the saturated fat that was the real driver of cholesterol elevation," he noted. Specifically, each 1-gram increase in saturated fat was associated with a 0.35-point increase in LDL cholesterol, the study says. But no significant relationship was found between cholesterol intake and a person's LDL cholesterol levels, results show. "Eggs have long been unfairly cracked by outdated dietary advice," Buckley concluded. More information The Cleveland Clinic has more on blood cholesterol levels. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
