8 Popular Breakfast Foods Dietitians Want You to Stop Eating

Breakfast has long been deemed the most important meal of the day thanks to its impressive health benefits. “It’s important to eat a solid, balanced breakfast every morning to get your brain and body off to a good, energetic start,” says Destini Moody, RD, CSSD, LD.

But when it comes to breakfast, we can’t just grab anything that sounds appetizing and expect to feel good all day long. Making smart food choices to create a healthy, balanced morning meal is necessary to truly start your day off on the right foot. Thankfully, this is pretty easy to accomplish. “Breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated to be balanced,” Moody emphasizes. 

This balance generally means that your meal will look something like Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health’s Healthy Eating Plate. This visual basically breaks down to half of your plate being filled with fruits and veggies, a quarter filled with whole grains, and the final quarter with lean protein. “Alternatively, a balanced breakfast could be defined as having high-fiber, complex carbohydrates, high-quality protein, and at least one serving of fruits or vegetables,” Moody adds.

That said, several classic breakfast go-to’s don’t really fit into a balanced breakfast model, given the ingredients they do (or don’t) contain. Read on to learn about what foods you should never eat for breakfast, if you can help it.

Foods You Should Never Eat for Breakfast

While healthy, balanced eating never says “never,” there are certain foods we want to limit, enjoying them sparingly and on special occasions. This is the case with the following breakfast foods:

Bacon

Although bacon is a staple breakfast item across the country, the pork product is problematic for a few reasons. “Try to avoid high fat protein sources, like bacon, as these contain inflammatory fats that can make the body feel sluggish and affect heart health when eaten consistently,” says Moody. Though controversial, the evidence surrounding the dietary cholesterol and saturated fat found in bacon points to these fats having the capacity to increase our blood cholesterol levels or increase heart disease risk. Prolonged elevated cholesterol levels can contribute to atherosclerosis—or plaque build-up on veins and arteries—a condition commonly associated with cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) deemed processed meats like bacon as Group 1 carcinogenic foods nearly a decade ago. 

Alternatively, you can reach for nitrate-free turkey or Canadian bacon, which will have less fat and be processed in a healthier way. Minimally processed, plant-based alternatives, like tempeh or tofu bacon, are also great grabs.

French Toast

While French toast is undoubtedly delicious, you may not feel very energized after enjoying it in the morning. “Refined carbohydrates like French toast are detrimental in the morning because they tend to lack fiber. Low fiber foods often don’t contain other nutrients to slow down digestion, so they end up metabolizing quickly and causing blood sugars to shoot up (and then down) dramatically,” Moody explains. She goes on to note that when blood sugars fall, there is a rebound effect and often your levels end up even lower than they were before, causing major sluggishness.

These refined carbs are found in the white bread typically used to make the French toast, as well as the sugary “maple syrup” that tops it. Thankfully, French toast is pretty easy to improve the health benefits of. You can do this by making your French toast from scratch, using whole grain bread and a milk and egg mixture without refined sugars (try adding a dab of honey instead). Then, when it comes to toppings, load up your toast with fiber-rich fruit and chia seeds, as well as a drizzle of real maple syrup with no added sugars.

Processed Orange Juice

Despite a bright glass of OJ being a cornerstone of the classic American breakfast, processed orange juice (and all fruit juices for that matter) isn’t the best choice. “Though the sugar in fruit juice is natural (as long as there’s nothing extra added), there is no fiber to slow digestion, unlike the fruit the juice comes from,” Moody says. Additionally, some fruit juices may have lower amounts of micronutrients due to the processing it undergoes and the length of time it sits on the shelves, though some brands do fortify their products with certain nutrients. 

“Instead of drinking orange juice, try just eating the orange instead,” Moody suggests. Another option would be to fresh press juice yourself at home, and be sure to include (and consume) the fiber-rich pulp. Both options will leave you more nourished and satisfied.

Flavored Yogurt

Breakfast dishes like yogurt, fruit, and granola, or smoothies made with yogurt, are often touted as healthy choices. However, these recipes often encourage homecooks to utilize plain yogurt. This is because flavored yogurts can contain shockingly high amounts of pro-inflammatory added sugar and minimal real fruit. 

The solution here is simple, just reach for plain yogurt and add your own cut fruit and maybe a drizzle of honey for extra sweetness. This combo will help you reap the benefits of yogurt – namely the satiating macronutrient trifecta of protein, carbs, and fat, as well as bone-benefitting calcium and phosphorus. “Having a solid amount of quality protein in your breakfast produces a feeling of fullness because protein slows digestion, preventing blood sugar from going too low in the middle of the morning,” says Moody. Plus, the fermentation process involved in making yogurt converts some of its saturated fat into heart-healthy unsaturated fat.

Sugary Cereal

Though many of us may have fond memories of picking out our favorite fluorescent-colored sugary cereal before school, these options aren’t optimal if we’re looking to feel ready for the day ahead. This is due to the one-two punch these cereals deliver, as being both low in fiber and very high in added refined sugar. High-sugar cereals also tend to contain few other satiating macronutrients or health-boosting micronutrients.

Fortunately, there’s a huge cereal market full of high fiber and protein options made with minimally-processed whole grains. While you may find some added sugar in these products, try to choose ones with less than 10 grams (g) per serving (less than 5 g is even better). Pair this with your favorite milk of choice and fruit for added fiber (and staying power). “Studies have shown that, outside of providing fuel, the insulin secretion that occurs after eating fiber-rich carbs results in the release of the hormone serotonin that protein cannot provide. The release of serotonin results in a calming effect, boost in mood, and reduced stress levels,” Moody adds.

Biscuits and Gravy

As a cherished breakfast dish down south, biscuits and gravy are certainly delicious. However, they’re more likely to have you crawling back into bed than tackling your day head on. “Options like pork sausage tend to be heavy on the stomach and often make you feel sluggish,” says Moody. While this classic dish does have noteworthy amounts of protein, it tends to be very high in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol while also being very low-fiber.

You can healthify this dish by opting for a whole wheat English muffin, using ground turkey or plant-based crumbles instead of pork sausage, and opting for plant-based milk in your gravy. Alternatively, you can try a more plant-forward dish like eggs Florentine, or even an omega-3-rich salmon benedict on a whole wheat English muffin.

Donuts

Donuts are fancier than ever these days, with gourmet donut shops popping up all across the country. And while we can certainly appreciate the creativity and delicious flavor of these culinary delights, they really aren’t the best breakfast foods. “You want to avoid refined carbohydrates that are found in conventional breakfast foods like donuts, as you’ll end up feeling hungry again soon after eating—normally well before lunch. This is not only an uncomfortable and annoying sensation to have, but it usually ends in people snacking more than they need to, which can lead to weight gain,” Moody explains.

Instead, try making homemade whole grain muffins filled with your favorite fruit and nuts for a sweet treat that is high in fiber and protein. A slice of whole wheat toast topped with nut butter and no added sugar jam is another delicious alternative that will offer similar nutrients while still satisfying your sweet tooth.

Buttered Toast

And our final breakfast food to enjoy on a more occasional basis is buttered toast. Though quick, comforting, and accessible, buttered white toast won’t keep you feeling full for very long due to its lack of fiber and protein. Even the fat it contains from butter won’t be enough to hold you over for long.