Many of these breakfast items are on the naughty list. Photo / Getty Images
We have been told many times that eating first thing in the morning is important to help boost our metabolic rate and support weight control.
But the truth is it's not just about eating something, rather it's about eating the right types of food.
In fact making the wrong breakfast choices could be doing more harm than good when it comes to the hormones that ultimately control fat metabolism in the body.
Here are some of the worst breakfast choices and the reasons why.
If you make your own fruit yoghurt using a plain yoghurt and some fresh fruit there is no issue as all the sugars in both the yoghurt and fruit are naturally occurring.
On the other hand, if you pick up a yoghurt and muesli cup on the way to work you are mostly adding 20-30g or 5-7 teaspoons of concentrated sugars into your day.
Just because it looks healthy does not mean it is low in added sugars.
Generally a weekend treat, pancakes can make a quick and tasty breakfast when we find ourselves at the local cafe. When it comes to their nutritional profile though, pancakes, along with the syrup, fruit and ice cream they are generally served with, can contain more than 50g of sugars as well as plenty of refined carbohydrates thanks to the concentrated white flour they tend to use.
It is the combination of sugars and starches that result in extremely high insulin levels which make pancakes best left as an infrequent treat, before you are about to undertake plenty of exercise.
Eggs are regularly mentioned when discussing the best breakfast options, thanks to their high protein and nutrient contents.
On the other hand when they are served with multiple pieces of fatty bacon — or on a large white wrap or bread roll — this quick breakfast on the go becomes high in saturated fat, salt and processed carbohydrates … some of the worst nutrient mixes.
The best option? Poached eggs with wholegrain toast and if you must add the bacon, ask for just one slice of the leanest piece on special occasions.
It does not matter if your choice is a fruit smoothie, flavoured latte or liquid meal drink — as soon as your liquid breakfast contains a decent amount of sugars, it is going to be impacting your insulin levels.
High insulin levels over time cause fat to be stored rather than burnt and, as such, foods that have a decent amount of concentrated sugars (whether this sugar comes from fruit juice, added sugar, honey or syrup) will be causing relatively high releases of insulin.
Ideally, the less concentrated liquid sugar we consume in our diets the better — especially in the morning when our hormone levels and as such appetite is programmed for the day ahead.
You can regularly buy it with your coffee but Turkish bread contains 3-4 times the amount of processed carbs than a good quality sourdough or multigrain toast does with minimal fibre, protein and loads of salt.
This means that when you enjoy your Turkish toast you have consumed the carbohydrate equivalent of 3-4 slices of regular bread and a truckload of extra margarine or butter — again a terrible mix for your insulin levels.
For this reason you are always best to skip the Turkish toast in favour of sourdough, and avoid the added butter or margarine altogether in favour of nut spread or avocado.
‘Mum had lived and died with this secret,’ says writer Mary Garden.