The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that for a nutritious breakfast structure, the ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrates should be appropriate to facilitate the body's absorption. Cereals are the main source of carbohydrates, which should account for about 60% of the total daily energy, protein for 10% to 14%, and fat for 25% to 30%. Nutrition experts have summarized the four major types of breakfast commonly eaten by modern people, so you'll know how to eat for the best and most delicious way. Sesame Cake and Fried Dough Stick Group
The sesame cakes, fried dough sticks, egg cakes, radish cakes, and pan-fried dumplings sold at soy milk shops all have the problem of being high in oil. However, for items like fried dough sticks and egg cakes where the oil is visible on the surface, people tend to be more cautious when eating them. But many people are often fooled by sesame cakes, assuming that because they are baked and their surfaces are not oily, they must be lower in calories and fat. However, this is not necessarily the case.
The reason sesame cakes are fragrant and crispy is because a lot of oil is added during their preparation. A single sesame cake contains about 230 to 250 calories, of which about 25% come from fat. Furthermore, soy milk is also a medium-fat food, making this combination high in oil.
The pairing of sesame cakes and fried dough sticks with soy milk is decent in terms of protein quality. Soy milk is rich in lysine but lacks methionine, whereas sesame cakes and fried dough sticks are the opposite, lacking lysine but rich in methionine, so they complement each other. However, the excessive amount of fat means most nutritionists give this type of breakfast a low rating.
Suggestion: This breakfast lacks vegetables, so you should supplement more at lunch and dinner. As for fruit, it depends on personal habit; you can have one portion, or skip it in the morning and have one portion each at noon and in the afternoon. When eating sesame cakes or fried dough sticks, it is recommended to pair them with soy milk instead of rice milk, because rice milk is still a rice product and, like sesame cakes and fried dough sticks, lacks lysine, resulting in poorer protein quality. Additionally, the sesame seeds sprinkled on sesame cakes are often not chewed thoroughly. After swallowing, they can stick to the stomach wall, causing stomach pain in some people. Therefore, eat slowly and chew well. Porridge and Pickles Group
The porridge and pickles group is mostly made up of the elderly. This type of breakfast is relatively low in fat, but nutritionists believe that the pickles and fermented bean curd served with congee are low in nutritional value and are too salty, with a high sodium content. In addition, processed foods may contain preservatives, and frequent consumption can harm the liver and kidneys. Nutritionists also point out that some elderly people or vegetarians who only eat congee with pickles and fermented bean curd lack protein, which is not an ideal way to eat.
Suggestion: A bowl of slightly thick congee is only about the amount of half a bowl of dry rice, so it is recommended to eat 2 to 3 bowls per meal, otherwise you may easily feel hungry before noon. When eating congee, you can pair it with a poached egg or a portion of lean meat. Vegetarians can choose tofu, dried tofu, or other soy products to get protein. As for fermented bean curd and pickles, try to eat them as little as possible. Adding a plate of stir-fried greens makes this breakfast very balanced, and the potassium in vegetables helps the body expel sodium.
Students or office workers who buy salty congee from breakfast carts should note that these porridges contain little meat and are quite thin, making it easy to feel hungry. It is recommended to add a tea egg or drink a bottle of milk to increase protein intake. For breakfast, you can eat one portion of fruit according to your personal habit (one portion is about the size of a baseball or a flat bowl), but drinking high-calorie juice is not recommended. Fast Food Breakfast Group
Many office workers often buy a hamburger while waiting for the subway, and their breakfast from Monday to Friday is almost always this set.
Nutritionists unanimously agree that this way of eating may lead to excessive fat intake. The hamburger meat used in fast-food restaurants has a high fat content. If you make it at home, you can choose leaner meat to reduce the proportion of fat. Furthermore, whether it's ham in a sandwich or meat in a burger, it's fried. Add to that a fried egg and a thick layer of high-fat salad dressing or cream, and unless the other two meals of the day are low in oil and meat, the total fat intake for the day is simply too much.
Milk tea should never replace milk because it contains very little milk and has added sugar. A better choice is to pair it with low-fat milk. As for whether it's good to drink coffee in the morning, most nutritionists believe it's a matter of personal habit and doesn't necessarily have to be removed from breakfast. However, avoid drinking black coffee on an empty stomach, as it can easily irritate the stomach. Besides waking you up, drinking coffee and tea in the morning can also stimulate bowel movements for those who don't drink it often and are not addicted, which can slightly relieve constipation.
Suggestion: This type of breakfast is easy to overdo on fat, so it should not be eaten more than 3 times a week. You can ask the vendor not to add salad dressing or to add less to reduce fat intake. You need to eat 3 servings of vegetables (about half a pound) per day, and since this breakfast has little vegetables, you should supplement more at lunch and dinner. However, it's best to drink tea and coffee two hours before or after a meal, as it can affect the body's absorption of iron. Choose a small glass of orange juice or milk for your drink, instead of sugary, empty-calorie iced black tea or cola. Also, because this breakfast is high in fat and calories, your lunch and dinner for the day should not include fried foods; try to choose braised, boiled, or steamed cooking methods instead. Bread and Milk Group
Many people often eat pineapple bread, red bean bread, or cream bread for breakfast, along with a bottle of milk, sometimes with coffee. Because it's convenient, many families use this model for breakfast. Although filled breads taste delicious, nutritionists believe that regardless of whether they are savory or sweet, they contain a lot of fat, too much sugar, and are highly processed, making them unsuitable as a breakfast.
A breakfast that is too high in sugar has a drawback: it causes your blood sugar to rise quickly and then fall quickly, and it can drop too low. So, by 10 AM, your energy levels may already be on the decline.
In a balanced breakfast, you should have both carbohydrates and protein, and it's best to eat complex carbohydrates, such as whole wheat bread or oatmeal, for more stable blood sugar.
Plain toast may seem "safer" because it's not filled and has no added sugar. However, to make bread tasty, oil is certainly not lacking, especially for smooth and creamy breads like fresh milk toast or egg toast, which require more oil during preparation.
As for the butter, jam, or peanut butter spread on toast, peanut butter is also not low in calories and fat, so it's best to use it sparingly.
Suggestion: Regularly change the spreads for your toast to avoid using butter (accumulating trans-fatty acids), peanut butter (accumulating aflatoxins), or jam (accumulating sugar) every day, and use less of them. Two slices of toast with peanut butter or butter, or one slice of low-fat cheese, plus a bottle of low-fat milk or yogurt is a more suitable choice. If you have time, add some lettuce, tomato, or cucumber for a more nutritious and balanced meal.