Although office workers today have better living conditions than before, their social circles have expanded, with more activities and busy work schedules, leading to long-term "overdraft" of their health. In terms of daily diet, it's important to learn how to regulate the nutrients you may be lacking. So, what's a good breakfast for office workers? We have summarized the four most common types of breakfast for modern people, and once you read this, you'll know the best way to eat.
Breakfast Shop Crowd
Many workers stop by a breakfast shop on their way to work to buy a hamburger and a milk tea. From Monday to Friday, their breakfast is almost always this same set.
Nutritionists unanimously agree: The hamburger meat used in breakfast shops or Western fast-food restaurants has a high fat content, which is not suitable for office workers to eat often. Milk tea also absolutely cannot replace milk, as it contains very little milk and is loaded with added sugar.
Suggestion: Ask the vendor to omit the salad dressing or apply it sparingly to reduce fat intake. You need to consume 3 servings of vegetables (about half a pound) daily. Since this type of breakfast has very little vegetable, you should make up for it at lunch and dinner. However, it's best to drink tea or coffee two hours before or after a meal, as it can interfere with the body's absorption of iron, so try not to drink it with your meal. This kind of breakfast tends to be high in fat and should not be eaten more than three times a week.
Sconge and Youtiao Crowd
Items like sconges, youtiao (fried dough sticks), egg cakes, radish cakes, and pan-fried dumplings sold at soy milk shops all have a high oil content. However, for visible oily items like youtiao and egg cakes, people are generally more cautious. Many people are often deceived by sconges, thinking that because they are baked and don't have a greasy surface, they must have fewer calories and less fat.
The reason sconges are so fragrant and crispy is because a lot of oil is added during their preparation. A single scone has about 230 to 250 calories, with 5% of those calories coming from fat. When you add soy milk, which is also a medium-fat food, the combined fat content in this meal is quite high.
As for the calorie and fat content of rice balls, it's even more shocking. The main problem lies in the fillings like youtiao and floss, which also contain high levels of fat. A medium-sized rice ball has over 550 calories, with about 47% of those calories coming from fat. If you pair it with a cup of soy milk or milk, the total calories exceed 700, making it suitable only for heavy manual laborers as an occasional treat.
Suggestion: This type of breakfast is high in both calories and fat, so it's best to eat it infrequently—no more than once a week. On days you have this breakfast, your lunch and dinner should be as light as possible, avoiding fried, pan-fried, or stir-fried foods. This breakfast lacks vegetables, so you should supplement them in your other two meals. As for fruit, it depends on personal habit; you can have one serving, or skip it in the morning and have one serving at noon and another in the afternoon. Also, pay attention to the time you eat breakfast.
Bread and Milk Crowd
Many people often eat pineapple buns, red bean buns, or cream buns for breakfast, along with a bottle of milk, sometimes paired with coffee. Because it's convenient and requires little effort, many families use this model for their breakfast. While filled breads are tasty, nutritionists believe that regardless of whether they are savory or sweet, they contain a significant amount of fat and sugar. Furthermore, they are highly processed and have low nutritional value, making them unsuitable as a breakfast. A breakfast high in sugar has a drawback: it causes your blood sugar to spike quickly and then drop just as fast, and sometimes even lower. As a result, your energy might start to decline before 10 AM.
Suggestion: For children over two and adults, you can drink low-fat or skim milk to reduce the total daily fat intake. Filled breads are high in both calories and fat, so don't eat them often. If you want something sweet, consider spreading one teaspoon of jam on a slice of toast. It's also recommended to rotate the spreads you use on your toast to avoid daily use of cream (which accumulates trans fatty acids), peanut butter (which accumulates aflatoxins), or jam (which accumulates sugar), and use them sparingly.
If you have time, add some lettuce, tomato, or cucumber to your toast for a more balanced nutritional profile.
Porridge and Pickles Crowd
The porridge and pickles crowd is mostly made up of the elderly. Compared to other breakfast types, this one is not very high in fat. However, nutritionists point out that the pickled vegetables and fermented bean curd served with congee have low nutritional value and are too high in sodium. Additionally, processed foods may contain preservatives, and frequent consumption can harm the liver and kidneys. Nutritionists also note that some elderly people or vegetarians who only eat congee with pickles or fermented bean curd lack protein, which is not an ideal diet.
Suggestion: A bowl of slightly thick congee is only about the amount of half a bowl of dry rice, so it's recommended to eat 2 to 3 bowls per meal, otherwise you might feel hungry before noon. You can pair your congee with a poached egg or a serving of lean meat to get protein. Vegetarians can opt for a piece of tofu, dried tofu, or other soy products. Fermented bean curd and pickles should be eaten as little as possible. Adding a plate of stir-fried greens makes this breakfast nutritionally balanced, and the potassium in the vegetables helps the body expel sodium.