Granola bars are often just as bad as candy bars.
As is the case with most processed foods, checking the ingredient list is essential - and this couldn't be truer for granola bars.
Many bars are a good source of protein, but it's where nutrients like this come from that matters.
According to Taub-Dix, "If [the fat is] coming from nuts, then that would be a good source of fat. If the grains that are in that bar are whole grains, versus the carbs coming from sugar, then that would be something more positive."
Good alternative: Unprocessed oats, or KIND bars.
Jam is loaded with sugars and trans fats.
Though it seems harmless, toast with jam is actually a trap for trans fats and can cause rebound hunger.
Most store-bought breads are processed and contain refined sugar, which leaves you with fewer nutrients and fiber. Since making homemade bread can be a hassle, this is hard to avoid.
But what you can change is the jelly, jam, or margarine. These are loaded with sugars and trans fats that are highly inflammatory and increase risk for disease.
Good alternative: Almond butter. According to Taub-Dix, the protein in almond butter makes it very filling, too. "If, for example, in your smoothie you put something like a tablespoon of almond butter - that's going to last longer in your system even though it's in a more liquefied form because of the fat that would be in there, and the protein," she says. "It'll last longer and make you feel like you've had something more solid to consume."
Protein shakes can have a deceptive amount of sugar in them.
Many protein shakes market themselves as weight loss guarantors. But swapping a solid meal- like breakfast - for liquid isn't always the best idea.
Sure, doing so will lessen your daily calorie count. But when you eventually start eating solid foods in the morning again, if you're not careful, you could start to gain that weight right back.
For DeFazio, it's all about the ingredients - and that goes for any kind of shake or smoothie in the morning. "Some ready-made shakes have a lot of added sugar and artificial I ingredients," she says. "Having a shake with a lot of fruit may be a lot of sugar at once for your body to process."
Good alternative: DIY smoothie.
Breakfast sandwiches can be sodium-heavy.
When you're in a rush in the mornings, it's so easy to grab a breakfast sandwich on the way to work. They're undeniably delicious, and they seem to have all the necessary components to fill you up: carbs, protein, etc.
But the challenge comes in making sure each of these categories is healthy. Like most foods, the sodium-laden options at fast food chains are ones to skip in the AM. Homemade is the only way to know what's truly in your sandwich, in this case.
Good alternative: According to Taub-Dix, "Two pieces of whole grain bread, for example, with eggs and a little avocado - you're not looking for a mid-morning snack when you have a breakfast like that."
Breakfast cereal can harbor a lot of added sugar.
Breakfast cereal is one of the most commonly consumed foods in the country - many eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Food & Wine's recent ranking of the top breakfast cereals by state shows Oreo O's, Life, and Trix as the top contenders. One cup of Oreo O's cereal contains 120 calories - which would take 32 minutes of walking to burn off - and a whopping 13 grams of sugar.
Good alternative: Not all cereals are bad. DeFazio recommends "a high fiber, whole grain cereal with five grams of sugar or less per serving." She adds that there are plenty of gluten free cereals to choose from, and that steel cut oats are another good option.
Dangerously high in sugar, fruit juice can leave you hungrier than before.
Orange juice is synonymous with breakfast. But unless it's fresh-squeezed, it probably contains a lot of high-fructose corn syrup.
Even real juice can be too much for our bodies in the morning - consumed in excess, it makes our blood sugar rise quickly and then crash, leaving us shaky and tired.
Taub-Dix cautions against smoothies that include fruit juices, like apple juice, saying that this means you "could be really getting something that has a lot more sugar than [you] bargained for."
Good alternative: Tea, or hot water with lemon.
Bagels are super high in carbs, but what's on them can be even worse.
Bagels are super dense and high in carbohydrates. So, naturally, if you eat too many of them, they can lead to weight gain.
But the real danger comes when toppings are added to bagels. For instance, an everything bagel contains dried onion, garlic, poppy seeds, toasted sesame seeds, and a lot of salt, which adds a ton of calories and sodium - and that's not even including cream cheese, which can lead to over 100 more.
Good alternative: A multigrain bagel with peanut butter, though Taub-Dix says that regular multigrain bread with peanut butter is ideal. "You don't have to have it on a 600 calorie bagel, a sandwich can be really satisfying."
You might think flavored yogurt is healthy, but it is often riddled with sugar.
Fat-free flavored yogurts are often riddled with sugar - which goes to prove that just because something labels itself as "fat-free," it may still contain other harmful ingredients. And removing the fat from yogurts, like many brands do, leaves you feeling less full and simply allows the sugar to affect your body more quickly.
"When you consume a lot of sugar in the morning, you can end up feeling like laying down on your desk by 10 o'clock," Taub-Dix said. "The best breakfast would include that trifecta of protein, a good whole-grain carbohydrate, and some sort of healthy fat. And that combination could keep you going until lunchtime, if you do it the right way."
Good alternative: Plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit.
Muffins are actually packed with sugar and fat.
There's nothing quite like a delicious muffin top.
But those tops - and the rest of the muffin, really - are loaded with fat and grease. It's because muffins are essentially cake with bits of fruit and nuts mixed in. NBC estimates that muffins can have anywhere between 340 to 630 calories.
Good alternative: A cup of fresh fruit with toast and peanut butter, for protein. Taub-Dix says the secret is in the combination. "Just carbohydrates alone - only fruit, or only vegetables - is a nice afternoon pick-me-up, but not as a breakfast," she says.
As is the case with most processed foods, checking the ingredient list is essential - and this couldn't be truer for granola bars.
Many bars are a good source of protein, but it's where nutrients like this come from that matters.
According to Taub-Dix, "If [the fat is] coming from nuts, then that would be a good source of fat. If the grains that are in that bar are whole grains, versus the carbs coming from sugar, then that would be something more positive."
Good alternative: Unprocessed oats, or KIND bars.
Jam is loaded with sugars and trans fats.
Though it seems harmless, toast with jam is actually a trap for trans fats and can cause rebound hunger.
Most store-bought breads are processed and contain refined sugar, which leaves you with fewer nutrients and fiber. Since making homemade bread can be a hassle, this is hard to avoid.
But what you can change is the jelly, jam, or margarine. These are loaded with sugars and trans fats that are highly inflammatory and increase risk for disease.
Good alternative: Almond butter. According to Taub-Dix, the protein in almond butter makes it very filling, too. "If, for example, in your smoothie you put something like a tablespoon of almond butter - that's going to last longer in your system even though it's in a more liquefied form because of the fat that would be in there, and the protein," she says. "It'll last longer and make you feel like you've had something more solid to consume."
Protein shakes can have a deceptive amount of sugar in them.
Many protein shakes market themselves as weight loss guarantors. But swapping a solid meal- like breakfast - for liquid isn't always the best idea.
Sure, doing so will lessen your daily calorie count. But when you eventually start eating solid foods in the morning again, if you're not careful, you could start to gain that weight right back.
For DeFazio, it's all about the ingredients - and that goes for any kind of shake or smoothie in the morning. "Some ready-made shakes have a lot of added sugar and artificial I ingredients," she says. "Having a shake with a lot of fruit may be a lot of sugar at once for your body to process."
Good alternative: DIY smoothie.
Breakfast sandwiches can be sodium-heavy.
When you're in a rush in the mornings, it's so easy to grab a breakfast sandwich on the way to work. They're undeniably delicious, and they seem to have all the necessary components to fill you up: carbs, protein, etc.
But the challenge comes in making sure each of these categories is healthy. Like most foods, the sodium-laden options at fast food chains are ones to skip in the AM. Homemade is the only way to know what's truly in your sandwich, in this case.
Good alternative: According to Taub-Dix, "Two pieces of whole grain bread, for example, with eggs and a little avocado - you're not looking for a mid-morning snack when you have a breakfast like that."
Breakfast cereal can harbor a lot of added sugar.
Breakfast cereal is one of the most commonly consumed foods in the country - many eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Food & Wine's recent ranking of the top breakfast cereals by state shows Oreo O's, Life, and Trix as the top contenders. One cup of Oreo O's cereal contains 120 calories - which would take 32 minutes of walking to burn off - and a whopping 13 grams of sugar.
Good alternative: Not all cereals are bad. DeFazio recommends "a high fiber, whole grain cereal with five grams of sugar or less per serving." She adds that there are plenty of gluten free cereals to choose from, and that steel cut oats are another good option.
Dangerously high in sugar, fruit juice can leave you hungrier than before.
Orange juice is synonymous with breakfast. But unless it's fresh-squeezed, it probably contains a lot of high-fructose corn syrup.
Even real juice can be too much for our bodies in the morning - consumed in excess, it makes our blood sugar rise quickly and then crash, leaving us shaky and tired.
Taub-Dix cautions against smoothies that include fruit juices, like apple juice, saying that this means you "could be really getting something that has a lot more sugar than [you] bargained for."
Good alternative: Tea, or hot water with lemon.
Bagels are super high in carbs, but what's on them can be even worse.
Bagels are super dense and high in carbohydrates. So, naturally, if you eat too many of them, they can lead to weight gain.
But the real danger comes when toppings are added to bagels. For instance, an everything bagel contains dried onion, garlic, poppy seeds, toasted sesame seeds, and a lot of salt, which adds a ton of calories and sodium - and that's not even including cream cheese, which can lead to over 100 more.
Good alternative: A multigrain bagel with peanut butter, though Taub-Dix says that regular multigrain bread with peanut butter is ideal. "You don't have to have it on a 600 calorie bagel, a sandwich can be really satisfying."
You might think flavored yogurt is healthy, but it is often riddled with sugar.
Fat-free flavored yogurts are often riddled with sugar - which goes to prove that just because something labels itself as "fat-free," it may still contain other harmful ingredients. And removing the fat from yogurts, like many brands do, leaves you feeling less full and simply allows the sugar to affect your body more quickly.
"When you consume a lot of sugar in the morning, you can end up feeling like laying down on your desk by 10 o'clock," Taub-Dix said. "The best breakfast would include that trifecta of protein, a good whole-grain carbohydrate, and some sort of healthy fat. And that combination could keep you going until lunchtime, if you do it the right way."
Good alternative: Plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit.
Muffins are actually packed with sugar and fat.
There's nothing quite like a delicious muffin top.
But those tops - and the rest of the muffin, really - are loaded with fat and grease. It's because muffins are essentially cake with bits of fruit and nuts mixed in. NBC estimates that muffins can have anywhere between 340 to 630 calories.
Good alternative: A cup of fresh fruit with toast and peanut butter, for protein. Taub-Dix says the secret is in the combination. "Just carbohydrates alone - only fruit, or only vegetables - is a nice afternoon pick-me-up, but not as a breakfast," she says.
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