| Can "Coffee and a Donut" Do the Trick? |
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| by Charles Stuart Platkin | |
| Sunday, 09 July 2006 | |
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I've heard all kinds of great things about breakfast -- it helps you to
lose weight, live longer, and improve your memory -- it almost sounds
worthy of a late night infomercial. That all sounds splendid, but in the meantime, your phone is ringing and you're trying to get the kids to school, all while making a mad dash to work. Okay, maybe you can grab something on the run -- a cup of coffee to get the engine started, and maybe a muffin or donut. But what if that's all you eat -- is it better than nothing? "Probably -- it depends on who you are. If you are elderly and have lost weight recently, that donut is good food! If you are young and overweight, you need to realize that neither of these choices are good [having no breakfast or eating a donut]. Get a grip and eat something better!" says Susan Roberts, Chief of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University. How do other types of breakfast perform? (As a
reference, a person who needs 2,000 calories per day should eat
approximately 500 calories and less than 16 grams of fat for breakfast,
while keeping total daily fat intake at less than 66 grams.) EGGS: Two hardboiled eggs have about 160 calories and 10 grams of fat, but when you cook two eggs in butter (restaurant style), you're looking at about 400 calories and 30 grams of fat. What makes matters worse is that most of us don't just stop with the eggs -- we add on buttered toast, hash browns, French fries, sausage, bacon, grits, biscuits, croissants or bagels. Suggestion: Try egg whites cooked with no-fat cooking spray (e.g. Pam) -- only 20 calories per egg white. MUFFINS, SCONES, AND CROISSANTS: Nutritionally speaking, you might as well have a slice of cake. Suggestion: Try reduced fat or fat-free versions. CINNAMON
BUNS: If you have absolutely no other choice and you're ravenously
hungry, these would be tolerable. Keep in mind though that they are
high in calories and fat and lack significant nutritional value. Suggestion: Try the Au Bon Pain Cinnamon Roll instead, with just 300 calories and 4 grams of fat. CEREAL:
Cereal can vary from "it might as well be candy" to "it's healthy and
tastes like cardboard." But if you choose wisely, no other breakfast
option offers as much fiber, calcium, and other nutrients for so few
calories and so little fat. Suggestion: Try high-fiber, whole-grain, low-sugar cereals like shredded wheat or bran flakes. DONUTS:
Not all donuts are created equal -- and I'm not talking about the
difference between Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts. Cake donuts have
double the fat as yeast donuts, and it really does matter whether or
not you have chocolate frosting, sprinkles or glazed. Suggestion: Go for the low-calorie yeast donuts, and skip the "buy three, get one free" offer. BAGELS:
A plain bagel is a great low-fat alternative to some other breakfast
breads such as muffins, cinnamon buns, or donuts. But watch out for
serving sizes of the bagel and the topping. Suggestion:
Scooping out the inside of the bagel can save you up to half the
calories. Additionally, try low-fat cream cheese or only 2 tablespoons
of the full-fat variety. SMOOTHIE:
These can be pretty healthy, and very filling -- but you should avoid
those made with ice cream, whole milk or cream, nuts or peanut butter. Suggestion: Make your own smoothies at home with a blender and some fresh fruit. If you want to add other foods, use non-fat milk, cottage cheese, or low-fat yogurt. FRENCH TOAST AND PANCAKES: This isn't what nutritionists mean by "starting your day with a healthy breakfast." Suggestion: 2 slices of egg white French toast (or 2 pancakes) with some fruit instead of syrup is only 300 calories. FAST FOOD SANDWICHES: It's not easy to get a low-fat, healthy breakfast from most of the fast food restaurants. Suggestion: Have only one plain Egg McMuffin, order it without the Canadian Bacon and American cheese, and skip the hash browns. CHARLES STUART PLATKIN JD MPH is a nutrition and public health advocate, author of the best seller Breaking the Pattern (Plume, 2005), Breaking the FAT Pattern (Plume, 2006) and Lighten Up (Penguin USA/Razorbill, 2006) and founder of Integrated Wellness Solutions. Copyright 2006 by Charles Stuart Platkin. Sign up for the free The Diet Detective newsletter at www.dietdetective.com. Bookmark:            Trackback(0)
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