Avoiding Breakfast Mistakes

Breakfast blunders can happen during the week when you wake up late and try eating breakfast while running out the door, or on the weekend when you go out for a big breakfast.

However, the biggest mistake to avoid is skipping breakfast altogether. When you go too long without eating, your body goes into starvation mode. 

And when you finally give in to hunger later in the day (and probably overeat), your body will grab all the fat from your meal and store it. That's bad for anyone, especially for someone with type 2 diabetes.

Here are some other breakfast mistakes to avoid:

Don’t fly on a sugar high. If you don't have a lot of time in the morning for healthy breakfast foods, you may be tempted to wolf down a doughnut and coffee for the extra sugar and caffeine, but this is a mistake. 

“Breakfast should be a meal that provides your body fuel for the next couple of hours," O'Connor says. "It should be a valuable source of energy, not just quick energy.

" From a doughnut and coffee with sugar, she says, "you’ll get a temporary sugar high, but you won’t have done your body any favors, and it’ll wear off quickly, likely resulting in a blood-sugar crash."

Don’t forget fiber.  

Breakfast is also a great opportunity to get some fiber, which is good for diabetes because fiber fills you up without raising your blood sugar. 

That can mean better blood-sugar control and fewer calories. Try to get 7 to 10 grams of fiber every morning as part of a healthy breakfast for diabetes.

Add protein for a balanced breakfast. 

“Breakfast should combine healthy sources of carbohydrates, around 15 to 30 grams, with a small amount of lean protein," O'Connor says. 

"Think of the carbohydrates as the energy your body needs and the protein as what gives it staying power.” Protein also helps you feel fuller.

Include fruit and vegetables for fiber plus nutrition. Colorful fruits and vegetables are a low-calorie source of carbohydrates. 

Include them in your breakfast for vitamins, minerals, and fiber. If your diabetes diet incorporates 2,000 to 2,400 calories, you should get four servings each of fruits and vegetables daily — and breakfast is a good time to get started.

Don’t drink your breakfast. 

Although some people like breakfast drinks, "better nutrition comes from whole foods," O'Connor says. "Juicing is a popular trend, but keep in mind that one large serving of juiced fruits contains significant carbs and calories.” That means you can experience a rise in blood sugar and weight gain from juicing too frequently.

Avoid processed meats and other bad breakfast choices. 

Bacon, sausage, and ham don’t add carbs to your diet, but they’re not healthy protein choices either. 

“Bad breakfast choices provide excessive calories with little or no nutrition,” O’Connor says. “Stay away from breakfast bars, large coffee drinks with whipped cream and caramel, sweetened cereals, and breakfast pastries.”