On your next trip to the grocery store, keep the following breakfast staples in mind to help you understand what you should and shouldn’t include on your breakfast plate.
Bacon: Diabetes Unfriendly
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes doubles your risk for heart disease and stroke. Lowering that risk requires a healthy diet with minimal saturated fat.
Unfortunately, bacon usually has more than 1 gram of saturated fat per slice. So, with every bite you take, you’re adding cholesterol to your bloodstream. Bacon is also high in salt, which may increase your blood pressure. Combine cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension, and your risk for heart disease gets even higher.
Verdict: Bacon isn’t ideal in your diabetes-friendly breakfast. For a healthier option, try veggie bacon or low-sodium, nitrate-free turkey bacon.
Cereal: Proceed with Caution
While cereal is quick and easy to prepare – it is one of the most popular breakfast foods for a reason – many cereals are not ideal for a diabetes-friendly breakfast. That’s because cereal is often full of carbohydrates and added sugar without a balance of protein or healthy fat.
Sugary foods cause blood glucose (sugar) levels to rise. Carbohydrates turn into sugar in the body and also cause glucose levels to increase. This increase can cause health problems, especially for people with diabetes.
While many cereals are poor choices, safe cereal options do exist. When looking for healthy breakfast cereal, read the nutrition label. Choose cereals made with whole grains that contain plenty of fiber. Look for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving; the more, the better. Fiber helps keep your blood sugar levels steady, makes you feel full for longer and protects your heart.
Great cereal options include:
- Oatmeal. Add a few nuts and berries for a boost of protein and healthy fats.
- Whole wheat cereals. The first ingredient in these cereals will be whole wheat or wheat bran.
To keep your breakfast cereal diabetes-friendly, use low-fat or nonfat, unsweetened milk. If you prefer a milk alternative, avoid using rice milk. It’s high in carbohydrates and can cause your blood sugar to spike.
Eggs: Thumbs (and Sunny Side) Up!
For years, those with high cholesterol were encouraged to avoid eggs. The reason was obvious: Eggs contain a lot of cholesterol.
Today, science has found that eggs are a good choice for a heart-healthy diet. They even have a place in a diabetes-friendly breakfast. You can safely eat an egg every day, even if you have Type 2 diabetes. Eggs are only comprised of protein (the white) and fat (the yolk). Therefore, eggs have no carbohydrates, making them a safe and diabetes-friendly option. If you’re particularly concerned about your cholesterol level, you can choose to only eat the egg white.
Sausage: The Weakest Link
Though a breakfast favorite, sausage is a flavor-filled, processed meat that isn’t ideal in a healthy, diabetes-friendly breakfast. Diabetes increases your risk for heart disease, so when you eat sausage regularly, your risk for cardiovascular disease increases even more.
If you choose to indulge, eat as little sausage as possible as rarely as possible. Opt for turkey sausage, if available, which is healthier than traditional pork-based sausage being lower in calories and fats. Otherwise, it is best to keep it off your plate. Additionally, always be sure to read the nutrition labels, sodium content can add up quickly.
Toast: Grab the Grains, Skip the Jams
Because bread has so many carbohydrates, you may want to limit certain types of bread from your breakfast altogether. However, you can safely include it in your morning routine if you’re living with diabetes.
Use the following tips for including bread in your diabetes-friendly breakfast:
- Keep with the grain. Pick whole-grain bread. White bread contains refined carbohydrates, which the body processes faster. As a result, white bread causes your blood sugar levels to spike. Whole grain bread’s carbs take longer to digest and can help keep your blood sugar levels steady for longer.
- Top it off right. Jellies and jams are packed with added sugar. By topping your toast with avocado, you get the flavor, healthy fats and fiber. If you’re not a fan of avocado on toast, try peanut butter. On top of great flavor, peanut butter toast provides fiber, protein and healthy fats. Just be sure to read the label on that peanut butter, as some peanut butter is spiked with added sugar.
Yogurt: Watch the Sugar
Yogurt can be a healthy choice for a diabetes-friendly breakfast. Just be careful. Like cereal, yogurt can be loaded with added sugar and refined carbohydrates that spike your blood sugar levels.
To add yogurt to your morning meal, remember the following:
- Greek yogurt rules. Compared to plain yogurt, plain Greek yogurt has fewer carbohydrates and can have nearly three times as much protein. Double-check the sugar, though. Just because it’s Greek yogurt doesn’t make it automatically healthy. Look for no-sugar Greek yogurt.
- Yogurt is flexible. You can add a lot of flavors to Greek yogurt for breakfast. A healthy Greek yogurt parfait can include your choice of berries. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries are all great options. Add in a few sliced almonds or chia seeds, and you’ve got a healthy, delicious start to your day.
Breakfast Drinks: Skip or Sip?
Breakfast drinks are almost as iconic as breakfast foods. So, when you’re planning out your diabetes-friendly breakfast, don’t forget to grab a cup. Just be careful what you fill it with.
Be wary of juice. Half a cup of fruit juice can contain 15 grams of carbohydrates, according to the American Diabetes Association. If your provider recommends a low-carb diet, this may rule juice out. Not to mention the sugar that is often found in juices.
That doesn’t mean your breakfast can’t include a flavorful drink option. Other breakfast drink choices include:
- Coffee. If you love the flavor of coffee, black coffee without sugar or sweeteners can fit into your breakfast. Even a splash of low-fat or non-fat milk or unsweetened nondairy milk is OK. However, caffeine may cause your blood sugar to spike. To avoid a potential spike, choose decaf coffee.
- Tea. Skip the sugar and sip some green tea in the morning. It lowers your risk for all sorts of diseases and helps you better manage Type 2 diabetes.
Of course, water is always the healthiest option. Getting well-hydrated early in the day may also improve your mood, as dehydration can cause headaches and make you feel tired.
Quick and Easy Diabetes-Friendly Breakfast Recipes
Try out some of these healthy breakfast options next time you’re looking to add some new options to your mornings.
- Easy Egg Muffins. Prep time: 10 minutes.
- Egg and Avocado Toasts. Prep time: 15 minutes.
- Superfood Smoothie. Prep time: 5 minutes.
- OK Oatmeal and Strawberries and Almonds. Prep time: 10 minutes.
More to Read
- Low-Sugar Drinks You Can Enjoy if You Have Diabetes
- Is Caffeine Bad for Your Heart? It Depends.
- Living with Diabetes: Empower Yourself to Stay Healthy
- Medical Nutrition Therapy for Diabetes Management
Medically reviewed by Elizabeth (Lizzy) Katz, RD, CDCES, Diabetes Program Coordinator at UM Capital Region Medical Center
