This Popular Breakfast Food Is Actually One Of The Worst To Eat When You Wake Up

Whether it's glazed, frosted, filled with cream, or a Voodoo donut topped with Cap'n Crunch, the breakfast sweet treat is a morning staple at coffee shops, office meetings, and old-fashioned bakeries. But while we love and adore these fried balls of dough, health experts generally agree that doughnuts are one of the least nutritious ways to start the day. 

You likely already knew doughnuts weren't perfect, but Angel Luk, a registered dietitian, has good reasons for why we should avoid the pastry. "When we consume a very high-sugar breakfast, our pancreas may respond by sending too much insulin to take the sugar into our cells for use, causing a low blood sugar condition known as reactive hypoglycemia ('sugar crash')," she explains.

Doughnuts are loaded with two no-no ingredients: refined carbohydrates and added sugar, without any of the good stuff, like healthy fats, protein, and fiber. As all fiber-maxxers and healthy food trend followers know, those last two nutrients help you feel full after a meal, and pretty much all doughnut types have little of either. Of course, it's not just doughnuts. Any kind of sugar-filled treat can do damage, but given that doughnuts are such a ubiquitous breakfast item, Luk specifically calls them out. 

"They can cause a significant blood sugar spike that worsens prediabetes and diabetes management," she advises. "Even in individuals without these issues, it can lead to a sugar crash that can cause anxiety, shakiness, and rapid heartbeat." It's an eating cycle that can also leave you feeling hungry way before lunchtime.

Doughnuts and other kinds of highly processed foods can even encourage cravings throughout the day. Research shows that foods rich in sugar and refined carbohydrates can activate reward pathways in the brain, making it more likely you'll seek more sweet treats later in the day. In other words, starting the day with junk food only makes you crave it more. Our current food system also isn't helping; there's a startling amount of sugar added to our everyday food without our knowledge. So for many of us, starting the day off with a sugar-heavy breakfast is a setup for failure.

Luk has some savory suggestions for the most important meal of the day: "Complex carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats, such as a piece of whole grain toast with avocado and walnuts, provide steady energy that is digested slowly, and therefore should not trigger reactive hypoglycemia." Avocados are packed with antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber, which will keep you feeling full much longer than a chocolate-glazed doughnut. In fact, they're so healthy, you can eat an avocado for breakfast every day – that is, if you can afford it.

While we certainly don't want to demonize doughnuts, they should remain an occasional indulgence rather than a routine breakfast habit. No single food can make or break your overall health, but any breakfast recipe that combines protein, fiber, and healthy fats is a winner. That bear claw will taste even better when it's a special occasion.