Breakfast of the champions

Swapping your regular bowl of corn flakes for a breakfast of porridge or muesli could help keep the mid-day munchies — and the extra pounds — at bay. Trust, porridge and whole grains are the breakfasts of champions to avoid overeating.

Swapping your regular bowl of corn flakes for a breakfast of porridge or muesli could help keep the mid-day munchies — and the extra pounds — at bay. Trust, porridge and whole grains are the breakfasts of champions to avoid overeating.

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It may be a subtle switch-up, but at a meeting hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists last week, researchers from Purdue University said that eating a breakfast that falls on the lower end of the Glycemic Index (GI) may help prevent a blood sugar spike throughout the morning and prevent people from overeating throughout the day.

Satiety was even found to stretch after the next meal. Foods with a low GI rating are considered healthier as they result in gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, compared to foods with a high GI, which can cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket, a particular danger for people at risk for diabetes. Meanwhile, for their study, US researchers focused specifically on the effects of adding almonds, a food that falls on the low end of the glycemic index, to people’s morning meals.

Participants, who ate a breakfast that included whole almonds said they experienced longer feelings of satiety and also had lower blood glucose concentrations after both breakfast and lunch, compared to those who started their day off with high GI foods.

Meanwhile, another US study published last year in the journal Obesity also suggests starting the day off with a protein-rich breakfast like eggs and low-fat cheese to help curb hunger pangs throughout the day.

Breakfast foods that have a low GI include porridge, muesli, and whole grains. Avoid corn flakes and white bread, which fall on the other end of the GI.