The top ten breakfast combinations are all high-carb foods! Nutritionist reveals: 3 key points for breakfast upgrade

What do you eat for breakfast? There are many choices of Chinese and Western breakfast, but nearly 60% of Chinese people still believe that their breakfast nutrition is unbalanced! The Taiwan Cancer Foundation recently published a survey on "Chinese people's breakfast choices and physical health performance", which found that the biggest health problems for Chinese people are lack of energy and fatigue. Among them, the overall health scores of women aged 30-39 were the worst. However, the top ten most popular breakfast combinations are all high-carb foods that can easily cause fatigue. How to eat healthily in a busy life to help reach the peak of life has become a major issue for most Chinese people.

Ma Yin-jin, director of the Taiwan Cancer Foundation, said: "Since the epidemic, people's health awareness has increased, and they have begun to pay attention to healthier eating habits. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement in the nutritional balance of three meals. Many studies have confirmed that eating a healthy breakfast is very helpful for the whole day. However, people are busy with their lives, and breakfast is mainly for quick and convenient. They think that adding fruits and vegetables to breakfast is troublesome and they don't have time to prepare. In fact, forming a habit can start with small changes, such as bringing an extra portion of high-nutrient-density fruit, which can easily replenish nutrition, increase vitality and be more efficient."

The 30-year-olds, who are the most vulnerable to disease, have the worst physical and mental health.

The Taiwan Cancer Foundation's "Survey on Breakfast Choices and Physical Health Performance of the Chinese People" looked at the key impacts of the "Physical Health Index" for the entire population at different age groups. The worst score was in "comfort and vitality", including poor sleep quality, lack of energy, easy fatigue and lack of energy; those who did not eat breakfast often suffered from constipation and diarrhea, and performed poorly in "smoothness"; coupled with the high pressure on modern people, the "pleasure" score was also low, showing the current situation of the Chinese people being "lack of energy, unhappy and not smooth".

Among all age groups, people aged 30-39 may be at risk of health problems. Not only do they have the worst physical health index of all age groups, they are also the group that eats the least fruit. In addition, if we look further at gender, women in this age group perform worse than men. Not only are they the only group whose average physical health index is failing, they are also the worst performing group in terms of physical and mental state index. This situation also truly reflects the plight of women in this group who are caught between two extremes. Nutritionist Xu Guiting from the Taiwan Cancer Foundation pointed out that women of this age group are at the peak of their careers and are under pressure from work and family. This seems to flatten the originally fluffy and soft croissants, squeezing the multiple inner layers until there is no space left, and making them so tight that they break if bent, turning them into the "flat croissant tribe" who are even more depressed than the sandwich tribe.

It is worth noting that compared to the fruit and vegetable intake survey conducted by the Taiwan Cancer Foundation on elementary school children last year, the passing rate of the physical health index for children of women aged 30-39 was as high as 100%, indicating that women in this group may have focused more on taking care of their careers and family health, but neglected themselves. The Taiwan Cancer Foundation urges people to take good care of themselves first so that they can have the energy to continue working hard in other areas. If you want to improve your health score, there are actually relatively easy ways to do so. The survey found that people who eat fruit for breakfast have the best physical health and mental and physical state indexes. Therefore, if high-nutrient-density fruits can be added to breakfast, health can be improved in the easiest and most efficient way.

The top ten most common breakfast combinations among Chinese people.

80% of people don’t pay attention to breakfast nutrition, and the most popular breakfast can easily lead to lack of energy

According to data on the vegetable and fruit intake of the Chinese people from the National Health Administration, less than 20% (17.6%) of the Chinese people meet the daily vegetable intake standard, and the daily fruit intake rate is even lower, at only 5.9%. The survey also found that most people are only accustomed to eating fruits and vegetables at noon and in the evening. Nutritionist Xu Guiting said that if you want to increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables, you might as well increase fruits and vegetables from breakfast. The morning is the time when human intestinal reflexes are most sensitive. Supplementing fruits and vegetables at this time, the rich dietary fiber can help smooth bowel movements and metabolism. Studies have also shown that eating breakfast within two hours of waking up can promote metabolism, control blood sugar levels, improve cognition and mental health, and maintain better mental and physical strength throughout the day.

However, the survey found that only 20% (22%) of the people pay attention to the health and nutritional balance of breakfast, and less than 10% (8.9%) of the people care whether there are fruits and vegetables in breakfast. In terms of breakfast habits, most Taiwanese prefer to eat out for breakfast, due to their busy lifestyles and the pursuit of convenience and efficiency. According to survey statistics, the top five breakfast combinations most commonly eaten by Taiwanese people are "bread, sandwiches, and omelets" paired with "soy milk, coffee, and milk."

Nutritionist Xu Guiting pointed out that such a breakfast combination may hide a health crisis, because breakfast has a great impact on the overall quality of the diet. The breakfast commonly eaten by Taiwanese people is mostly a high-carb combination, which obviously lacks fruits and vegetables, and the proportion of dietary fiber is seriously insufficient. In addition to the possibility of rapidly increasing blood sugar in a short period of time, causing people to feel drowsy and lack of energy, some studies have also pointed out that consuming a high-GI breakfast will also affect the intake of more calories at lunch, which can easily lead to obesity in the long run. In addition, due to the lack of fruit and vegetable intake at breakfast, it is difficult to reach the recommended amount of nutrients for the whole day.

Add high-nutrient-density fruits and vegetables to breakfast: 3 keys to health upgrade

The vast majority of people in the survey believe that the most important thing about breakfast is the feeling of fullness and pleasure. Nutritionist Xu Guiting reminded that while it is important to have a full and satisfying breakfast, you also have to take into account a balanced intake of nutrients. Therefore, she proposed three key solutions for upgrading breakfast: increase fiber intake, choose high-nutrient-density prototype foods, and give priority to low-GI foods.

Increase fiber intake: Foods rich in fiber include whole grains, vegetables and fruits. In addition to being high in fiber, these foods are also rich in vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, which can promote gastrointestinal health and maintain immunity.

Choose high-nutrient-density prototype foods: foods that are unprocessed or can be eaten with only simple processing, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, sweet potatoes, etc., which retain the original rich nutrients of the food, avoid harm to the body due to excessive processing, and can also reduce the risk of obesity and the three highs.

Low GI foods are prioritized: The GI quality of food is affected by its fiber content, degree of refinement and cooking method. Choosing original foods and a balanced combination can give you a higher sense of fullness, keep blood sugar stable, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Nutritionist Xu Guiting shared that given the current situation of Chinese people being "lack of energy, unhappy, and not smooth," supplementing vitamin C and dietary fiber and balancing the intake of micronutrients are key. If people who are rushing to work or school want to supplement efficiently, they can give priority to adding high-nutrient-density fruits to breakfast. Tomatoes, oranges, kiwis, etc. are all high-nutrient-density fruits. Kiwi fruit has a very high nutritional density. The vitamin C content of one kiwi fruit can meet the human body's daily needs. It can also boost vitality and spirits, concentrate attention, and help stabilize emotions. It is rich in dietary fiber, which can increase satiety and promote gastrointestinal digestion. At the same time, its low GI feature can help stabilize blood sugar. In addition, it is rich in nutrients such as kiwi enzymes, folic acid, potassium, etc., which are beneficial to health. A small kiwi fruit can effectively supplement the required nutrients at breakfast, and it is also very convenient to prepare for family members and children.

Nutritionist Xu Guiting shared that given the current situation of Chinese people being "lack of energy, unhappy, and not smooth," supplementing vitamin C and dietary fiber and balancing the intake of micronutrients are key. If people who are rushing to work or school want to supplement efficiently, they can give priority to adding high-nutrient-density fruits to breakfast. Tomatoes, oranges, kiwis, etc. are all high-nutrient-density fruits.