Hi ,
Let’s talk about breakfast.
You’ve heard this many times: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
The problem is not breakfast itself.
The problem is that many “healthy” breakfasts are really desserts in disguise.
THE DESSERT BREAKFAST PROBLEM
A lot of common breakfast foods are sold as healthy but act like sweets:
Sugary cereals with health claims on the box
Granola with lots of honey, syrups and chocolate
Flavoured yoghurts with more sugar than a pudding
Fruit juices sold as “vitamin boosts”
What often happens when you start the day with these:
Your blood sugar shoots up fast
Your body releases a lot of insulin
Your blood sugar then drops, and you feel tired and hungry again
You crave more sugar or coffee to “wake up”
So you feel like you had a healthy start… but your body feels like it just ate dessert.
WHAT REALLY MATTERS
A good breakfast should help you:
Feel full for 3–4 hours
Stay calm and focused, not wired then crashed
Avoid strong sugar cravings mid-morning
You may need to rethink your breakfast if:
You need a snack or coffee hit by 10–11am
You feel shaky or “foggy” an hour or two after eating
Your breakfast comes mostly from a box or a packet
Sugar (or syrup, honey, jam, chocolate, juice) is one of the first things you eat in the day
Instead of asking “Is this sold as healthy?”
Ask: “Will this keep me full and steady until lunch?”
PRACTICAL WIN: THE BREAKFAST SWAP RULE
You don’t need a perfect breakfast. You just need a better one.
Use this rule:
Keep the breakfast you like.
Swap one “dessert” part for a protein or fibre boost.
Easy swap ideas:
Sugary cereal → Plain oats cooked with water(porridge) or milk, plus nuts and berries
Flavoured yoghurt → Plain Greek yoghurt + fruit + a few seeds
White toast with jam → Wholegrain toast with eggs or peanut butter
Big glass of juice → Whole piece of fruit + a glass of water
Pastry or croissant → Boiled eggs + a slice of wholegrain toast
You still get food you enjoy, but now it works with your body instead of against it.
Small changes, big difference.
BONUS: A SIMPLE MORNING BOOST
How you start your morning can make breakfast work even better.
Try this tiny habit:
After you wake up, have a glass of water
Step outside or look out a bright window for a few minutes
Do 1–2 minutes of light movement (like gentle stretching or walking on the spot)
This small routine:
Helps your body wake up naturally
Can make you less likely to reach for sugar straight away
Sets the tone for calmer choices during the day
Tiny, repeatable habits beat perfect plans you only follow once.
Got questions about your current breakfast, cereals, or how to build a better one?
Reply to this email – I read every message personally.
See you next week,
Gabriel, Nutrition Hacks | gbMeals
P.S. Next Thursday: The one habit that quietly fixes most diets (without counting calories or tracking every meal).