Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So you might be forgiven for grabbing anything you can find during the morning rush.
But one staple in your pantry could be doing you more harm than good. If you’re reaching for white bread, stop.
“Refined wheat, aka white flour contains no nutrients and leaves your body hungrier than when you sat down,” says naturopathic physician, Dr Marizelle Arce, speaking to Shefinds.
“These empty calorie carbs will cause the next meal you have to be stored and turn into fat.”
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But it isn’t just white bread that is causing you to put on unnecessary weight. Foods that are described as ‘whole wheat’ are often misleading – providing less than four grams of fibre. Foods such as bagels, cereals and waffles can give you a one-way ticket to weight gain.
Check the food labels: misleading terms such as “wheat flour” and “unbleached enriched flour” will give you the opposite of what you’re after.
Enriched flour is common in bread that isn’t 100% whole wheat, and in many cases, will give you a sugar spike without any nutritional value.
If you do want to stay on top of your brekky habits, check out the best morning meal for weight loss.
This article originally appeared on Women’s Health.
