Who among us hasn’t ordered a large pizza for dinner one night, only to wake up the next morning and eat the leftovers cold from the fridge for our breakfast? You might chastise yourself for choosing a slice (or three) over more traditional, “healthier” foods to start your day, but maybe you shouldn’t. In fact, one nutritionist claims you’re better off with the pizza than something like cereal anyway.
- Cereal is full of sugar. That might be obvious for cereals like Lucky Charms or Fruity Pebbles, but it also applies to the likes of Special K and Cheerios. Sure, “plain” cereals are going to be better for you than the ones that would be better for dessert than breakfast, but even the “healthiest” looking cereals can pack a serious sugar punch without offering you much more.
- They have roughly the same amount of calories anyway. Yep, that’s right. As nutritionist Chelsey Amer, MS, RDN, CDN, told The Daily Meal, “You may be surprised to find out that an average slice of pizza and a bowl of cereal with whole milk contain nearly the same amount of calories. However, pizza packs a much larger protein punch, which will keep you full and boost satiety throughout the morning.”
- The cereal will make you crash. You might feel super energized after a bowl of cereal, but you’ll notice that those energy levels drop pretty soon after as you experience a serious sugar crash. With the pizza, you’ve got fat to keep you satiated and help process the natural carbs as well as way less sugar than the cereal.
- Don’t get it twisted – pizza still isn’t a great breakfast choice. It may be better to eat a cold slice than it is to pour yourself a massive bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats, but as far as healthy breakfasts go, you’d be way better off with some homemade oats with fresh fruit or even a piece of whole wheat toast and a scrambled egg. As tempting as it might be to eat pizza every day, try to refrain.
