We often hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We all ensure that it has the right amounts of carbs, protein, vitamins and more. Since, it’s the first meal of the day!
But what if the foods you thought were nourishing are actually making you sick by disturbing your digestion, energy levels, and mental clarity?
From instant oatmeal to bakery items, modern day quick breakfast is doing more harm to you than benefit. As per Ayurveda, your breakfast should ignite the digestive fire, balance your doshas, and give you energy throughout the day.
Let’s bust some common breakfast myths and explore the breakfast options based on Ayurvedic principles for better health.
1. Upma & Poha
Reading Upma and Poha in the category of unhealthy breakfast must come as a shocker to you. But, it is true. They are often made from refined semolina (rava) or flattened rice respectively, which can be drying and heavy to digest.
In Ayurveda, they can disturb the Vata and weaken agni. Also, people who don’t want a spike in insulin early in the morning, should not have them in the morning.
A Healthy Alternative: Ditch Upma or Poha and have warm moong dal pancake or khichdi with ghee and vegetables. Another option is having freshly made millet porridge with cumin and curry leaves.
2. Toast & Tea
Yes, “toast and tea” is a quick and convenient breakfast option which has been quite famous among people on the go. However, toast is dry, low in prana (life force), and black tea is acidic in nature, especially early in the morning.
The combination disturbs Vata-Pitta and creates toxins, which leads to constipation or acidity.
A Healthy Alternative: Lightly spiced vegetable stew with jeera buttermilk or rice gruel with a little bit of ghee.
3. Paratha & Butter
The tastiest of all breakfast options is Paratha with butter or malai but is too heavy for the gut in the morning. Too oily, spicy and pure carbs, which will make your digestion sluggish and low mood. Since this meal increases Kapha, it can cause sluggishness throughout the day.
A Healthy Alternative: Instead of frying rotis and stuffing it with potatoes, eat stuffed roti with warm ajwain water or light methi thepla with homemade coriander and mint chutney.
4. Granola
Today’s new so-called healthy GenZ breakfast meal is milk with Granola. But it is often dry, hard, filled with sugar or sugar alternatives, and dried fruits that are tough to digest in the morning. Also, it is cold in nature that weakens the digestive fire.
A Healthy Alternative: Soaked seeds and nuts, along with a bowl of fruits.
5. Bakery Items (White Breads)
Refined flour first thing in the morning is the most harmful thing you can include in your meal. It is made of refined flour, sugar, and preservatives that can clog channels and slow the metabolic rate. From ayurvedic perspective, it increases Kapha and creates ama build up.
A Healthy Alternative: Instead of opening white bread packets for the breakfast, make a homemade besan chilla with ghee and coriander-mint chutney.
6. Instant Oatmeal
The rising trend of “Overnight Oats” reflects a growing preference for starting the day with oats. However, is it really the best choice for morning digestion? Absolutely, No! Instant oats are often full of sugar and additives. If eaten without proper soaking or cooking, it will spike the sugar. Also, instant oats are cold and processed grains which disturb Vata.
A Healthy Alternative: Soaked steel-cut oats cooked with ghee, cardamom, and dates are a better choice in the morning.
7. Fried Hash Browns
Oily and deep-fried foods like fried aloo or puris slow down the digestion process, especially in the morning. Due to heaviness, you body crashes in energy towards the day due to aggravated Kapha.
A Healthy Alternative: Steamed sweet potatoes with rock salt and lemon. I can’t emphasize enough how nutritional and healthy it can be in the morning. It is packed with Vitamins A, C, and B6 with minerals like potassium and magnesium.
8. Breakfast Bars
If you are ever craving something sweet in the morning, never go for packed protein or energy bars. They contain hidden sugars, artificial flavours with low digestibility. Additionally, they lack ojas-building qualities (life-sustaining energy).
A Healthy Alternative: Include homemade ladoo with nuts, jaggery, sesame, and cardamom.
9. Sandwiches
Yes, sandwiches are one of the most preferred breakfast which are also considered healthy due to the addition of raw vegetables. But, it can harm you more than prove to be a nutritious breakfast. Why? Because of cold bread, raw vegetables, or cheese can create a heavy mix early in the morning.
Since sandwiches are cold in nature, it reduces agni and causes indigestion or bloating.
A Healthy Alternative: Instead of eating a cold sandwich, make a warm veggie or paneer roll in whole wheat wrap with some spices like cumin, black pepper, & more.
10. Skipping Breakfast
The biggest mistake anybody can make in the morning is skipping meals. It leads to weak digestion, irregular blood sugar, and fatigue. Also, starving the body disrupts Vata and weakens metabolism.
A Healthy Alternative: Have a light warm breakfast like a cup of warm-ghee water with fruit bowl or porridge. But have something!
11. Cold Foods & Drinks
In lieu of following how the people in the west live, cold smoothies or yogurt bowls have become a part of our breakfast. For us, the cold food suppresses agni, leading to improper digestion and disturbing you throughout the day.
A Healthy Alternative: Warm spiced almond milk or ginger-cinnamon herbal water.
12. Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are deemed to be quite healthy and yes they are. However, excess fermentation in Idli or dosa creates acidity and bloating in some body types. Since, it creates aggravation in Pitta, a person can experience excess gas.
A Healthy Alternative: Mildly fermented dosa or idli made fresh and paired with coconut chutney.
13. Vinegar-Based Foods
Pickled, tangy, or sour vinegar-heavy foods increase Pitta which can trigger acidity, especially in sensitive stomachs. A healthy alternative is to drink lemon juice with rock salt or amla chutney. Rice Kanji, Besan Chilla, dalia, millets, and seasonal fresh fruits are the best ayurvedic breakfast ideas for everyday.
Final Thoughts
In ayurveda, “you are what you eat” but the extension to this statement is “it’s not just what you eat; but how and when you eat” too. Your so-called “healthy” breakfast may be draining your energy, spiking your blood sugar, or creating toxins without you even realizing it.
Instead be smart and switch to warm, light, and digestible foods that work with your dosha. Your gut, mind, and energy levels will thank you for it.
