According to an article by Business Insider, there are certain foods we should avoid for breakfast. Bacon, sausages, hash browns, processed cheese, biscuits with gravy, and granola bars are foods that contain a lot of saturated fat or are high in sugar. These foods, commonly found in an English breakfast, could be alright to eat once in a while but not on a regular basis.

Eating a healthy breakfast can prevent weight gain, boost short-term memory and lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Here are seven breakfast foods recommended by Business Insider.

1. Eggs

Recent studies have shown that it’s saturated fat, not cholesterol in foods, that increases “bad” blood cholesterol. The yolk of the egg is where most of the nutrients are found, such as lutein, a vitamin found in spinach and kale that can prevent eye disease.

2. Whole-grain bread, cereal or oatmeal

“Fiber from whole grain cereal and oats can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol,” said Lisa Moskovits, owner of Your New York Dietitians. She suggested choosing breakfast cereals with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving and having them with milk with 1 percent fat or less. “No one over the age of 2 should be drinking higher fat cow’s milk,” Moskovits asserted.

3. Peanut butter

Yellowish spreads like margarine are much higher in “bad” saturated fats compared to peanut butter, which mostly contains the “good” unsaturated fat. Two tablespoons of peanut butter also contains 8 grams of protein, which is around 20 percent of the daily recommended amount for male and female adults.

4. Fruit

“There’s no such thing as an unhealthy fruit,” Ruth Frenchman, a nutritionist and author of “The Food is My Friend Diet,” told BI. Frenchman also recommended bananas for breakfast as they are easy to eat on the go compared to a typical breakfast, which you may have to skip when you are late.

5. Yogurt

About 170 grams of yogurt contains as much protein as a serving of meat. Greek yogurt contains even more protein, sometimes double the amount of regular yogurt. BI recommended plain, non-fat or low-fat yogurt for those who have diabetes or are watching their calories, as fruit-flavored yogurts have a lot of added sugar.

6. Smoothies

This blended drink is easy to carry to work, takes hardly any time to make and may have many nutrients, such as minerals and vitamins, depending on what you blend together. Smoothies can even include vegetables like kale and spinach, which are perfect for breakfast.

7. Coffee

According to recent studies, certain amount of caffeine can boost long-term memory and help in controlling one’s weight. BI suggested that as long as you are not drinking more than four cups a day, there is nothing wrong with drinking coffee.

By Ha Ji-won, Intern reporter (jiwonha@heraldcorp.com)