Pizza Could Be A Better Breakfast Than Sugary Cereal, According To Nutritionist

If you've ever woken up in the morning with a thick head and a mouth like an ashtray, perhaps you've turned over in your bed and noticed a half-eaten pizza and thought 'hey, why not?'

Well, it turns out that - drinking and smoking aside - eating pizza first thing in the morning might not be all that bad for you.

In fact, it could even be better for you than a bowl of sugary cereal.

Before we get too far into this, a slice of pizza isn't going to be better for you than a bowl of low-sugar muesli or something like that.

But if your morning meal consists of a sugary breakfast cereal - the kind that comes with a toy - you might consider switching to a slice of margherita instead.

This isn't new research, either. It comes from New York City nutritionist Chelsey Amer, who confirmed that instead of the sugar-laden Frosties, a slice of Domino's might see you right as you break your fast.

She told ABC News: "Surprisingly, pizza can be a more balanced breakfast option than many sugar-filled breakfast cereals.

"A slice of plain cheese pizza contains a balance of carbs, protein, and fat. A bowl of sugary cereal with low fat milk is largely sugar and extremely carb-heavy."

So, it's pretty clear what she is getting at here. It's not that eating pizza for brekkie is good for you, it's that most cereals available today are not particularly good for you.

Dr Lauren Kelly, who looked into the truth of these claims for the same TV network, said that Amer's 'provocative statement that pizza is better than cereal is to highlight that cereal has poor nutritional value and people are eating it all of the time'.

She added: "Not that pizza is the best choice either, but people usually consider pizza a cheat food - the opposite of a healthy choice."

Of course, you can eat everything you like in moderation, it's just that pizza isn't traditionally considered as part of a balanced breakfast.

Amer added she was 'not recommending pizza as an everyday breakfast' but asking people to 'focus on a balance of high fibre carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats to stay full throughout the morning.'

She continued: "It's shocking to know that pizza is comparable to (if not higher in protein than) the food so many American kids are eating every morning for breakfast."

If you're after a takeaway - see what we did there? - message from all of this, it's that you should think about the sort of things you eat and consider when you're eating them.

Dr Kelly explained: "The important take home is to be more mindful of what's in our food and to eat a balanced breakfast that's high in protein and minimizes carbs from added sugar and fried foods."

Amer added: "Additionally, it's important to note that there are some great breakfast cereals on the market.

"Look for whole grains and less than 5g sugar per serving when checking the Nutrition Facts label."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Science, Food, Interesting, Food And Drink, US News, Pizza

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

@TPWagwim