Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, due to the morning rush against time, most Thai people tend to choose dishes that are fragrant, tasty, and quick to eat. Yet, when we look deeper into their nutritional value, experts recommend eating these five popular dishes less often or avoiding them if possible.
1. Grilled Pork with Sweetened Condensed Milk + Sticky Rice
The aroma of grilled pork in the morning, sweet and savory with tender, juicy meat, served with sticky rice that fills you up—grab it and eat right away, perfect for busy hours.
The first thing to consider is the “fresh milk” used to marinate the pork, which is often sweetened condensed milk mixed with palm sugar. Each skewer contains a high amount of pork fat, causing calories to spike. Additionally, carcinogens may form from the charred burnt spots. The sticky rice also contributes to blood sugar spikes, leading to drowsiness and fatigue mid-morning.
2. Deep-fried Dough Sticks (Patongko) + Soy Milk
Crispy on the outside and soft inside, dipping deep-fried dough sticks in sweetened condensed milk or tearing them into hot soy milk is a delightful morning treat. However, these dough sticks are fried in oil often reused multiple times, loaded with trans fats and very high calories. The typical street vendor soy milk also contains large amounts of added sugar. Eating them together means consuming excessive sugar and unhealthy fats.
3. Pork Congee with Egg
Hot congee sipped easily with bouncy pork meatballs feels light and comforting and seems healthy. But the congee is made from polished white rice cooked until mushy, which the body digests and absorbs rapidly as sugar, making you hungry again sooner. The pork meatballs and broth often contain very high sodium levels, causing water retention and putting strain on the kidneys early in the day.
4. Cereal and Granola + Cow's Milk
A super convenient breakfast with colorful appearance, just pour milk and eat—giving a Western-style healthy vibe. But many cereals and some granola brands on the market are heavily coated in sugar or syrup. These are simple carbohydrates that cause blood sugar to spike quickly and then drop sharply, resulting in brain fog and mid-morning fatigue.
5. Toast with Jam - Traditional Sandwich
Soft bread spread with colorful fruit jam or a sandwich bursting with juicy salad dressing is easy to eat and pairs well with morning coffee. However, white bread is refined flour with almost no nutrients. Fruit jam and traditional sandwich dressings mainly consist of sugar and mayonnaise. This meal is almost void of protein and fiber, leaving you hungry soon after and craving snacks again quickly.
If your morning is too rushed to avoid these dishes, an important tip is to reduce portion sizes or substitute ingredients. For example, eat only 1-2 skewers of grilled pork, removing all burnt parts, and swap sticky rice for brown rice. For soy milk, ask for unsweetened or the least sweet version. Switch from white bread to whole wheat bread. Just small behavioral changes like these will increase health benefits and reduce negative effects.