Whether you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes or trying to keep your energy levels stable, there are many reasons why it’s beneficial to keep your blood sugar levels balanced. Breakfast is the first opportunity of the day to do this.
Food combinations are an important part of maintaining stable blood sugar levels. For example, a bagel can lead to an increase in blood sugar after eating, but if you combine it with eggs or avocado (both good sources of unsaturated fats), it reduces the absorption of sugar from carbohydrates and the increase will be less dramatic.
Similar to how some pairings can be beneficial for blood sugar, other pairings can be detrimental, causing even more spikes in blood sugar. There is a particularly popular breakfast food and drink combination that can do this, according to endocrinologists.
Related: This Is the #1 Best Habit for Blood Sugar Balance, According to an Endocrinologist
Why Is It Important To Have Stable Blood Sugar?
You may have thought that maintaining stable blood sugar was only important for people with diabetes. However, Dr. Fady Hannah-Shmouni, MD, endocrinologist and the medical director at Eli Health, emphasizes that it is essential for everyone’s health.
“Even without diabetes, stable blood sugar helps maintain stable energy, supports clear thinking, reduces cravings and protects long-term metabolic health,” says Dr. Hannah-Shmouni, adding that frequent spikes can contribute to inflammation, weight gain and insulin resistance over time.
🩺Sign up for tips to stay healthy and fit with the best moves, clean eating, health trends and more delivered straight to your inbox twice a week💊
Unstable blood sugar levels affect both short-term and long-term health. In the short term, Dr. Hannah-Shmouni says it can lead to fatigue, brain fog, irritability, headaches, tremors and intense food cravings. “These rapid changes can also disrupt concentration and mood as your body releases stress hormones to rebalance itself,” he adds.
What happens when your blood sugar levels are all over the place for a long time? Dr. Hannah-Shmouni explains the repeated highs and lows can make energy and appetite harder to regulate and that, over time, increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, weight gain, heart disease and fatty liver disease, among other metabolic conditions.
Related: This Is the #1 Worst Blood Sugar Habit, According to an Endocrinologist
Dr. Rachel Pessah-Pollack, MD, endocrinologist at NYU Langone Health, adds, “Complications can occur from long-term unstable blood sugar, including increased risk for heart attacks, kidney and nerve damage, high cholesterol and blood pressure.”
The Popular Breakfast Combination That Spikes Blood Sugar
Peter Cade/Getty Images
Knowing how the blood sugar rollercoaster can impact health, you’re probably inspired to do what you can to keep it balanced, starting with what you eat for breakfast. After all, how we spend our morning sets the tone for the rest of the day.
One breakfast combination that the three endocrinologists we spoke to say can raise blood sugar is a pastry paired with fruit juice. Many people pour a glass of OJ or grapefruit juice to take with their breakfast for a boost of vitamin C, but this combination can have a negative impact on blood sugar.
Related: The Silent Symptom of High Blood Sugar You Should Never Ignore, According to Endocrinologists
“Pastry and fruit juice are both fast-acting forms of carbohydrates without good nutrients and as a result will significantly increase your glucose levels, especially if you have underlying type 2 diabetes,” says Dr. Pessah-Pollack.
Dr. Florence Committee, MD, endocrinologist, founder of the Committee Center for Precision Medicine and Healthy Longevity and author of the following book, Invincible: Challenge Your Genetic Destiny to Live Better, Longer, he explains that pasta and fruit juice are both high in carbohydrates which can cause a rapid rise in glucose and an equally rapid fall, followed by an insulin spike resulting in jitters and cravings for more energy quickly. “That rollercoaster ride of dramatic glucose spikes and dips is unhealthy and will lead to insulin resistance,” she says.
While pastry and fruit juice aren’t exactly a good match as far as your blood sugar is concerned, that doesn’t mean you can never enjoy either. If you are going to have either pastry or fruit juice for breakfast, the three experts recommend combining it with food rich in protein, fiber or unsaturated fats. Some examples include nuts, eggs or avocados. This will ease the rise in blood sugar, especially if you eat nutrient-dense foods first.
Dr. Pessah-Pollack recommends having whole fruit instead of fruit juice, sharing, “All fruit has fiber, which is beneficial and reduces digestion. Fruit juice does not have this fiber to reduce sugar absorption.”
Unless you are really craving that dough, Dr. Pessah-Pollack recommends having oats instead, which is a great source of fiber, compared to dough, which provides no nutritional benefits. To lighten your oatmeal naturally without increasing your blood sugar, add cinnamon and combine it with fruit.
In general, whenever you’re craving something sweet (whether it’s for breakfast, a snack or dessert) but you don’t want to raise your blood sugar, Dr. Hannah-Shmouni says to choose sweets that come with protein, fiber or healthy fats, or to combine them with those nutrients. “These [nutrients] slow digestion and help keep glucose more stable. Good options include fruit with nut butter, Greek yogurt with berries, a square of dark chocolate after a balanced meal, chia pudding or a small portion of your favorite dessert eaten after protein rather than on an empty stomach,” he explains.
By keeping your blood sugar balanced, you’ll not only have better focus and mood in the moment, you’ll also be supporting your health in the future—and nothing is sweeter than that.
Up Next:
Related: This 3-ingredient snack is perfect for managing blood sugar, say diabetes doctors
Sources:
-
Dr. Fady Hannah-Shmouni, MD, endocrinologist and the medical director at Eli Health
-
Dr. Rachel Pessah-Pollack, MD, endocrinologist with NYU Langone Health
-
Dr. Florence Comite, MD, endocrinologist, founder of the Committee Center for Precision Medicine and Healthy Longevity and author of the following book, Invincible: Challenge Your Genetic Destiny to Live Better, Longer
-
Ma, X., Nan, F., Liang, H., et al. (20220). Excessive consumption of sugar: Accomplice of inflammation. Frontiers in Immunology. Aug 31;13:988481. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.988481
-
Ludwig, DS and Ebbeling, CB (2019). The Carbohydrate-Insulin Model of Obesity: Beyond ‘Calories In, Calories Out.’ JAMA Internal Medicine. 178(8):1098-1103
-
Avner, S. and Robbins, T. (2025). A Review of the Purpose of Glucose Spikes in People Without Diabetes: A Comparison of Insights from Gray Literature and Medical Research. Clinical Medicine Insights: Endocrinology and Diabetes. 18:11795514251381409. doi: 10.1177/11795514251381409
This story was originally published by Parade on 24 December 2025, where it first appeared in the Health and Wellness section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.