The breakfast check - what are you having for breakfast?
According to an old saying, you are supposed to eat like a king for breakfast, a commoner for lunch and like a peasant for dinner. And most people need to start their day with a good breakfast in order to really get going. Others just have a quick sip of their coffee and are out the door. This is reason enough to have a better look at what you are fueling yourself with!
Thai Kao Tom 
This is the traditional Thai style breakfast soup and as some of us have been living here for a long time, we do enjoy this for breakfast.
What’s it made of?
As everything here in Thailand is made out of white rice, this isn’t any exception. Also, there is chicken stock, ground pork, eggs, fish sauce, ginger, chili, green onions.
The good stuff
The eggs give you a great protein boost in the morning for your muscles as well as the ground pork.
Ginger is great for aiding your digestion. However, the white rice is always a problem in Asia. It doesn’t have any vitamins, minerals or fibers, as it is completely polished. Instead, try to go for brown rice.
The pork together with the chicken stock makes this meal quite fatty and cholesterol high. Alternatively, try to go for shrimp or chicken instead of the pork for less fat.
But if you like a hearty meal for breakfast, this is it.
Calories
1 bowl of Thai Kao Tom: about 340 kcal
Fat 7g
Carbs 30g
Protein 38g
Juice 
Especially in Bangkok it is so easy to have a freshly squeezed juice somewhere of the street. Or you can buy them more processed in the supermarkets. Are they a good breakfast alternative?
What’s it made of?
Any kind of fruit, water, yogurt, added fibers and vitamins.
The good stuff
If you like to sleep in late or have an early meeting and no time to sit down for a proper breakfast, a freshly squeezed juice is a good alternative on the way to work. The fruit content is 100% without anything added. However, the ones you can buy at the supermarket usually have added water, sugar, vitamins, minerals and fibers and the actual fruit content may only add up to 20-40%.
So make sure to buy the fresh ones for the whole fruit experience. However, as it is a drink, it will make you hungry for more. So try to have something with the glass of juice, like a yogurt, where the protein inside will keep you full for longer.
Calories
One glass (200ml): about 85 kcal
Fat 0,3g
Carbs 21g
Protein 1,5g
Eggs and bacon on toast 
This is definitely the heaviest version of a breakfast as most of us know, and usually we like to indulge in this when on holiday or going out for a special brunch.
What’s it made of?
Eggs, bacon, cream, frying fat, toast, butter
The good stuff
It won’t leave you hungry for a long time! And the eggs together with the cream are a great protein resource to build muscle. But that is pretty much it for the benefits...
The bacon is very crisply fried in butter and as those two are animal based they contain a lot of saturated fats and cholesterol.
Also, the toast is filled with butter otherwise it wouldn’t get so nicely brown and crisp when toasting it. And the toast topped with butter for the good taste will leave you begging for more.
Although this to some people is the greatest breakfast possible it is very high in fat and calories. It is definitely something you can indulge in for special occasion – but leave it for those special occasions!
If you want it to be a bit healthier, try to go for normal whole wheat bread instead of toast, and replacing the bacon with leaner turkey.
Calories
About 550 kcal
Fat 19g
Carbs 62g
Protein 29g
French croissant 
This is the French version of a nice breakfast. Let’s see...
What’s it made of?
You’re not going to like this: the croissant is a puff pastry product so each layer is filled with butter.
The good stuff
The croissant is something to indulge in. The taste is pure butter and that is why after having one you will have already taken up 25% of your daily fat intake. The butter is filled with saturated fats which isn’t good for your blood vessels and the heart.
So try to keep this kind of breakfast for special moments. And if you do have it, try to go easy on the extra spreading of butter on top.
Calories
About 390 calories
Fat 19g
Carbs 32g
Protein 13g
Coffee 
Yes, some people really only have a quick coffee on the way out the door.
What’s it made of?
Water, good coffee beans or instant powder, milk, sugar
The good stuff
For most people, the caffeine wakes you up in the morning. However, it can get addictive, and the more you drink, the less the caffeine will actually wake you up. This is why there are people who have coffee all day long, even before they go to bed.
If you use milk in your coffee it is good as that is at least filled with protein and calcium, to keep your muscles and bones healthy and strong. Also, the milk can help you digest the coffee because the acidity of the whole drink is lower than when you are only having coffee.
Be careful when using sugar, as it adds calories to the coffee, especially if you have a lot of cups throughout the day.
As coffee is only a drink, it is not the most optimal breakfast you can have. You will get hungry eventually, and then you start to eat things in between until lunchtime finally arrives. So have the cup of coffee together with a healthy breakfast, like a bowl of fruit, yogurt, muesli, etc.
Calories
1 cup of coffee from beans (250ml): 3 kcal
Fat 0g
Carbs 0,3g
Protein 0,4g
1 cup of instant coffee (250ml): 4 kcal
Fat 0g
Carbs 0,7g
Protein 0,2g
1 cup of coffee with milk and sugar (250ml): 32 kcal
Fat 0,9g
Carbs 7g
Protein 0,9g
Breakfast roll with jam 
A very traditional sort of breakfast
What’s it made of?
Roll, butter, jam
The good stuff
Sadly, most rolls are made of white flour, which means there is hardly anything healthy left inside – just the calories. So try to go for whole wheat ones which have more fibers for your digestion and immune system. Do you spread butter on the roll or just put the cheese or jam on top without anything?
The jam might have ones been made out of fruits but the vitamin content is destroyed through the cooking process so only sugar is left.
Basically you are having quite a lot of carbs, fat and calories without really nurturing yourself. So try to go for low fat cream cheese instead of butter, make sure the jam is made out of real fruit and has no extra sugar added and use the whole wheat rolls.
Calories
One roll with butter and strawberry jam: About 280 kcal
Fat 13g
Carbs 44g
Protein 11g
Muesli 
For a long time, this was too healthy for a breakfast for most people. But the health benefits are becoming more popular and almost everyone has some sort of muesli or cereal for breakfast.
What’s it made of?
Rolled oats, seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, ...), nuts, dried or fresh fruits, chocolate flakes, granola, milk, yogurt
The good stuff
The rolled oats are full of good fibers which are great for your digestion and the immune system. The different seeds may have fats but these are healthy unsaturated fats which are important for your blood vessels and the skin. Dried fruits are great to sweeten the cereal without sugar. However, you should leave out the flakes or granola which are fried, roasted or coated with sugar.
The cereal will keep you full for the morning so you won’t have to snack so much until lunchtime. Together with yogurt and fresh fruit, the muesli is definitely the healthiest choice to start your day!
Calories:
One cup cereal with milk: about 250 kcal
Fat 5g
Carbs 44g
Protein 7g