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10+ Low-Sugar Breakfast Ideas to Fuel Your Mornings 

Last Update: September 1, 2023

After sipping a relaxing night time elixir, dimming the lights, donning an eye mask, and, hopefully, getting a full 8 hours of deep, restful sleep, you wake up feeling ready to take on the day. But once you hop out of bed, you don’t want a sugary breakfast to undo all those healthy habits. 

If you often start your day with a seemingly innocent breakfast like sweetened oatmeal or a big, fluffy waffle, you could spike your blood glucose (the medical term for blood sugar) levels and experience an energy crash later in the morning. 

Typically, the human body attempts to keep blood glucose levels in a state of homeostasis. A blood glucose spike happens when you get a rush of blood sugar from eating sugar or simple carbohydrates, then a dip in energy immediately after. While this can be especially problematic for people with diabetes and other health conditions, frequent blood sugar spikes aren’t ideal for anyone. 

If you want to avoid a blood sugar spike first thing in the morning, try these low-sugar, low-carb breakfast recipes.

Low-Sugar Breakfast Recipes 

Egg and Spinach Breakfast Muffins Recipe
While this grab-and-go breakfast may look like a muffin, it doesn’t contain the typical grains and sugar that you’ll find in most baked goods. These muffins center around protein-rich eggs, nutritious vegetables, and crispy bacon for sustained energy. 

Boiled Eggs With Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Soldiers Recipe
In just 15 minutes, this recipe makes a well-rounded gluten-free, low-sugar, Paleo breakfast. Dip the bacon-wrapped asparagus into the perfectly jammy boiled eggs instead of carb-heavy toast to avoid a blood sugar spike. 

Quinoa Porridge Recipe
This porridge recipe uses quinoa as a lower-carb alternative to other grains. Ghee and unsweetened almond milk create a rich, creamy consistency, and almond butter, chopped nuts, or Greek yogurt make hearty toppings without the added sugar.

Superfood Breakfast Cookies Recipe
Cookies may not sound like a low-sugar breakfast option — but these aren’t your typical cookies. This recipe prioritizes superfood ingredients like nuts, seeds, coconut oil, and Goji berries for a chewy texture and mild, naturally sweet flavor. 

Breakfast Pizza Recipe
Pizza for breakfast? With coconut flour, good-quality bacon, and lots of colorful veggies, this low-carb recipe makes a fun and tasty breakfast option that won’t spike your blood sugar. 

Sous Vide Egg Bites Recipe
With protein-rich eggs, bacon, and shredded Gouda cheese, these handheld egg bites steam in just 8 minutes for a perfectly easy breakfast that hits all the nutritional marks.

Veggie Frittata Recipe
Throw together this frittata with whatever leftover veggies you have on hand, then serve it up on keto or sprouted whole grain bread for a lower-carb morning meal. 

5-Ingredient Keto Eggs Benedict Recipe
Use low-carb tortillas or coconut wraps to create the crepe-like shells for these egg-based bites. Instead of the usual bacon, these call for prosciutto for an unexpected flavor. 

Whole30® Sweet Potato Hash With Chicken Sausage Recipe 
If you’re looking for a low-sugar breakfast recipe that you can make for a group, this sweet potato hash is a better alternative to pancakes or takeout donuts. Chili powder and ghee offer big flavor without any added sugar, and the end result is a healthy, savory dish in just one skillet. 

Cucumber-Mint Smoothie Recipe
For a morning smoothie without the sugar crash, focus on recipes that contain green veggies, herbs, and fruits that are lower in sugar. This one contains hydrating cucumber, lime, and coconut water for a refreshing and nutritionally dense breakfast. 

Low-Sugar Fruits 

Whether you use them in a smoothie or to top your oatmeal, fruits are a part of many breakfasts — but they can be quite high in sugar. Instead of cutting them out altogether, you may want to look for fruits that are naturally lower in sugar, like these: 

  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries 
  • Kiwis 
  • Blackberries 
  • Lemons and limes 
  • Grapefruit 
  • Avocado
  • Apricots
  • Plums

Low-Sugar Cereals 

Most conventional cereals are loaded with sugars, but not at Thrive Market. At We define low-sugar foods as foods with less than 5 grams of sugar per serving, and we carry wholesome cereals that fit into that category. Here are a few of our favorite low-sugar cereals: 

Three Wishes Grain Free Cereal, Cinnamon
Both grain-free and made with just 3 total grams of sugar per serving, this cinnamon-flavored crunchy cereal makes a smart, quick breakfast option when paired with your favorite unsweetened milk. 

Seven Sundays Sunflower Cereal, Real Cocoa
It may seem impossible to find a chocolatey breakfast cereal without tons of added sugar, but this one clocks in at just 5 grams of sugar per serving. 

Nature’s Path Organic Fruit Juice Sweetened Corn Flakes Cereal
A healthier alternative to your favorite childhood cereal, these corn flakes are sweetened with pear juice and contain just 4 grams of sugar. 

Thrive Market Organic Coconut Flakes Cereal 
Made with real coconut meat, this crunchy, flaky cereal gives you a flavorful bite with zero added sugars and just 5 grams of sugar total. 

Catalina Crunch Keto Friendly Cinnamon Toast Cereal 
Sweetened with monk fruit extract, this keto-friendly cereal contains zero grams of sugar. 

Low-Sugar Oatmeal 

While many flavored, sweetened oatmeals are loaded with sugar, these three low-sugar oatmeals from Thrive Market contain only wholesome oats. To spice them up, add sliced, fresh fruit, a sprinkle of hemp seeds, or even savory bone broth and a fried egg on top. 

Thrive Market Organic Gluten Free Rolled Oats 
These 100% organic, whole grain rolled oats contain zero grams of sugar and make a hearty base for a myriad of breakfast options. 

Thrive Market Organic Quick Oats 
Only have a few minutes in the morning? Make a speedy, low-sugar breakfast in just 5 minutes with these organic quick oats.

Thrive Market Organic Three Seed Quick Oats 
These organic quick oats contain chia, flax, and hemp seeds, offering 5 grams of fiber per serving with zero grams of sugar. 

This article is related to:

Sugar, Sugar-Free

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Amy Roberts

Amy Roberts is Thrive Market's Senior Editorial Writer. She is based in Los Angeles via Pittsburgh, PA.

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