Nutritionist Nmami Agarwal has rated some of the most common Indian breakfast items, and her scores put two South Indian staples at the top and fruit juice at the bottom. She shared the ratings in an Instagram post reported by NDTV on 10 November at 10:57 IST.
Idli served with sambar and coconut chutney scored 10 out of 10. Agarwal described it as a great balance of carbohydrates, protein and fibre, and noted that it is fermented, which she said makes it good for gut health.
Moong dal dosa also scored 10 out of 10, for the same reasons. The combination of a protein-rich lentil base with the balance of a dosa made it one of the two highest rated items in her list.
Poha scored 6 out of 10. Agarwal called it light and easy to digest, but said it lacks protein. She added that adding sprouts would lift it to a 10 out of 10, turning a light breakfast into a far more complete meal.
The lowest score
Fruit juices scored 0 out of 10, the lowest rating in the post. Agarwal said they will only spike blood sugar levels and increase sugar cravings, a warning that runs against the common idea of juice as a healthy morning drink.
The point she makes is that juice removes the fibre from fruit while keeping the sugar. Eating whole fruit keeps the fibre, which slows down how quickly sugar enters the blood, while juice delivers it far faster.
Her ratings are a personal assessment by a practising nutritionist, shared on social media, not a clinical study. They are useful as a guide to thinking about breakfast, not as a medical prescription for any individual.
What makes a good breakfast
The pattern in her scores is clear. The top-rated breakfasts combine carbohydrates with protein and fibre, and they include fermented food that supports gut health. The lowest rated item is high in sugar and low in fibre and protein.
That pattern matches general nutrition advice. A breakfast that keeps a person full until lunch usually has protein and fibre in it, while a breakfast that is mostly sugar tends to leave a person hungry again soon after.
Adding protein to a light breakfast is the simplest fix in her list. Sprouts with poha, an egg or a bowl of curd on the side, or a lentil-based dish such as moong dal dosa all raise the protein content of the meal.
Readers with diabetes, gut problems or other health conditions should treat such ratings as general information and speak to their own doctor or dietitian before changing their diet. What works as a general guide may need adjusting for an individual's health needs.
