Avocado toast is a delicious way to support better blood sugar levels.
Reviewed by Dietitian Madeline Peck, RDN, CDN
Key Points
- Avocado toast with jammy eggs offers fiber, protein and healthy fats to stabilize blood sugar.
- Whole-grain bread and avocado provide fiber, slowing digestion and reducing blood sugar spikes.
- A balanced, nutrient-dense breakfast supports energy and metabolic health.
A balanced breakfast can set you up for better blood sugar for the rest of the day. So what does a blood sugar–friendly breakfast look like? Oatmeal is considered an exemplary choice for a nutrient-dense breakfast, but it’s not the only option. If you are looking to mix up your morning routine with another breakfast that promotes healthy blood sugar levels, try avocado toast with jammy eggs.
Avocado toast has all the elements to keep your blood sugar in check while also keeping you fueled throughout the morning. Plus, it’s very easy to make, which is perfect for chaotic mornings. Read on to find out why this avocado toast deserves the top spot as a breakfast that can support blood sugar balance.
It’s a Well-Balanced Breakfast
When building a breakfast that’s going to keep your blood sugar in check, you want to focus on a few key nutrients. “This recipe contains the blood sugar trifecta of protein, fiber and healthy fats,” says Kimberley Rose-Francis, RDN, CDCES. The protein in the egg, the fiber in the whole-grain bread and the healthy fats in the avocado all work together to reduce blood sugar spikes, she explains.
Avoiding those big swings in blood sugar is important. In the short term, it helps maintain your energy levels throughout the morning so you can power through until lunchtime. In the long term, it supports your overall metabolic health and can reduce the risk of developing diabetes complications.
It’s High in Fiber
This avocado toast with jammy eggs has an impressive 10 grams of fiber, which is over 30% of the Daily Value for fiber. That gives you a great head start on meeting the recommended 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed (around 25 grams per day for most women and 38 grams for most men)—a target most of us don’t make each day. All that dietary fiber helps stabilize your post-meal blood sugar by slowing down digestion—which reduces how quickly sugar is absorbed.
You might assume that the whole-grain toast provides most of the fiber here, but the under-the-radar fiber rock star is actually the avocado. Avocado gets a lot of attention for its healthy fats, but just half of an avocado provides an impressive 4 to 5 grams of fiber. The unique combo of fiber, healthy fats and antioxidants in avocados may also improve insulin sensitivity—a key factor in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
It Provides Complex Carbohydrates
Popular breakfast foods like cereal, muffins, doughnuts and even white bread tend to be high in refined carbohydrates and added sugar. Since these sugars are digested very quickly, they can cause blood sugar to rise fast, then crash soon after, explains Julie Cunningham, M.P.H., RD, CDCES. “That sets us up to crave more food by midmorning,” she adds.
That doesn’t mean you should give up all carbohydrates at breakfast. Instead, reach for complex carbohydrates, like the whole-grain toast in this recipe. Due to their fiber content, they are digested more slowly, so there’s a gentler impact on your blood sugar. In fact, research suggests that those who regularly eat whole-grain foods are significantly less likely to develop diabetes than those who rarely eat them.
It’s Quick & Easy
The best breakfast is the one that you’ll actually make, which is why this avocado toast with jammy eggs recipe is ideal. It’s a good reminder that a balanced breakfast doesn’t have to be overly complicated or difficult to make. This one requires just a few simple ingredients and minimal preparation. You can even prepare the jammy eggs in advance and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your toast.
There are also endless possibilities for customizing this recipe, so you won’t get bored. For example, add some color and nutrients by topping your toast with chopped tomatoes, microgreens or thinly sliced red onion. Adding some canned or smoked salmon will provide a boost of omega-3 fatty acids and protein.
How to Build Blood Sugar–Friendly Meals
- Start with vegetables. “If you want to build a blood sugar–friendly meal, start with leafy or crunchy vegetables that grow above the ground (veggies that grow below the ground are likely to contain much more starch and carbs),” says Cunningham. A good rule of thumb is to aim to fill about half of your plate with those nonstarchy veggies, such as kale, broccoli or asparagus.
- Avoid eating naked carbohydrates. “When building a blood sugar–friendly meal, always pair your carbohydrates with protein and fat to help blunt blood sugar spikes,” says Rose-Francis. So instead of just grabbing a muffin on the way out the door, pair it with some unsweetened Greek-style yogurt or a hard-boiled egg for more stable midmorning blood sugar.
- Be choosy with your carbohydrate source. The carbohydrates in your meal are going to have the biggest potential impact on your blood sugar, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid them. For most of your carbs, opt for whole grains, fruits, legumes and starchy vegetables, all of which provide fiber.
Our Expert Take
A blood sugar–friendly breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated. This simple avocado toast with jammy eggs checks all the boxes when it comes to building a breakfast that supports stable blood sugar. It’s well-balanced with fiber, protein and healthy fats, all of which help stabilize blood sugar. Plus, it is super easy to customize to encourage variety and help you look forward to breakfast.