Breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day. For decades, we have been told that if we skip this meal, our day is practically doomed

The belief has been held since the early 1900s when dietitian Lenna F. Cooper wrote an article in the magazine “Good Health” revealing breakfast’s importance. Companies have been using this idea ever since the article was published.

With this concept being popularized, many thoughts and opinions have emerged about the meal.

As a whole, breakfast foods are overrated, but there are some that are worth your time.

Here are some of the most popular breakfast foods and the truth behind them.

Store-bought muffins: 2/10

Store-bought muffins are the kind of foods where people buy and eat out of habit instead of actually wanting them. They taste like unfrosted cupcakes, and not in a good way. The fruit tastes like it is artificially made in a lab. Even if they did taste good, I have never seen a package where the company has gotten the size right. They are either way too big or way too small, and there is no in between. I don’t want to eat five mini muffins for breakfast and still be hungry, but I also don’t want to get full off of only half of a giant muffin and waste food. Purchasing muffins makes me appreciate homemade muffins even more.

Orange Juice: 3/10

Although orange juice isn’t a food, it is still a classic item. Orange juice is not something that I crave right when I wake up, especially when I know it will taste worse after just brushing my teeth. Drinking it while eating other food ruins the taste of the food, and it also ruins the taste of the juice. I don’t want my waffles to have a hint of orange to them. The smell is too strong to be appealing. The thing that makes orange juice the least appealing is pulp. Pulp ruins the texture and makes it slimy. The Vitamin C is nice, but orange juice is just not very good.

French Toast: 3/10

This sweet toast is more like soggy cardboard. At the beginning, French toast tastes sweet with rich cinnamon. Towards the middle, it starts to get too much flavor. By the end, the toast is too mushy to finish. French toast just absorbs all of the syrup placed on top. French toast is easy to mess up. For example, the toast can be left with egg bits stuck to it if it is not fully mixed in. French toast is just too sweet to be an enjoyable breakfast food.

Doughnuts: 5/10

Doughnuts should not be seen as a usual breakfast item. They are more like a sweet treat after having a sleepover or on a special occasion. They can be fun, but they are just straight sugar. Dough: sugar. Glaze: sugar. Frosting: sugar. Sprinkles: sugar. I have never had a doughnut for breakfast and then been full for longer than one hour. For having more than 300 calories, they should be able to keep me full for a little bit longer. There is too much sugar in such a little baked good to the point where they don’t taste good, especially for those who like savory over sweet.

Eggs: 6/10

Eggs, another classic. Many people like eggs because they give protein, but they also give me nausea. I don’t remember the last time I ate eggs without feeling like I was out at sea on a boat during a hurricane. If actually eating didn’t make you nauseous enough, the fart smell will do it. If I do decide to eat eggs, I would choose to be nauseous over actually being sick with salmonella, if the eggs weren’t cooked enough. This means that I either have to overcook my eggs, leading them to be as hard as a rock, or eat in paranoia that I have food poisoning. I do like the taste of them, but the texture is always off, no matter what style of eggs you choose. So yes, eggs can be seen as healthy, but they just aren’t good enough to be worth it.

Cereal: 7/10

Cereal typically gets all of its credit for being an easy breakfast option, but that doesn’t mean it’s good. Most cereals have about 140-400 calories per cup. Not per bowl. Per cup. Normally, I have about two cups per bowl and eat two or three bowls each time I have cereal. Some popular brands of cereal include a lot of sugar. What is nutritious about cereal? Absolutely nothing. At least you’re getting nutrients from milk, but you’re also getting some soggy cereal. In addition, cereal gets stale incredibly fast. Unless you secure it well, your cereal won’t last more than a week in the pantry.

Pancakes: 7/10

Pancakes are typically seen as a classic breakfast food, but beneath all of the add-ins, syrup and butter, the food just doesn’t live up to its reputation. Pancakes are like a sponge for syrup. They start tasting good and fluffy, but as they are eaten, they just become soggy as the syrup absorbs into the pancake’s pores, similarly to French toast. Not to mention that pancakes can’t be heated the next day for leftovers unless you want a chewy yet soft piece of rubber in the shape of what originally looked like a pancake. Pancakes can be served with a mountain of butter and a syrup swamp, along with a handful of chocolate chips or blueberries, but they will still just be a circle of flour. If you need all of these additions, you aren’t really eating pancakes for the pancakes. While they aren’t the worst food you could be having for breakfast, they are nowhere near as good as the hype they get.

Parfait: 8.5/10

A parfait has been a popular choice when you want something healthy yet tasty. Based on whatever health aspect you want to target, partfaits give you the room to choose ingredients. Different flavors of yogurt with different calories and amounts of protein are able to be paired with whatever fruit or granola you like.

Waffles: 9/10

In the usual pancakes vs waffles debate, waffles should always win. They have a hard yet soft exterior. The syrup sits nicely in the edges of the crispy structure. Their fluffy texture gives a warm, comforting taste, unless the batter is made incorrectly. The golden color created by the maker makes waffles visually appealing. Waffles can be made to your personal preference by adding inclusions, toppings like syrup or nutella or even by making them in makers with different shapes and prints. They are one of the best breakfast options when making the meal homemade.

Avocado Toast: 10/10

Although not always very popular, avocado toast has recently become a staple. They can be found anywhere from trendy cafes to being made at home. The combination of mashed avocado and toasted bread provides a perfect mixture of soft and crunchy. Although on its own it tastes good, it tastes even better topped with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, chilli flakes, a squirt of lemon or–if you like–an egg. The toast is a customizable option with all of the different toppings, and the actual avocado and toast. Whether you want a softer avocado or a different type of toast, this option has something for everyone.

Many of these are just desserts for breakfast. If you’re thinking of having a nice breakfast, avocado toast, waffles or a parfait are worth more time and effort than the rest of these items. Instead of being a great start to your day, they are more like a horrible beginning.