How to Build a Heart-Healthy Breakfast

By : Jodie Shield | 1 Comment | On : February 23, 2019 | Category : Adults, Kids, Seniors, Teens

Rise and shine to a quick, tasty, and heart-healthy breakfast – – all under 400 calories!

By: Jodie Shield, MEd, RDN

Breakfast skippers beware. Breakfast eaters tend to be slimmer and numerous studies back this up. Another reason to eat breakfast: skipping it increases your chances of a heart attack. But are breakfast eaters really healthier? Not if they continuously start their day devouring stacks of pancakes drowning in sugary syrup and nibbling greasy fried bacon (read my post Get the Skinny on Bacon). What’s in your bowl or on your plate makes a big “fat” difference. Check out my two-step strategy for building a quick, heart-healthy breakfast.

Start your morning with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving). These foods provide quality carbs for quick energy and a blend of fiber that lowers blood cholesterol and prevents blood sugar spikes. Choose: any type of fresh fruit or vegetable, oatmeal, raisin bran cereal, corn tortillas, multigrain toaster waffles, and whole wheat breads like bagels and English muffins.

Add at least 5 grams of lean protein. Protein provides a time-released dose of energy, which helps curb your appetite until lunchtime. Choose: skim or 1% milk, soy milk, lower fat yogurt, reduced-fat cheese, eggs, tofu, Canadian bacon, peanut butter, lox, and nuts (they have fiber, too).

Rise and Shine to these quick, tasty heart-smart breakfasts — all less than 400 calories! For more delicious breakfast recipes, check out my app Time to Eat Healthy!

• Spread peanut butter on a whole-wheat bagel, add banana slices, and wash it down with a glass of soy milk.
• Make a breakfast parfait by layering nonfat yogurt with berries and some low-fat granola or whole grain cereal.
• Sprinkle reduced-fat cheddar cheese over a corn tortilla and fold in half. Microwave for twenty seconds. Top with salsa.
• Mix raisins or dried cranberries into unsweetened instant oatmeal, top with chopped walnuts, and add a splash of skim milk
• Toast multigrain waffles and top with fresh berries and a dollop of nonfat yogurt.
• Scramble eggs and Canadian bacon with onions and bell peppers, then stuff it into a whole-wheat pita pocket.

Note: Article was written initially for FitStudio.

Photo Credit: iStock_000041771108Small.jpg