Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day? We answer that question and share our favorite low cholesterol breakfast recipes.
To eat breakfast or not eat breakfast?
You’ve probably heard - “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” But is it really? Like a lot of things in nutrition, it depends.
A 2019 study published in the British Medical Journal found that eating breakfast was actually associated with weight gain and eating more total calories in a day. Yikes. Intermittent fasting is also associated with weight loss.
But don't skip breakfast just yet. White toast with jelly isn’t processed the same in the body as scrambled eggs with spinach. And while intermittent fasting does lead to weight loss, research shows it doesn't lead to anymore weight loss than a calorie deficit overall.
Other research shows that eating breakfast leads to slower spikes of blood sugar and insulin later in the day and keeps LDL and triglycerides levels low.
So what to do?
Eat when you’re hungry but don’t wait until you’re starving. So maybe that’s 7 am, maybe it’s 10 am, maybe it’s noon.
Then, focus on filling your meal with protein, fiber, and healthy fat. This combo is digested slowly, keeping you full for hours, and keeping blood sugar stable.
Fiber is key for keeping LDL cholesterol low. Aim for 10 grams per meal.
We rounded up our favorite breakfast recipes to keep cholesterol low.
Oatmeal
No surprise there. Oatmeal is chock-full of soluble fiber, which helps bind LDL cholesterol and flush it out of the body. According to the Cleveland Clinic, eating 1-1.5 cups of cooked oatmeal per day can lower cholesterol by 5-8%. Mix with fruit for even more fiber, plus anti-inflammatory antioxidants that keep blood vessels healthy.
Check out our Berry Oatmeal or Apple Pie Oatmeal.
Toast 3 Ways
No need to fear bread. Simply choose whole-wheat bread for more fiber. Fiber slows the spike of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that’s released when you eat to help take energy (or sugar or glucose) from your blood to your cells. But if there’s too much sugar, insulin will store the extra as fat. Slowing the release of insulin slows fat storage. Top with Benecol® Spread for your daily plant stanols and add protein and fat with nut butter (protein and fat), avocado (healthy fat), or eggs (protein).
Kale & Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
Yes, this dish has eggs, and yes you can eat eggs even if you have high cholesterol. The cholesterol you eat doesn't raise the cholesterol in your body. The saturated and trans fats you eat raise the cholesterol in the body. Harvard Medical School recommends no more than three eggs per week if you have heart disease, high risk for heart disease or diabetes. If you’re worried, mix one egg with egg whites. This dish pairs eggs with vegetables for more of that LDL-lowering fiber and with Benecol® Spread for an easy way to get plant stanols, proven to reduce LDL in over 80 clinical studies.