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| Oatmeal |
Begin your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. These fiber-rich super foods can lesser levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.
Simple Break Fast with Oatmeal:
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick oats or rolled oats (take longer to cook)
- 3 - 4 cups cold water (more if you like it creamy, less if you like it thick)
- 1/4 t salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 4 Tbsp raisins
- Add all ingredients to a 2 quart saucepan
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally
- Turn down to simmer
- Cook until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes, stirring a few times
- For non-creamy oatmeal, boil the water first, then add the oats
- For single servings, use 1/4 cup oatmeal and 1 cup water
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| Salmon Fish |
Super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. Aim for two servings per week, which may reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third.
"Salmon contains the carotenoid astaxanthin, which is a very powerful antioxidant," says cardiologist Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, the author of Lower Your Blood Pressure In Eight Weeks. But be sure to choose wild salmon over farm-raised fish, which can be packed with insecticides, pesticides, and heavy metals.
Not a fan of salmon? Other oily fish like mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines will give your heart the same boost.
Simple Break Fast with Salmon Fish:
- 14 oz. fresh skinless salmon fillets
- 2 cups refrigerated sour cream and chive flavored mashed potatoes
- 1/2 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
- 3 Tbsp.snipped fresh dill
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 5-oz. pkg. mixed salad greens
- 1/2 cup bottled Honey-Dijon salad dressing
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| Avocado |
Add a bit of avocado to a sandwich or spinach salad to up the amount of heart-healthy fats in your diet. Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body.
Simple Break Fast with Avocado:
Ingredients
- 2 avocados
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- A little splash of Worcestershire sauce
- 4 slices of sour dough/rye bread
- Salt and pepper
- Small bunch of basil, roughly chopped
- 2 sweet tomatoes, roughly chopped
1. Mash the avocado with a fork to a rough puree, adding the olive oil, lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce as you go. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Toast the bread, drizzle a little olive oil over each piece then spread over the avocados. Sprinkle with basil and the diced tomatoes.
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| Olive oil |
Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.
Results from the Seven Countries Study, which looked at cardiovascular disease incidences across the globe, showed that while men in Crete had a predisposition for high cholesterol levels, relatively few died of heart disease because their diet focused on heart-healthy fats found in olive oil. Look for extra-virgin or virgin varieties-they're the least processed-and use them instead of butter when cooking.
Simple Break Fast with Olive oil (Olive Oil Scones with Pumpkin ):
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup raw sugar
- 1 tablespoon culinary lavender
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup small-diced pumpkin (or sweet potato), boiled to just-soft
Method
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift together flour, sugar, lavender, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add milk and olive oil; stir until just mixed. Gently fold in cooked pumpkin.
Adding a dusting extra of flour if batter is very sticky, knead dough gently about 10 times. Form dough into a large ball; divide into two even balls. Form each ball into a 1-inch thick circle; place on prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula, gently score each ball into 4 wedges (making 8 wedges total).
Bake 17 to 20 minutes, until scones are lightly golden, puffed, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack for 10 minutes; serve warm or at room temperature. Store, covered, on the countertop for up to a week (if they’re not gone by tomorrow morning!).
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| Walnut |
5. Walnut
Walnuts are full of omega-3 fatty acids and, along with almonds and macadamia nuts, are loaded with mono- and polyunsaturated fat. Plus, nuts increase fiber in the diet, says Dr. Sinatra. "And like olive oil, they are a great source of healthy fat."
INGREDIENTS
- 1-3/4 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Salt – up to 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
- 2 large eggs, separated (or equivalent egg white substitute)
- 1-1/4 cup skim milk
- 1/3 cup canola or corn oil
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Vegetable cooking spray
METHOD
Preheat waffle iron.
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Combine egg yolks, milk and oil in a small bowl.
Stir into the dry ingredients.
In stand-up mixer or small bowl with hand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Fold gently into the batter along with walnuts.
Spray hot waffle iron with nonstick spray. Pour in batter – use about 1/2 cup or more per waffle, depending on size of waffle iron surface. When closed, you want the batter to fill in almost all of the surface of waffle iron.
Bake until waffles are crisp and browned.
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| Berries |
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries-whatever berry you like best-are full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.
"Blackberries and blueberries are especially great," says Sinatra. "But all berries are great for your vascular health."
Simple Break Fast with Berries:
Ingredients
- 2 slices whole-wheat bread
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 cup berries (such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries)
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
Directions
Spread the top of each slice of bread with ¼ tablespoon each of the butter. Using a round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut a 2½- to 3-inch hole in the center of each slice of bread, reserving the cutout pieces.
Heat the remaining 1½ tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place the bread and the cutouts, buttered-side up, in the skillet. Crack 1 egg into each hole. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until the underside of the bread is golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook the egg to desired doneness, 1 to 2 minutes for a runny yolk.
Divide the berries and yogurt between two bowls and sprinkle with the almonds (if using). Serve with the eggs.
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| Legumes |
7. Legumes
Fill up on fiber with lentils, chickpeas, and black and kidney beans. They're packed with omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and soluble fiber.
Simple Break Fast with Legumes:
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 Onion, Chopped
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 2 Medium Potatoes, Shredded
- 4-6 Artichoke Hearts, Chopped
- 2 Cups Grape Tomatos, Halved
- 1 tsp Salt and Pepper Each
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon (Optional)
- 4 Eggs
In a large skillet (or deep frying pan), heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until they begins to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
Turn the burner up to medium and add the shredded potato to the pan stirring frequently to cook the potato evenly. Cook for approximately 10 minutes.
Push the potato mixture to the far side of the pan to make space for the eggs. Spray the exposed pan with cooking spray or drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the area and spread around to coat.
Crack the egg into the exposed pan and cook to your preferred fried egg consistency, flipping when necessary. We recommend over easy for the consistency of the yoke.
Scoop 1/4 of the potato mixture onto a plate and place cooked egg on top. Continue cooking eggs one or two at a time. Serves 4. The number of eggs can easily be increased to allow more eggs per serving.
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| Spinach |
8. Spinach
Spinach can help keep your ticker in top shape thanks to its stores of lutein, folate, potassium, and fiber.
But upping your servings of any veggies is sure to give your heart a boost. The Physicians' Health Study examined more than 15,000 men without heart disease for a period of 12 years. Those who ate at least two-and-a-half servings of vegetables each day cut their risk of heart disease by about 25%, compared with those who didn't eat the veggies. Each additional serving reduced risk by another 17%.
Simple Break Fast with Spinach:
The Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwich was born out the desire to eat spinach quiche, but have it cooked in less than 15 minutes. It wasn't hard making the filling creamy and cheesy. It's the bread that makes the sandwich. In the photo above, I used a leftover French bread roll. Honestly, that was too hearty for such a creamy tasting filling. I recommend you try a croissant with yours.
SPINACH AND EGG FILLING
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons half-n-half or whole milk
- 3 tablespoons blanched spinach, chopped
- 2 tablespoons grated Harvarti or Parmesan, any white cheese you prefer
- salt and pepper to taste
In a small fry pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add eggs, half-n-half and spinach. Scramble until eggs are solid, remove from heat. Top with cheese and season to taste. Warm a sliced croissant and fill'er up!
This breakfast sandwich will keep you going until lunch.
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| Flax seed |
9. Flax seed
Full of fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, a little sprinkling of flaxseed can go a long way for your heart. Top a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal with a smidgen of ground flaxseed for the ultimate heart-healthy breakfast.
Simple Break Fast with Flax seed:
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup raw cashew pieces (I substitute almonds)
- 1-1/2 cups warm water (divided)
- 1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons whole flax seed
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or coriander
- 6 slices sprouted grain bread or whole-grain multi grain bread
PREPARATION
Use a blender on high setting or food processor/mini processor to blend the nuts with 1/2 cup water until smooth and creamy.
Add remaining ingredients except for bread and blend on high until mixture is thickened.
Pour into a shallow baking pan or dish.
Lightly spray frying pan or griddle with vegetable spray – set griddle to 350 degrees or frying pan to medium heat.
Dip each slice of bread into the batter to coat and place in frying pan or on griddle. Cook until golden brown on bottom.
Flip and brown on the other side.
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| Soy |
Soy may lower cholesterol, and since it is low in saturated fat, it's still a great source of lean protein in a heart-healthy diet.
Look for natural sources of soy, like edamame, tempeh, or organic silken tofu. And soy milk is a great addition to a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal. But watch the amount of salt in your soy: some processed varieties like soy dogs can contain added sodium, which boosts blood pressure.
Simple Break Fast with Soy:
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 6-8 mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz frozen shortcrust pastry
- 1/2 block firm tofu
- 1 tsp soy milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese
- 3-4 tomatoes, sliced thin
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the onion, mushrooms and garlic in oil until soft, about 3 to minutes.
Press the pastry into a quiche dish and bake for 5 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, process the tofu, soy milk and salt and pepper until smooth.
Mix together the tofu and veggies and add the vegan cheese. Gently pour into baked pastry.
Layer the sliced tomatoes across the top of the quiche.
Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until done.
