The best way to start your day is to have a healthy breakfast full of nutrients. Skipping breakfast can lead to many adverse effects, such as affecting cholesterol levels while making one feel hungrier throughout the day.
What Is The Best Low Cholesterol Breakfast That Can Eat?
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In addition, overweight people face more risk by skipping their breakfast as they end up with higher cholesterol levels.
What is cholesterol?
The liver produces a waxy substance called cholesterol. It helps digest fatty foods along with a variety of other health functions.
However, as the cholesterol levels get higher, the fatty deposits build up or line up the arteries obstructing the blood flow, leading to a heart attack, stroke, or other serious medical condition.
The cholesterol circulates through the blood using lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins such as:
- HDL: This is the ‘good’ cholesterol that absorbs the LDL cholesterol, transporting it to the liver. A high level of HDL reduces the risk of a stroke or a heart attack.
- LDL: This is the ‘bad cholesterol as high levels of this cholesterol causes fat build-up in the arteries choking them and obstructing the blood flow in them.
Dietary sources of cholesterol
The following are some of the sources of cholesterol: poultry, meat, seafood, butter, whole-fat dairy products, and egg yolks.
Other ways to lower cholesterol
A person may lower the cholesterol level by making specific lifestyle changes and a change in diet and medication.
The science behind a healthy breakfast
The American Heart Association states that certain fats are saturated and trans, and they significantly raise the LDL cholesterol levels in our body. These fats have their sources in total fat dairy products, red meat, processed foods, and stick margarine, and butter.
One can lower their LDL cholesterol by saying ‘No’ to these saturated fats.
A person can avoid trans-fat and saturated foods at breakfast by including a few limited items in the breakfast, such as ham, bacon, sausage, and sandwiches. One can also have high fiber and nutrients, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and low-fat dairy products that point towards a healthy low cholesterol LDL cholesterol diet plan.
The choice of food for breakfast can help in lowering the ‘unhealthy’ LDL cholesterol and increasing the ‘healthy’ HDL cholesterol.
Here are some foods that one can have for breakfast to improve the heart, feel fit and energetic.
Low-cholesterol breakfast options
A person can create various nutritious breakfast options with a combination of a variety of low cholesterol foods. AHA offers the following healthy suggestions:
- Oatmeal: A person can mix frozen fruit, cinnamon, walnuts, or fresh berries with oatmeal for a delicious breakfast.
- Homemade muffins: Cakes or muffins baked at home ensure that only healthy ingredients such as whole grain flour, fruits, nuts, and vegetables are used for making them.
- Smoothies: Healthier smoothies can be made by blending low-fat milk, regular or Greek yogurt, nut butter, and frozen fruit. Optionally one can also include fresh herbs such as mint and vegetables to make it fiber-rich.
- Whole grain breakfast sandwiches: One can make such sandwiches by toasting a whole-grain English muffin or waffle and then cutting it into half and topping it with their choice of nut butter, sliced fruit, or low fat cottage cheese.
- Yogurt parfaits: One can make delicious parfaits by creating layers of low-fat yogurt with a sliced banana or frozen fruit, including layers of flaxseeds, rolled oats, or nuts.
- Hard-boiled egg toast: Chop or slice a hard-boiled egg on a piece of whole-grain toast with the choice of additions such as slices of avocado and tomato spices and herbs.
- Heart-healthy beverages: Instead of going for any sugary drinks, reach out for a cup of green tea which is one of the best healthy beverages to have with breakfast. Studies have shown that green tea slows down the reduction of HDL cholesterol levels or the good cholesterol that happens with aging. Coffee lovers can brew their coffee using a paper filter as unfiltered coffee raises cholesterol levels.
The Bottom Line
A person can blame high cholesterol levels on an unhealthy diet and other lifestyle changes that a person should follow along with a healthy diet to lower cholesterol. These lifestyle changes include maintaining a moderate weight, regular exercise, quitting smoking, and limiting the consumption of alcohol.
Amanda Wingfield is a certified Diabetes Management Specialist who also holds an MD in Endocrinology, with certifications from ABIM and AACE. She has a decade of experience serving thousands of patients through her independent practice and has been working in the capacity of an expert diabetes consultant for the past 4 years. Ms. Wingfield is revered by her regular readers for her in-depth research and evidence-based analysis of diabetes medications, supplements, and treatments, and her highly critical style of writing.