- Rather than go straight for the pancakes with butter and syrup try to include a wide range of whole grains and fruit in your breakfast. A bowl of warm oatmeal each morning will help to lower your overall cholesterol numbers and reduce your chances of heart disease and stroke. Top your oatmeal with sliced bananas or strawberries to add even more nutrients. If you aren't fond of oatmeal, try a fruit and yogurt parfait. Use non-fat yogurt, antioxidant rich blueberries and low-fat granola made with healthy grains such as oats and bran. Make sure to read nutritional labels since some companies make fatty granola full of sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
Many cereals will also provide you with an abundance of nutrients. Look for high-fiber cereals like Raisin Bran or Fiber One. Fiber aids your digestive system and also lowers your overall cholesterol levels. Top your cereal with slices of your favorite fruits such as bananas or peaches. Remember to use skim milk in your cereal rather than high-fat whole milk. - With a few simple substitutions you can make a traditional high-fat and high-sodium breakfast healthy. Eggs are an excellent sources of protein, but egg yolks also contain lots of cholesterol. To get the nutrients of eggs without the cholesterol, opt for egg whites. Either separate the yolk from the egg yourself or buy a container of Egg Beaters' egg whites. As you prepare your eggs, do not add cheese or cream. In addition, use heart-healthy olive oil in your pan rather than butter.
Bacon or sausage may taste great with eggs, but many bacon and sausage products contain high levels of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. To reduce the fat in your breakfast meats look for turkey sausage or turkey bacon. If possible find non-processed meat products that don't contain potentially harmful chemicals such as sodium nitrite. Many gourmet grocery stores such as Whole Foods offer low-fat center-cut pork bacon with no added preservatives.
Rather than use butter on your toast or grits, use a butter substitute that contains non-hydrogenated oils such as Smart Balance. Smart Balance's mix of olive, flax-seed and fish oils will help to raise your "good" high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and lower your "bad" low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL). - Just as you should eat foods from various food groups for lunch and dinner, you should eat a balanced breakfast as well. Your plate should contain protein (from egg whites, low-fat breakfast meat or tofu), fruit, dairy (skim milk or low-fat yogurt) and whole grains (rolled oats). More importantly, eat in moderation. Rather than cook yourself a four egg omelet with three cheeses, bacon and sausage, try a two-egg scramble with a low-fat cheese such as feta, spinach and mushrooms and a healthier meat such as chicken apple sausage. Even if you only eat healthy ingredients like oatmeal or fruit for breakfast, do not eat several bowlfuls until you are stuffed. Breakfast should give you fuel for the day not fill you up until you can't move.
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