When you first wake up in the morning, your biggest stressor might be what you’re going to eat that morning. This might be especially true if you need to change up your eating habits. Instead of stressing, here are 4 heart-healthy breakfast recipes to start your day.
Poached Eggs with Mushrooms and Broccolini
For a long time, eggs were considered unhealthy food. Egg yolks have some cholesterol and saturated fat inside, so researchers recommended cutting egg yolks out of diets for those with heart issues. Today, the tune is changing when talking about eggs.
Now, the consensus of eggs is that they are healthy, depending on where you are buying them from. Organic, free-range chickens produce not only the tastiest egg but also the healthiest. Organic hens are fed organic feed to receive that label of organic eggs.
Many people have concerns regarding hormones and antibiotics in their eggs, which is understandable. Organic hens are not fed hormones or antibiotics so these elements are not passed on to the eggs.
In addition, studies show that organic eggs have more micronutrients than conventional eggs. Penn State University conducted a study of conventional chicken eggs vs. organic chicken eggs. They found that organic eggs had double the vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids than conventional! Omega-3s are good fats that fight off free radicals in the body, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.
You can serve these poached eggs without their yolk or with any veggies of your choice.
Poached Eggs with Mushrooms and Broccolini
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 4 oz. broccolini, trimmed
- 2 organic eggs
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 4 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt if you can have salt in your diet.
- Blanch the broccolini in boiling water for 1 minute. Using a spider or tongs, remove the broccolini to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Set it aside. Keep the pot of water boiling for poaching the eggs.
- Using a spoon, create a vortex in the boiling water by swirling the water in a clockwise motion. Drop each egg separately into the vortex and allow the whites to firm up. Cook for 3-5 minutes depending on how you like your yolk.
- Meanwhile, put a skillet over medium heat. Add the avocado oil and the mushrooms. Sear the mushrooms until they are soft and browned on both sides, about 5-8 minutes. Season with turmeric and more salt and pepper if desired.
- To serve, add the blanched broccolini to the plate. Top with mushrooms and the poached eggs. Serve hot.
Heart-Healthy Green Smoothie
Why not pack all of your nutrition into one delicious drink? Smoothies are a fantastic way to incorporate tons of fruits (and vegetables!) in one cup. If you are not a fan of veggies, smoothies can hide the taste of some foods that you need but may not enjoy.
For our purposes today, this Heart-Healthy Green Smoothie packs a nutritious punch. All you need is a high-powered blender and you’ll have a healthy breakfast in minutes. This green smoothie will keep you full until lunch thanks to the addition of oats!
Other healthy ingredients in this smoothie include apple, spinach, MCT oil, banana, and strawberries. Quite a few studies have suggested that eating apples regularly correlates with lower blood pressure. Spinach is a leafy green that has antioxidants that can limit inflammation. MCT oil is a coconut-derived oil that has tons of omega-3 fatty acids inside.
Heart-Healthy Green Smoothie
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 1 banana, frozen
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, sliced
- ¾ cup baby spinach leaves, washed
- 4-6 strawberries, hulled
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon MCT oil (optional)
- ½ cup cooled green tea, unsweetened
Instructions:
- Add all ingredients to your high-powered blender. Blend on the smoothie setting, or on high, until thick and well-blended. Serve immediately.
Sweet Potato and Green Hash
Studies show that sweet potatoes can help lower your LDL or bad cholesterol. Lower cholesterol can lessen your risk of developing heart disease. Sweet potatoes are also super filling and will leave you satisfied until lunch.
In addition to sweet potatoes, there is swiss chard, red bell pepper, and garlic in this tasty hash. Swiss chard is a leafy green that, similar to spinach, has antioxidants that are great for heart health. Red bell peppers may reduce the risk of developing diabetes and high cholesterol. The consumption of garlic has a positive impact on your blood pressure and artery health.
Sweet Potato and Green Hash
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 3 stems swiss chard, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- In a large nonstick skillet, add the oil. Turn the heat to medium. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes until the potato starts to soften.
- Next, add the swiss chard and bell pepper. Continue cooking for another 4 minutes until everything is soft.
- Stir in the garlic and the turmeric, cumin, and chili powder. Stir to distribute all of the spices with the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cooked through, remove the hash from the heat. Serve hot with optional hard-boiled eggs.
Heart-Healthy Overnight Oats
If you’re a fan of oatmeal, then you’ll love overnight oats! Instead of cooking the oats over the stove, overnight oats are soaked oats that sit in the fridge overnight. The result is thick and creamy oatmeal that required barely any effort. When you wake up in the morning, your breakfast is waiting for you in the fridge.
The beautiful thing about overnight oats is that you can make one serving or many servings. You can make your oats in either a mason jar or Tupperware with a lid. The recipe itself is very versatile, you can add or omit ingredients as you like.
Eating oats regularly is associated with a 7% reduction in LDL cholesterol. Other healthy ingredients in these oats are cinnamon, flax seeds, unsweetened almond milk, and fresh berries. Since there is no added sugar, fresh berries on top add a satisfying sweetness.
Heart-Healthy Overnight Oats
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup organic rolled oats
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon flax seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup fresh berries, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, for garnish
Instructions:
- Ready a lidded mason jar or food storage container. To the container, add the oats and almond milk. Stir with a spoon to combine.
- Next, add the vanilla extract, flax seeds, and cinnamon. Stir again and place the lid over the container to close.
- Place in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, open the sealed container. Stir the oats to ensure they are a perfect consistency. Add more almond milk if the oats seem dry.
- Either serve the oats cold or heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warm. Top with fresh berries and almonds and serve.
Conclusion
Having a varied diet full of heart-healthy ingredients will get your health on track. By filling up on healthy oats, eggs, and vegetables, you are gaining so many vitamins and minerals while fueling your body with whole foods. Breakfast can be hard to plan for due to little time and energy in the morning. Keep these recipes in your back pocket for when you need a healthy breakfast while keeping your heart health in mind. You can also check out or Heart-Healthy Dinner Recipes.
