Nothing like a good breakfast to get your day started. Oh, the bacon, biscuits, and buttery grits! The tantalising flavour sensations during the first meal of the day are almost limitless. On the other hand, many of our favourite breakfast foods might be high in cholesterol.
What should you get when you’re brunching or grabbing a quick lunch before work? Kate Patton, MEd, RD, CCSD, LD, a registered dietitian, gives some breakfast options and cautions to help keep your cholesterol under control.
Breakfast meals with a high cholesterol content
Patton claims that these meals are the worst breakfast offenders when it comes to cholesterol levels.
Sandwiches for breakfast
“The combination of egg, cheese, and bacon/sausage may be a high-cholesterol source.” “And if they’re fried in butter or served on a croissant, they’ll have even more cholesterol,” Patton says.
Coffee beverages
If you load up on extras, your morning pick-me-up may be doing more damage than good. Lattes with whole milk and whipped cream, according to Patton, are another source of cholesterol.
The alternatives are not much better.
You’ve been stockpiling organic chicken sausage and feeling quite proud of yourself. Good effort, but keep an eye out for cholesterol. “Many people believe that turkey bacon, turkey sausage, or chicken sausage are superior selections. “However, they only have a somewhat lower cholesterol content than pig or beef,” Patton notes.
Breakfast meals with low cholesterol that you should consider
When you hear the word “breakfast,” your mind immediately goes to the usual suspects: pancakes, cereal, toast, eggs, or even a smoothie. However, when it comes to changing up your morning rotation, you should think internationally rather than locally.
Ingredients from the Mediterranean
“Many cultures begin the day with beans, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, extra-virgin olive oil, and pita bread.” While they may be considered unconventional breakfast dishes, they are beneficial since they are low in cholesterol and give consistent energy throughout the day, according to Patton.
Yogurt
You may use it in morning smoothies or yoghurt parfaits for breakfast. However, yoghurt is not always an apparent option for many people.
“Yogurt is a frequent morning item, yet it may be overlooked by some. “Depending on the fat composition, there may be some cholesterol in it, but not much,” Patton observes. If you want to have yoghurt in the morning, she recommends picking one with no added sugar. Instead, add fruit to sweeten it with natural sugar, as well as oats, almonds, ground flaxseed, and chia seeds for different tastes and textures.
Other low-cholesterol breakfast items to stock up on
- What are some low-cholesterol breakfast staples we should always have on hand? Patton suggests the following:
- Avocados.
- Cheerios.
- Fruit.
- Nut butter that is natural (almond, cashew, peanut, etc.).
- Seeds and nuts
- Oatmeal.
- Wheat shredded
- Bread that is whole-grain or sprouted-grain.
- No-sugar-added yoghurt.
Breakfast Recipes with Low Cholesterol
Change does not have to be difficult. To get you started, here are some low-cholesterol breakfast ideas.
Breakfast Pudding with Chia and Berries
This hearty choice is an excellent substitute for eggs or even smoothies. It may be made ahead of time and is high in protein, fibre, omega-3 fats, and essential minerals. Get the recipe for berry breakfast pudding here.
Oatmeal Overnight
You may as well be creative with oats since Patton advised having them around the home. When you need something fast and hearty but don’t want to cook, overnight oats are a terrific option. And the taste possibilities are limitless. Here are seven recipes for overnight oats to try.
Toast with Avocado
Avocado toast, as we all know, has become a brunch favourite in recent years. You do not, however, need to make a reservation to enjoy it. In minutes, you can make this tasty avocado toast at home. It has no cholesterol and is high in phytonutrients and good fats.
“Muffins” with Veggie Omelet
We understand. Breakfast egg sandwiches can get us in a lot of trouble. So here’s a savoury “muffin” alternative. This simple mix of egg whites/egg replacement, low-fat cheese, and fresh veggies is minimal in calories and fat. These vegetable omelette “muffins” are great for breakfast with fresh fruit or for lunch with a beautiful tossed salad.
What is the ideal amount of cholesterol to consume?
Cholesterol is created naturally by your body, thus we should aim to avoid it in the foods we consume. Your body needs cholesterol to produce bile, a fluid produced by your liver to aid in the digestion of fat in your intestines. Cholesterol is also used by the body to produce vitamin D and hormones such as testosterone and oestrogen.
The Daily Value (DV) for cholesterol is fewer than 300 milligrammes (mg) per day, according to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). When reading nutritional labels, bear in mind that 5% DV of cholesterol or less is considered low. A food is deemed high if it has 20% or more cholesterol per serving.
Dietary cholesterol sources
It’s straightforward, in Patton’s words. “Dietary cholesterol can only be obtained from animal sources.” So it contains cholesterol if it originates from an animal.”
Here are several cholesterol culprits:
- Fat from beef.
- Cheese.
- Fat from chicken.
- Egg whites
- Poultry and meats
- Milk.
- Lard/pork fat
- Meat and poultry items that have been processed (bacon, hot dogs, jerky, various lunch meats, and sausage).
- Shellfish (lobster and shrimp).
- Spreads (butter, cream cheese and sour cream).
Why is it important to maintain a healthy diet?
“A high-fat, saturated-fat, and cholesterol-rich diet is linked to an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, some malignancies, diabetes, and obesity.” “It is critical to examine how much animal fat you consume and attempt to replace it with plant-based meals,” Patton adds.