A Cardiologist’s #1 Breakfast for Better Blood Pressure

Breakfast is often considered the most important meal of the day. And for good reason! A balanced, nutritious breakfast can give your body the nutrients it needs to function optimally and help you feel your best. But a healthy morning meal does more than help you get through your busy day. Eating breakfast regularly has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic health conditions, including heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.,

Research also finds that people who eat breakfast are less likely to have high blood pressure (aka high blood pressure), a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Even though you can’t see or feel it, high blood pressure is incredibly common, affecting nearly half of American adults. So if you’re trying to lower your blood pressure or improve your heart health, a nutritious breakfast can help you get on the right track.

To find out the best breakfast for better blood pressure and heart health, we reached out to Michael Twyman, MD, a cardiologist at Apollo Cardiology in St. Louis. He emphasizes the importance of eating a breakfast rich in protein, fiber and dietary nitrates from dark leafy greens. These nutrients help prevent blood sugar spikes and insulin resistance, both of which contribute to high blood pressure. And our Spinach and Egg Raspberry Scramble recipe ticks all the boxes.

Read on to find out how this cardiologist-approved breakfast can help control your blood pressure, plus other tips for a heart-healthy morning meal.

How a breakfast rich in protein, fiber and green leaves helps improve blood pressure

“Blood pressure is a complex interaction of various forces,” says Twyman. Of course, there’s nutrition, but timing matters too. “Most people should eat their largest meal of the day in the morning and ideally within an hour before sunrise,” he says.

With that in mind, here’s Twyman’s simple formula for a blood pressure-lowering breakfast.

Protein

“Protein is important for muscle synthesis, so eat at least 30 grams of protein with your first meal of the day,” says Twyman. What is the relationship between muscles and blood pressure? One study showed that greater lean muscle mass is associated with a lower risk of hypertension. However, if you really want to build more muscle, you’ll need to add resistance training. So make sure to include some strength training sessions in your weekly exercise routine.

Our recipe provides 18 grams of protein. But if you want to reach that 30 gram goal, you can add 2 large eggs. You might be thinking, “Wait! Don’t I need to worry about how much eggs I’m eating if I’m trying to take care of my heart health? » Yes, eggs contain cholesterol (about 200 milligrams per large egg). However, “dietary cholesterol does not increase serum cholesterol levels, so don’t worry about the cholesterol content of eggs,” says Twyman.

What about saturated fats? “Some people are more sensitive to a diet high in saturated fat, so monitor your lipids with routine blood tests to see if you’re sensitive,” Twyman recommends.

But most of us don’t have to worry. Although eggs contain saturated fat, they contain less than you might expect. In fact, a whole large egg only contains 1.6 grams of saturated fat, which isn’t a lot if your overall diet is pretty low in saturated fat, to begin with. However, if you’re still worried, you can use egg whites for protein without the saturated fat or choose to add fat-free Greek yogurt or kefir instead of additional eggs.

Fiber

Remember that complex interplay of forces that impact blood pressure that Twyman talked about? Blood sugar is one of them. It is therefore essential to avoid blood sugar spikes and prevent insulin resistance.

Here’s why: Chronically high blood sugar can cause endothelial damage, meaning your blood vessels can’t function properly. And for people with diabetes, high blood sugar makes it difficult to produce nitric oxide, an important vasodilator that opens blood vessels, allowing blood to flow easily. Over time, this can lead to high blood pressure.

The good news is that eating a fiber-rich breakfast slows digestion and helps prevent blood sugar spikes. Combining fiber and protein balances your breakfast and makes it even more effective.

Dietary nitrates

“Foods high in dietary nitrates, such as dark leafy greens and beets, provide the body with compounds that help produce nitric oxide,” says Twyman. Studies show that loss of nitric oxide production is one of the first steps in the development of hypertension.

Including spinach in your breakfast scramble is an easy way to increase your intake of dietary nitrates. But if spinach isn’t your thing, you can also get plenty of blood pressure-lowering nitrates in your diet from arugula, Swiss chard, basil, parsley, radishes, bok choy and beets.

Other Breakfast Options for Healthy Blood Pressure

If you could get some ideas for adding more blood pressure-boosting nutrients to your morning, try these delicious breakfast recipes:

• Black beans, rice and fried egg. This winning combination of eggs and black beans provides 19 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber. Next, spinach provides dietary nitrates that help open your blood vessels for optimal blood flow. Using leftover cooked brown rice is an easy way to quickly make this breakfast. Canned beans and pre-washed baby spinach are also great time-savers.
• Spanakopita breakfast sandwiches. A breakfast sandwich is a tasty and convenient way to incorporate nitrate-rich greens into your morning. Here you’ll get a double shot thanks to the wilted spinach and arugula. This sandwich also provides 15 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber.
• Breakfast salad with smoked salmon and poached eggs. A big bowl of green vegetables is a fantastic way to work on those nitrates. But the benefits of this breakfast on blood pressure don’t stop there. Smoked salmon provides a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids, another key nutrient for lowering blood pressure. This bowl also contains 15 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber.
• Breakfast Beans with Microwave Poached Egg. In Costa Rica, this popular breakfast bean dish called gallo pinto traditionally calls for rice. For more fiber, we add cooked barley. But feel free to use any leftover cooked whole grains you have on hand. Along with 10 grams of fiber, you’ll also get 16 grams of protein.

As high in protein as these meals are, you may have noticed that they don’t hit the magic number of 30 grams. Don’t worry. Round out your meal with an individual container of plain fat-free Greek yogurt for an easy boost of 16 grams of additional high-quality protein, plus calcium and potassium, two minerals that also support healthy blood pressure.

The essentials

A healthy, balanced breakfast can do great things for your heart health and blood pressure. For a cardiologist-approved morning meal, opt for a combination of protein, fiber, and leafy greens, like our Spinach and Raspberry Egg Scramble recipe. Its protein and fiber prevent blood sugar spikes and support metabolic health. Plus, its protein helps maintain lean muscle mass, which may also reduce your risk of high blood pressure. For an extra dose of protection, leafy green spinach provides blood pressure-lowering nitrates as well as additional fiber. Now that’s what we call a recipe for heart health!