Wake up to one of these breakfasts that promote healthy aging.
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The key to living longer, healthier lives might (in part) be what is on your breakfast plate.
Yes, people in the blue zones – the places on earth with the longest lifespan – tend to prioritize breakfast and eat most of their day’s calories before noon.
Perhaps the link to longevity has to do with the many benefits of starting the day brekkie, such as a lower BMI and better performance on cognitive tasks, according to Rush University.
But not all breakfast foods optimize your health in old age (sugary cereals, bacon and sausage, we look at you).
If you’re looking to add more candles to your birthday cake, try these 10 balanced breakfast recipes that are full of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients that promote healthy aging.
1. Smoked salmon and avocado toast
The omega-3s in this salmon toast are great for brain health as you get older.
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If you want to stay spicy as you age, start your day with this avocado toast with smoked salmon. Salmon is swimming in omega-3s that protect brain health, says Jen Bruning, RDN, a nutritionist with experience in feeding older adults and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
In fact, a small study in the November 2014 issue of Cerebral Cortex found that consuming omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the form of fish oil could improve cognitive performance and brain structure in older adults.
2. Organic Chicken Breakfast Patties
These chicken breakfast patties serve collagen to support healthy bones and skin.
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These organic chicken patties are the perfect healthy alternative to heavily processed breakfast sausages. These tasty chicken breast patties contain 24 grams of protein per serving and are a great source of collagen that supports healthy bones and skin, says Bruning.
Consuming foods rich in collagen is especially important as we get older, as collagen naturally decreases with age. This drop in collagen can cause wrinkles, stiffer tendons and ligaments, weaker muscles, joint pain or osteoarthritis, and even gastrointestinal problems, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
This acai berry peel is rich in antioxidants for healthy aging.
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To get optimal amounts of antioxidants to fight free radicals in your diet, eat plenty of deep plant-based foods like rich red and purple fruits and dark green leafy greens, says Bruning. This smoothie breakfast bowl – filled to the brim with a variety of colorful products like acai and spinach – is just the thing.
“Antioxidants are the substances responsible for the bright colors of fruits and vegetables, and they play an important role in protecting against inflammation, which can contribute to many chronic diseases,” says Bruning.
4. Blood orange and cashew smoothie
This filling breakfast smoothie contains 8 grams of fiber and protein.
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With cashew nuts and hemp milk, this sweet breakfast smoothie provides brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids.
Plus, the orange juice is filled with vitamin C, which not only supports your body’s natural collagen production, but also promotes a stronger immune system, says Bruning. Both are great benefits for healthy aging.
5. Steak breakfast burrito
This steak breakfast burrito is packed with protein to help maintain healthy muscles as you age.
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The juicy beef fillet in this breakfast burrito will salivate you and satiate your stomach thanks to 29 grams of protein per serving.
Eating foods high in protein can help you maintain your lean muscle mass, maintain strength, and reduce the chance of falls and other injuries as you age, says Bruning. Adding a dollop of Greek yogurt to this delicious dish gives you an extra dose of the muscle building macro.
6. Ricotta and pomegranate bruschetta
Thanks to ricotta, this sweet breakfast bruschetta is rich in bone-supporting calcium.
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While the savory antipasti is usually served as a starter, this sweet variant – with antioxidant pomegranates and creamy ricotta – is hearty enough to stand alone as a starter.
Ricotta is incredibly high in calcium: half a cup is 26 percent of your Daily Value (DV). Calcium is an electrolyte that’s essential for healthy bones and proper muscle and blood vessel function, says Bruning.
“Calcium intake naturally also decreases with age, so it is a good idea for older adults to eat multiple servings of calcium-containing foods each day,” she adds.
7. Meatless, Mexican-inspired breakfast packaging
This meatless breakfast wrap is flavored with anti-inflammatory turmeric.
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This delicious meatless wrap provides plant-based protein from black beans and tofu. Just half a cup of tofu advertises 19 percent of your DV of bone supporting calcium.
But it’s the touch of turmeric that makes this breakfast a game changer for longevity. When older adults took curcumin (the powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound in turmeric), they experienced improved memory and a decrease in plaque build-up associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a small study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry in March 2018.
8. Omelette with mushrooms, spinach and caramelized onions in a glass
Thanks to portobello mushrooms, these hearty omelettes offer plenty of bone-building vitamin D.
These hearty omelets feature a variety of vegetables – like red peppers and green baby spinach – for you to eat your way through the antioxidant-rich rainbow.
But it’s the meaty portobello mushrooms, which contain 122 percent of your DV of vitamin D per raw cup, that make this egg breakfast a huge bonus for healthy aging. “Vitamin D works with calcium to protect older adults from osteoporosis,” says Bruning.
In addition, these excellent omelets come perfectly portioned in mason jars to keep your portion size under control.
9. Perfect raspberry and Greek yogurt
This simple parfait is packed full of vitamin B12.
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With three simple ingredients – raspberries, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt – this simple parfait is a solid solution for busy mornings.
And it’s bursting with vitamin B12. Just 7 ounces (a little less than a cup) of low-fat Greek yogurt makes 43 percent of your DV of B12. Vitamin B12 promotes healthy blood and nerve cells and helps prevent certain types of anemia, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Consuming plenty of vitamin B12-rich foods is fundamental, especially for older people who are at risk of B12 deficiency, as the absorption of this nutrient naturally slows down with age, says Bruning.
10. Nutty Berry-Perfect Quinoa
This berry breakfast parfait provides omega-3 fatty acids, protein and iron.
This layered parfait has everything you need to last a long time. Anti-inflammatory cinnamon. Check. Blueberries rich in antioxidants. Check. Omega-3 rich walnuts. Check. Plant-based yogurt rich in protein. Check.
Not to mention, it contains quinoa, a super seed that provides all nine essential amino acids and is high in iron (1 cooked cup provides 15 percent of the DV).
While you may need less iron as you get older (especially in postmenopausal people), this mineral is still hugely important to the health of older adults, says Bruning. That’s because iron is essential for many functions, including transporting oxygen from your lungs to other parts of your body, according to the US National Library of Medicine.
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