You know what they say: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Although it may be up for debate whether or not it’s the most important meal, eating a healthy breakfast is certainly a crucial part of keeping your body in the best shape possible. Unfortunately, there are a lot of popular breakfast foods out there that can take a serious toll on your health when eaten in excess—including those that can lead to clogged arteries and weight gain.
However, while processed meats like sausage and bacon may be among the first things to pop into your mind when you think about artery-clogging breakfast foods, there are a lot of other culprits that you may not have considered. We spoke to health experts Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, and Trista Best, dietitian, to discover some of the lesser-known offenders. They told us that breakfast pastries and fried eggs are two foods you should avoid if you want a healthier heart and slimmer waistline. Learn more about the risks of each below.
1. Breakfast pastries
You probably already know that breakfast pastries aren't the healthiest breakfast option around. After all, they're typically loaded with sugar, which we all know can pose a plethora of risks to your health if you eat too much of it, including weight gain. But did you know that eating breakfast pastries on a regular basis could even lead to clogged arteries?
According to Best, this is largely due to their unhealthy fat content. "Breakfast pastries, often laden with saturated and trans fats, can adversely impact heart health due to their cholesterol-raising properties," she says. "These pastries, such as croissants and doughnuts, are typically made with refined flours and hydrogenated oils, contributing to elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol—the bad cholesterol." Yikes!
"The high trans fat content found in many commercially prepared pastries not only raises LDL cholesterol but also lowers high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol—the good cholesterol that helps remove LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream," she goes on.
Over time, excessive cholesterol in your blood can lead to arterial plaque and, in turn, clogged arteries. "Regular consumption of these pastries can lead to the buildup of cholesterol in arteries, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases," Best warns.
Instead, she recommends prioritizing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins "to maintain optimal cholesterol levels and promote cardiovascular well-being." Got it!
2. Fried eggs
Eggs can be a fantastic component of a healthy breakfast. They're packed with protein, versatile, and straight up delicious. However, Richards reminds us that the way you prepare your eggs can make all the difference in the impact they have on your health. As it turns out, eating fried eggs too often could lead to clogged arteries and weight gain.
"Fried eggs, when consumed regularly, may contribute to artery-clogging due to their preparation method and nutritional profile," Richards says. This is largely due to the fact that frying eggs typically requires you to use butter or inflammatory oil. "Cooking eggs in oil or butter adds saturated fats, which can raise *bad *cholesterol, which can begin to clog arteries with plaque," she explains.
The high heat that this cooking method requires is another factor that could lead to inflammation. Richards tells us that frying eggs at a high heat "can lead to the production of harmful compounds, such as oxidized cholesterol, which may contribute to inflammation and atherosclerosis."
So, how should you cook your eggs instead? Luckily, there are plenty of healthy options. "Boiling, poaching, or baking eggs are healthier alternatives that preserve their nutritional value without introducing excessive unhealthy fats, making them a preferable choice for individuals aiming to support heart health," Richards concludes. Got it!
