people love their oatmealAnd for good reason! Not only is it delicious, but it has been found to help regulate digestion, improve gut health, control weight, and even support better heart health.
While oatmeal is already a great breakfast option for a healthy heart, we wanted to find out how to make it even healthier!
“Oatmeal provides you with soluble fiber, which can help lower cholesterol when eaten regularly, but there are plenty of ways to boost its heart-healthy value with the ingredients you choose,” she says. Amy Goodson, MS, DR, CSSD, LDauthor of The Sports Nutrition Playbook, and member of our board of medical experts.
Here’s what our expert dietitians say are the best oatmeal habits for your heart. Then for more heart-healthy tips, check out these 5 easy ways to lower cholesterol.
One of the best heart healthy toppings You can include berries such as strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries in your oatmeal.
“berries they are high in soluble fiber which can help your heart by helping to lower total and bad cholesterol,” says Goodson. “Berries are also high in antioxidantsthat help buffer free radicals (or bad ones) that can cause damage to cells in the body.”
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getting enough healthy fats in your daily diet it can be a great way to take care of your heart, and if you choose the right ingredients, you can make this with your morning oatmeal!
“Nuts and seeds they are full of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have heart-protective benefits,” says Goodson. “Polyunsaturated fats, which are found specifically in walnuts and seeds like pumpkin, chia, flax, and hemp help buffer molecules that contribute to inflammation, so you could say they play a role in reducing inflammation in the body. Adding nuts and seeds to your oatmeal gives it a crunch, added satiety, plus healthy fat and fiber.”
And if you’re looking for one of the biggest healthy fat boosts, try walnuts specifically.
“Walnuts provide an excellent source of ALA (2.5 g/1 oz), a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid,” says medical expert Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, author of The new mom’s pregnancy cookbook and Feeding Male Fertility. “Recent data published in Advances in Nutrition shows that eating more plant-based omega-3 fatty acids may be one way to combat the risk of developing deadly heart disease.”
Oatmeal is a delicious morning treat, but what if you didn’t have to limit your oatmeal to just breakfast?
“Many people only think about oatmeal in the morning, but you can mix things up and have energy bites of oatmeal all day,” says Goodson. “Make your energy bites with oatmeal as a base, add your favorite nut butter, honey, protein, or collagen powder, then your favorite add-ins like nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut, and even dark chocolate chips. adding heart healthy ingredients like these can make snack time a win for your heart health.
Some people can only associate oatmeal with sweet ingredients, but many people are making their oatmeal savory these days. If you’re going to opt for savory oatmeal, try tossing an egg on top for extra nutrients.
“Eggs are recommended for healthy adults as part of a heart-healthy eating pattern according to the American Heart Association“In addition, eggs contain many vitamins and minerals for healthy living, such as choline and iodine, and they are also a complete protein. infinitely versatile, eggs it can be scrambled, boiled, poached, or fried and added on top of savory oatmeal. Or just scramble an egg into your oatmeal while you cook it, and you’ll be enjoying a nutritious breakfast in no time.”
This may sound a bit strange at first, but adding a little fresh orange juice to your oatmeal can help you take care of your heart in a delicious way.
“Instead of using just water to make your oatmeal, try a 50/50 mix of water and 100% orange juicesays Manaker. “Adding the orange juice will give the oatmeal a satisfying sweet flavor without added sugars. Plus, the one-time addition will give your bowl of oatmeal a boost of heart-health-supporting nutrients like potassium and vitamin C. Orange juice consumption has also been associated with outcomes such as reduced LDL cholesterol levels and anti-inflammatory effectswhich are factors that can support heart health.
