Anti-Aging and Longevity Breakfast Ideas

You know that a healthy breakfast gives you the energy to start your day. But by adding anti-aging foods to your breakfast, it might also help lengthen your lifespan. Try these healthy breakfast ideas to keep you young one morning at a time.

The Importance of Breakfast

Though breakfast has been called the most important meal of the day, there's nothing magical or mysterious about its role in a healthy diet. It won't necessarily boost your metabolism, but breakfast eaters do tend to have a body mass index (BMI) in a healthy range, compared to non-breakfast eaters. Most people who lose weight and keep it off eat breakfast, according to the US National Weight Control Registry.

None of this proves that breakfast causes weight loss, but it is a typical habit of lean people. Many people skip breakfast in order to save calories, but that can backfire in two ways: either you're ravenous later in the morning—when less healthy, higher-processed snack foods are more available—or you allow yourself more food because you feel like you've earned it. Starting the morning with healthy food choices can set you up for healthy options for the rest of the day.

What Makes a Breakfast "Anti-aging"?

Breakfast can be considered a longevity-booster if it includes these parts of an anti-aging diet:

• Lean protein, which keeps you satiated for longer
• Whole grains and fruits and vegetables, which give you healthy fiber, associated with lower mortality
• A bit of healthy fat, which supports heart health

What's more, an excellent anti-aging breakfast is one that doesn't cause any added stress in the morning, when your cortisol level is highest!​

Grab-and-Go Breakfast Options

If you're like many people, mornings are just too hectic to get ambitious in the kitchen. Here are some healthy options for busy days:

• Peanut, almond, or other nut butter on whole-grain bread
• Yogurt parfait: layer Greek yogurt (10-15g of protein in 1/2 cup) with whole-grain cereal like Fiber First, Bran Buds or Kashi with some berries
• Small can of tuna with whole-grain crackers and a small piece of fruit
• Wrap leftover vegetables in a whole-grain tortilla with a small amount of cheese or piece of lean meat
• Jazz up oatmeal with fruit, nuts, and low-fat milk, as well as trying toppings like molasses, a bit of maple syrup, toasted coconut, jam, or even cheese. A good source of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, large-flake oats can be cooked in the microwave in about two minutes 
• Fruit smoothies that include berries, low-fat milk, fruit, and a source of lean protein (such as whey protein powder or nut butter) are quick and nutritious

Breakfast Foods to Prepare in Advance

• Any whole grain can be cooked ahead of time and left in the fridge for up to four or five days. Think steel-cut oats, bulgur wheat, brown rice or quinoa, and try them with the same toppings you'd put on traditional oatmeal.
• Eggs can be boiled in advance and left in the fridge for up to a week; eat one with some whole grain crackers or a slice of toast. Frittatas or omelets are a good vehicle for vegetables to boost your morning fiber. Try baking mini-frittatas (omelets) in the oven in a muffin tin; pop them out and freeze them for an easy-to-warm morning dish.