What a 20-Year-Old Cardiologist Eats a Day

Dr. Renato Apolito, a board-certified physician in interventional cardiology and coronary heart disease who has been seeing patients for over 20 years, said eating well and increasing the amount of nutritious food is important for maintaining a healthy weight and improving heart and general health.

“Controlling your weight will lead to a decrease in the incidence of high blood pressure, diabetes, apnea and all the associated diseases,” Apolito, who is also the director of cardiac catheterization at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, told USA TODAY.

So, what do you eat in a day?

What a cardiologist eats at every meal

• Breakfast. Organic, low-fat milk mixed with egg whites. “I find this high in protein and very satisfying in the morning, after a workout,” he said. “It’s quick and easy, doesn’t take up much of the morning and doesn’t end up causing any of the postprandial hypoglycemia I used to have when I ate a high-carbohydrate breakfast.” Postprandial hypoglycemia is a condition in which blood sugar drops after a meal. In addition, his breakfast is whole food and unprocessed, he added.
• Lunch. Something rich in protein like pork or chicken breast mixed with as many vegetables as possible. The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends at least three servings of vegetables per day.
• Dinner. Green vegetables and a little protein or the occasional pasta. “At dinner time, I’m usually not that hungry, but I usually cook for myself and I also like green vegetables with a little protein,” he said. Sometimes I can’t help but make a delicious pasta dish with vegetables or protein.” My parents are from Italy, so I can’t give up my roots!”
• Snack/dessert. Treats include dark chocolate, dark chocolate-covered almonds and dried fruit with ricotta or honey, which Apolito says is as satisfying as “any candy bar.” “I also enjoy high-quality ice cream,” he says, but he makes sure the ingredients are whole and simple. “It’s okay to cheat once in a while, just think about it,” he added, pointing to the negative health effects of processed foods high in sugar and salt.

What makes food heart healthy?

To help lower LDL, or “bad,” heart-healthy cholesterol, eating green vegetables, colorful vegetables and fiber-rich fruits is helpful, explains Apolito.

“Check out the variety – spinach, broccoli, berries, carrots – and remember, the greener the better,” she said. “Eating whole foods (and) lean protein is better than eating processed meats like bacon, sausages and deli meats, which are high in sodium and antioxidants linked to heart disease.”

Unfortunately, living in a society that is “surrounded and inundated with unhealthy processed foods that are advertised everywhere and incessantly” makes things even more difficult, Apolito admitted, but said his motto for patients is: “If you can eat it or it can kill you, you can eat it.”

“It’s basically a farmer’s food and it will lead to you eating less seasonal and local food,” he said.

While nutrition experts agree that whole foods are best, access and affordability are a big factor when it comes to what Americans decide to eat.

More than half of the calories consumed at home by adults and children in the US come from highly processed foods, or UPFs, according to a 2025 analysis by the National Center for Health Statistics.

The latest Dietary Guidelines also recommend avoiding highly processed foods that are “packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat, or other salty or sweet foods.” This includes products such as chips, cookies and sweets with added sugar and salt.

While Apolito finds whole foods “as satisfying as any cooked or processed food,” she understands that we all “need a treat from time to time.”

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: What a 20-year-old cardiologist eats in a day

Reporting by Sara Moniuszko, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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