Rafael Nadal, a two-time Wimbledon champion and one of the most successful tennis players of all time, recently revealed that his go-to breakfast is toast with anchovies.Nadal, who retired in 2024, told The Wall Street Journal that he started incorporating anchovies into his morning meal while he was still a professional athlete."I was not a breakfast guy," Nadal said."But later on in my career with the nutritionist [I learned] you have to eat some protein, some carbs."AMERICANS STILL CRAVE PROTEIN DESPITE RECORD BEEF PRICES AS EXPERT REVEALS THE 'HEALTHIEST BURGER'Anchovies are saltwater fish that average about five or six inches in length and are typically preserved in salt and packed in olive oil.
They have long been a staple of Mediterranean cooking, particularly in Nadal's native Spain.They have grown in popularity in the U.S.in recent years, along with other seafood in the tinned-fish category, as Americans increasingly seek healthy, convenient foods."Anchovies are an absolute nutritional dynamo," Sudi Pigott, a London-based anchovy sommelier and author of "Consider the Anchovy: A Journey in Pursuit of the Little Fish with the Big Flavour," told Fox News Digital.Retired tennis star Rafael Nadal, pictured playing in 2024, revealed recently that his breakfast often consists of anchovies on toast.
(Jose-Luis Contreras/MB Media/Getty Images)They are "surprisingly high in protein" for their size, according to the Cleveland Clinic.They're also "packed with nutrients" and are "among the best fish sources of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of healthy fat your body needs to work well," according to the medical institution.Research has linked diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids to a lower risk of age-related macular degeneration, Pigott said."Eating anchovies regularly may also reduce triglyceride levels, slow the buildup of plaque in one's arteries and reduce blood pressure, as well as [lower the] risk of blood clotting," she said.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE Q...