The Breakfast My 99-Year-Old Grandma Has Eaten for Decades

We look to our elders for sage advice, words of wisdom, and now, breakfast recommendations. A few weeks back, my grandma, Lisette, celebrated her 99th birthday with champagne, not one but two kinds of cake, lots of Toblerone chocolate, and what my dad lovingly (I swear!) called her "death row" menu, aka all her favorite dishes from various cuisines. And I must admit, she's a bit of a marvel.

At 99 years old, Lisette lives alone in an apartment with minimal help, passing her days watching PBS, listening to opera, and reading the New York Times cover to cover. She's sharp as a whip, with a great sense of humor and somehow a better memory than me (and she's sure to remind me all the time). So what's her secret? She swears it's genetics, but I have a theory her morning meal has something to do with it.

That's because my grandma has been starting her day with the same exact meal for as long as I can remember, and — according to my dad — many years before that.

The Breakfast My 99-Year-Old Grandma Swears By

My grandma — or nana, as I call her — kicks every day off with the same two things: a cup of strong English tea and a fully loaded bagel. Yup, that's right. If you were expecting some healthy concoction of nuts and seeds and an esoteric type of European yogurt, you're barking up the wrong tree.

My nana's must-have meal in the morning is a mini poppy seed bagel with cream cheese — none of the low-fat kind, either — and smoked salmon. I'm not exaggerating when I say that she's eaten this exact breakfast for as long as anyone can remember; so much so, that she calls our family in a panic when she's running low on any of the ingredients.

Is there some magic to this combination that keeps her going at 99 and counting? Perhaps it's the omega-3s and healthy fats. Maybe it's a winning combination of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. My theory? The routine.

From one can of beer in the evening to a bar of chocolate a week, I feel like every centenarian interviewed in the news credits a food-based routine as part of the secret to their longevity. But what they all have in common is deep-rooted traditions as well as a strong sense of routine.

While my nana's mini bagel might seem like a trivial detail in her day, that routine instills a sense of purpose and consistency, especially during the pandemic when she was (necessarily) isolated and often alone.

Of course, at 99, there's certainly an element of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" to her mentality. But I do genuinely feel that as you age, so much around you changes; so, if one thing can stay the same, there's an enormous amount of comfort and reassurance in that. And, it's given me a tradition to uphold too. I can't visit her without being fed a loaded-up bagel (because what kind of grandma would she be if I left hungry!).

One thing we can all agree on: no matter what the meal, grandmas know best.