Clint Eastwood's Favorite Breakfast Isn't Your Typical Eggs And Bacon

At 95 years old, venerable screen star and filmmaker Clint Eastwood has a great deal of wisdom to share about longevity in his career and life in general. Whether he's portraying a cowboy or sitting behind the camera of a film about a hard-hitting lawman, Eastwood keeps himself bound to an off-screen "lean and green" diet, and that starts with his breakfast. His son Scott explained to Men's Health that his father is fanatical about eating right and exercising, sharing, "My dad does not eat for pleasure. He eats salmon and brown rice for breakfast."

Eastwood's go-to day-starter is a notoriously healthy protein that's nutrient-dense and known to improve heart health and brain function. Paired with whole-grain brown rice — which aids in digestion, keeps blood sugar even, and leaves you feeling full to help manage weight — this breakfast is a one-two punch that's worth considering. 

This breakfast combo doesn't have to be time-consuming either. You can set your rice cooker the night before to wake up to a perfectly steamed bowl, or even cook rice in the microwave. And a moist salmon filet can be cooked in as little as 10 minutes in the air fryer. It may not be common breakfast fare, but perhaps it should be.

If you're game to make your day like Eastwood's by starting with salmon and brown rice, lean into making the salmon component as enjoyable as possible by buying high-quality fish and avoiding overcooking. Adding a quick brush of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon before air-frying can bring out the salmon's flavor. You can also doctor up the combo like celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, who jazzes up her morning brown rice with a drizzle of heart-healthy olive oil. The grassy notes of the olive oil elevate the succulent salmon and nutty brown rice to steel you like Dirty Harry for the day ahead.