Breakfast

I have really been enjoying getting back to eating a healthy breakfast now that I'm back in my regular routine after the holidays. At my job we have a Cafe that serves breakfast. Most people get homefried potatoes, bacon, and eggs with cheese. Yum! But waaaay too many calories, fat and simple carbs to eat every day if you don't run marathons! And, if you do, you probably prefer food that gives you more energy!

My goal with all my meals is to get them high in protein and low in fat, and if there are carbs there must be fiber. They also must be at least bareably tasty. I'm not talking gourmet, but if it tastes like cardboard I'm not going to be able to eat it day after day! Here's some of the breakfasts that I've been enjoying for the past month:

Egg white omelet and oatmeal: I get this at the Cafe at work. Approx. 1/2 cup of raw egg whites cooked in a small pan sprayed with vegetable oil, stuffed with equal amounts of spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms that have been lightly steamed. I eat this with a packet of dijon mustard. In addition I've been getting a 1/2 cup of regular oatmeal sprinkled with 1 tablespoon of sweetened dried shredded coconut and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, with 1/4 cup of nonfat milk. Note: DON'T ADD SUGAR to your oatmeal...you'll ruin a perfectly good breakfast. I add the coconut 'cause it's sweetened but there's not as much extra carbs as adding sugar. Plus coconut has some good nutrients in it!
This breakfast is about 225 calories, 29% fat (7.4 g), 28% protein (15.8 g) and 43% carbs (24.4) with 4.3 g fiber.

Bacon Scramble: One of my favorite breakfasts to cook up at home (the Cafe doesn't serve turkey bacon...bummer) is 2 chopped thin slices of turkey bacon in a small pan, then, when crispy, pour in the whites of four eggs and toss in a handful of baby spinach and scramble it all together. Note that this does not need any extra fat salt!
This is only 140 calories. 35% fat (5 g), 57% protein (19.7), and only 6% (2 g) carbs with .5 g of fiber. A great breakfast for low-carbers who don't want to overload on fat.

Egg over Oatmeal: Another home breakfast that's yummy and quick is a half a cup of steel cut oatmeal that's been cooked up and refrigerated the night before, in a bowl with a tablespoon of water and an egg cracked over the top. I cover and microwave this until the white is just set, which often requires that I leave the bowl in the microwave with the door shut for a minute or two after the timer goes off. I like runny yolks, and with this I add a sprinkle of salt and break the egg up into the oatmeal. Egg whites would lower the fat content, but the yolk is what makes this good.
This is about 156 calories, 42% fat (7.3 g), 23% protein (9.2 g) and 35% carbs (13.3 g with 2 g of fiber).

Yummier Cottage Cheese: The all-time quickest breakfast is 1 cup of nonfat cottage cheese with 1 tablespoon of low sugar jam (I like apricot) and 2 tablespoons of Kellog's bran buds. You can also sprinkle on a little cinnamon to make it extra yummy and healthy (cinnamon is really good for you!). This is also great for snacking since it doesn't require cooking anything.
This is about 215 calories, 1% fat (0.3 g), 53% protein (28.8 g) and 46% carbs (25.2 g with 5 g fiber)

Starbucks Spinach Feta Wrap: When I'm really in a hurry and don't have time to wait in line at the Cafe, or if I go for breakfast after 10 when the Cafe closes, I get one of these.
This is 240 calories, 35% fat (10 g), 20% protein (13 g), and 45% carbs (29 g with 7 g fiber). Not bad for a pre-made breakfast item!

I've also been substituting a quarter cup of soy milk in my 16 oz drip coffee each morning. I love half and half in my coffee, but the extra fat on my food log every day was really bugging me. I like the soy cause I can use a lot of it and it cools my coffee down quickly so I can drink it right away.

The calorie counts and nutrition for these meals were estimated using fitday.com

Post your comments and share your favorite healthy breakfasts!