We’re heading into the 3rd week of our summer challenge and those who have opted to try the 6 week meal plan know there are a few staples in the breakfast options. These staples include eggs, oatmeal, berries, greek yogurt, nuts, avocado and Ezekiel bread. Throughout my years working with nutritionists, these are the breakfast foods I’ve found are always on their lists of the best foods to eat in the morning to stay fit. When my boyfriend found this TIME Magazine article on “The Healthiest Weekday Breakfast” he sent it to me right away saying “you were right!” I’ll let him keep thinking it was all me, but in reality it was nutrition professionals like Dr. Walter Willett, chair of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, who is cited in this TIME article.
The article highlights a few food groups that when combined are sure to keep you feeling full and provide the fuel you need to reach your fitness goals.
- Fruit – Berries are an ideal fruit for breakfast (or anytime). “Packed with fiber and healthy polyphenols, there’s a lot of research to suggest blueberries, blackberries and their tart cousins are protective against cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer—even the non-gut types like breast cancer.”
- Healthy fats or protein – Healthy fats and protein are guaranteed to help your stay fuller longer. Greek yogurt provides both, but make sure to purchase the full-fat yogurt as opposed to reduced-fat. “Stripping out the fat from your yogurt or other dairy products may make them less caloric. But it also makes them far less filling…So you end up eating much more than you would with full-fat, or you feel hungry again very quickly.” Another option? Eggs! The traditional breakfast hero according to TIME. “They’re delicious, and the amino acids in eggs bind to gut opioid receptors, which reduces hunger and increases satiety.” You could also try adding nuts or avocado to your breakfast. Nuts go great in yogurt and avocado tastes delicious spread on toast or eaten with eggs.
Don’t have time to make eggs every morning? Or not a yogurt girl, like me? Try this easy egg muffin recipe that you can prepare on Sundays to have ready Monday morning for the week! Then toast a slice of Ezekiel bread and top with avocado and strawberries for the “healthiest” weekday breakfast option!
Egg Muffin Cup Recipe from Show Me The Yummy
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 4 egg whites
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 cups of spinach chopped
- 1/2 cup mushrooms diced
Prep time: 30-40 minutes
Steps:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Dice onion, peppers, mushrooms and spinach
- Mince garlic
- Mix 4 eggs and 4 egg whites
- Saute onion and pepper with a tablespoon of olive oil and a little salt and pepper for 5 minutes over medium heat
- Add mushrooms and spinach to pan and cook for another 2 minutes, add garlic during the last 30 seconds
- Coat cupcake pan with non-stick spray
- Bake muffins for 15 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean)
- Let cool and store in an air-tight container for no longer than 4 days
Note: It is normal for the muffins to be a bit watery because of the vegetables. If the excess juice bothers you, just blot the muffin before you warm it up in the microwave.
The egg muffins are only 50 calories each! I’d have at least 2 for breakfast, if not 3. These also make great pre or post workout snacks.
Now, the lowdown on my experience making these muffins today…
At first I thought the ingredients seemed like way too many vegetables for only 4 eggs and 4 egg whites but it turns out it is just the right amount. I did use jumbo eggs though, and probably only 4/6 of my onion because it was a big one.
I know this seems like the easiest recipe idea ever, but I’ve tried to make my own egg muffins before and without knowing how many vegetables to add (and I think last time I didn’t cut up my spinach small enough) they can come out unpleasant and almost unbearable to eat, so it was nice to follow their measurements.
Few things to keep in mind – It is a bit messy to add the mix to the cupcake pan. I just cleaned off in between the cups before I baked them. They probably took me 25 minutes to cook, if not more. The muffins were still very watery when they cooled, but I think mine were extra watery because my spinach was on the verge of going bad. They still tasted good with my Sriracha but I’d suggest making sure the spinach is super fresh and crispy. All in all I really liked them, and am excited to have breakfast already ready to go for before our early barre class tomorrow, Wednesday at 6:45am!
Town Barre 