If you are interested in making subtle changes to your diet in order to live a healthier lifestyle, this is the article for you! With there being so many misconceptions about what it means to be healthy, deciding what changes to make can be overwhelming. For decades, society’s traditional perception of beauty has led us to believe that to be healthy is to be without curves, to be lean, and no bigger than a size 4. However, I am here to tell you that this notion is false. Many people also believe that all high calorie foods should be avoided. This another widely held idea that is not entirely true.
Whether you are trying to lose weight or tighten up, I am going to show you how to remix a traditional breakfast to get all of the nutrients you need and then some.
The Most Important Meal of the Day
This saying has been ingrained in us since the beginning of time. What makes breakfast such an important meal is that it keeps our appetites in check for the rest of the day. Eating a nutritious breakfast also promotes weight maintenance and loss by leveling blood glucose levels and metabolism.
If you read my last article, you might remember me saying that this past summer I took on cooking as a new hobby. This decision was the result of me wanting to live an overall healthier lifestyle. It also meant that I needed to start making eating breakfast part of my daily routine. Although I generally get up early enough to eat breakfast at a decent hour, I am not a morning person and the thought of eating as soon as I get up is not appealing. I honestly believed that eating too much so early in the morning would make me sick, so I typically wouldn’t have my first meal until lunch time (not a very healthy habit). I knew in order to get the results I wanted, I would have to find a way to work breakfast into my diet.
Traditional Breakfast
A traditional pancake and scrambled eggs breakfast with a side of bacon for one person is easily 700 calories. To some, this may not seem like a lot, but keep in mind that our caloric intake is determined by a few factors like height, weight, and physical activity. For example, someone who is 5’6”, between 140-145 lbs, not as physically active, and seeking to maintain their weight should not exceed 1,100 calories in a day. If that person were to eat a 700 cal breakfast, they’d only have 400 cal left over with two meals to go. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for a well-balanced lunch or dinner.
So, how can we remix the traditional breakfast to suit your dietary needs?
1. The Eggs
Eggs are a great source of protein. Instead of making multiple scrambled eggs, try making a singular whole egg for breakfast. One whole egg is around 78 cal. You can add a little salt and pepper for flavor (not even ½ of a tsp for each) and even sprinkle some *cheese in while the egg is still cooking. The trick is to also use extra virgin olive oil (vegetable oil works as well) while frying your egg instead of butter.
*Fun Fact: cheese is naturally white, not yellow. Dye is added to cheese to make it yellow because of studies showing that is what is appealing to consumers. So, if you do opt for cheese in your whole egg, try using white cheeses like swiss, provolone, etc.
2. Pancakes
When trying to eat healthier, some may think avoiding carbs is the way to go, but not all carbs are bad. For those of you who love bread, this is exciting news. You can replace the starchy pancakes of your breakfast with healthy carbohydrates like oats or 100% whole grain bread. I LOVE whole grain bread. Deciding to supplement the pancakes with bread instead of oats could make for a delicious breakfast sandwich. One slice of whole grain bread is only 68 cal; however, I sometimes opt for half of a bagel, which is about 122 cal (245 for a whole).
3. The Bacon
I hate to break it to you, but the bacon’s gotta go. Exchange the bacon for healthier fats like the ones found in nuts. This could mean deciding to add a spread of peanut butter to your slice of bread or bagel. Do be cautious though. Peanut butters that contain sugars and hydrogenated oils can be harmful, so stick to a brand or type of peanut butter that contains actual peanuts. For those of you that are allergic to peanuts, almond butter is a great alternative and another great healthy fat source. Half a tbsp of almond butter is 50 cal and half a tbsp of peanut butter is 94 cal, but you may not even use that much of either. Also, if you made the choice to use extra virgin olive oil to fry your egg, then you’ve already added a healthy fat to your breakfast. Then again, a few more wouldn’t hurt, right?
4. Add Veggies!
Lastly, adding vegetables to your breakfast is a great source of nutrition and will have you feeling amazing. I will be the first to admit that I am an extremely picky eater and there are only a few vegetables I tolerate–LOL. This past summer, I added spinach to that list! A case of organic baby spinach is fairly inexpensive and more than enough for one person. That’s not even the best part. It has literally 0 cal! Yes, I too was very shocked when I read the packaging and in that moment my life changed for the better.
You can sprinkle the spinach on top of your whole egg as the egg is cooking or just before making your sandwich (if that’s the route you took). You can also saute the spinach separately, again using extra virgin olive oil and whatever seasonings you prefer.
Depending on which modifications you decide to make, this breakfast remix could range from 196 cal to 294 cal! That is a huge difference from that of the traditional breakfast. So remember, it is not always about what you eat, but how you eat. If you are trying to lose weight, don’t focus on eating less, focus on eating healthier! And if you are trying to gain weight or tone your body, eat healthier and more often. Regardless, subtle changes like these make all the difference.
Until next time!