I love breakfast. Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day. There is nothing better than spending a nice and relaxed weekend morning in your pajamas eating a delicious meal. Breakfast in my family is an event. Anytime family gets together we have large breakfasts of buttermilk pancakes, bacon, sausage, maple syrup, and OJ. I have fond memories of my childhood breakfasts with the family. However, the previously described breakfast is not the healthiest thing in the world to eat. You are asking to never reach your goal of losing weight and getting in shape. The typical American breakfast has little nutritional value.

On the weekends people enjoy pancakes, French toast, or waffles and during the weekdays they grab a bowl of cheerios or a bagel. All of that food is utterly pointless and down right bad for you. Any of the previously mentioned meals are almost 100 percent processed carbohydrates without any protein or fiber to help balance your system. We need to do away with the classic American breakfasts and replace it with a much healthier option.

That’s where the world’s perfect protein comes into play. A few eggs in the morning make a perfect breakfast. It’s important to eat the whole egg too. People have gotten overly obsessed with just eating egg whites because they have heard that the yolks have too much fat and are bad for you. It is true that there is fat in the yolk, but there are also lots of necessary vitamins and minerals in the yolk, not to mention that the fat isn’t all that bad for you. Saturated fat in general has gotten a bad rap over the years, but over time studies may start to realize that saturated fat isn’t as bad as once believed. Trans fat is the real issue at hand. Studies in the past have never differentiated the two fats, so saturated fat has been getting bad press because of the affects of trans fats. So, eat the yolk and don’t cook your eggs in margarine.

There are a lot of people in the world who claim not to like eggs. I can understand that to a point. I’m not a huge fan of deviled eggs or eggs sunny-side-up. However, there are so many ways to cook eggs that there should be a style that you can actually like. Enter the omelet. Combining eggs with various other ingredients that will help mask the flavor and texture of eggs. Not only do the other ingredients help add additional flavor they also add lots of other nutritional value. You can combine any number of ingredients to make thousands of different recipes.

Obviously the main ingredient in an omelet is eggs, which are primarily protein. You can add lots of different vegetables to get your daily allowance while adding healthy carbohydrates to balance the meal. Some of my favorite additions, which people generally don’t enjoy by themselves are, spinach, asparagus, and mushrooms. You can add tomatoes or simplify the process by adding pre-made salsa. You can add cheese for additional flavor. You can add spices and herbs. You can even add a little meat, like the traditional ham and cheese omelet. Try anything and everything until you find your favorite recipes.

The only thing to be aware of is the portion size. By starting with three eggs and adding steak, cheese, and other vegetables you can end up with a large meal with too many calories. My recommendation is to use two to three eggs and choose a few additional ingredients to add sparingly. Use your best judgement. You don’t need to add a whole flank steak and a cup of cheese to make an enjoyable omelet, just a little will do. Also my top recommendation for cooking any eggs is to use olive oil instead of butter and definitely instead of margarine. Just a little in a pan will do. Have some fun experimenting, it doesn’t matter what it looks like as long as it tastes good.

Mushroom Spinach Omelet

3 eggs

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons finely chopped green pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup torn fresh spinach

1. In a small bowl, beat the egg and egg whites. Add cheeses, salt, pepper flakes, garlic powder and pepper; mix well. Set aside.

2. In an 8-in. nonstick skillet, saute the mushrooms, green pepper and onion in oil for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add spinach; cook and stir until spinach is wilted. Add egg mixture. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath. Cut into wedges. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 110 calories, 6 g fat (2 g sat.), 4 g carbohydrates, 11 g protein, 489 mg sodium

Classic Three Egg Omelet

3 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 slice cooked ham, chopped

3/4 slice cooked turkey meat, chopped

3/4 green onions, sliced

1/4 tomato, diced

1/4 sprig fresh parsley, chopped

1/8 medium green bell pepper, diced

1/4 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Coat the bottom of a large, lightly greased skillet with three eggs, and cook over medium heat until firm. Top with 1/4 each of the ham, turkey, green onions, tomato, parsley, green bell pepper and Cheddar cheese. Fold egg in half over fillings, and serve warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Makes 1 serving.

Per serving: 554 calories, 38.5 g fat, 5 g carbohydrates, 45.1 g protein, 570 mg sodium.

Chili Bean Cheese Omelet

1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato

1 green onion, chopped

1/4 cup canned kidney beans, coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. In a skillet, saute the tomato, onion, beans, garlic, celery salt, chili powder and Worcestershire sauce in 1 teaspoon oil until liquid has evaporated; set aside and keep warm.

2. In a bowl, beat eggs and salt. Heat remaining oil in an 8-in. skillet over medium-low heat; add eggs. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath. When the eggs are nearly set, sprinkle vegetable mixture over one side. Fold omelet over filling. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes 1 serving.

Sorry no nutritional info.

ENJOY!

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