Craving Fast Food? Make Your Own Healthy Breakfast Swaps
Mid-winter is a busy time for many of us. We’re back in full swing after the holidays, and often buried deep in work and family obligations. On top of that, it’s time to lose a few of the extra pounds that might have crept back during the holidays!
How can you lose weight while you’re crunched for time in the mornings? And how can you keep it delicious at the same time? Make a few easy swaps for fast food breakfasts!
As promised in our blog post of December 17, here are some more healthy swaps for your favorite fast food items! These breakfast ideas are high protein, calorie-controlled, and easy for anyone to make, plus they’re satisfying and great-tasting. Give them a try!
McGriddles
That breakfast sandwich with sausage, cheese, and egg sandwiched between two pancakes is pretty irresistible. The problem is that it doesn’t really fit the description of a healthy weight loss breakfast. It can have nearly 600 calories, a day’s worth of unsaturated fat, and 15 grams of sugar. All that, and it only has 19 grams of protein.
If you’re looking for a better nutritional bargain, try making your own using BariatricPal Hot Protein Breakfast – Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Pile your filling onto a single pancake. For your filling, use two cooked egg whites, a slice of fat-free cheese, and turkey bacon. For under 300 calories and a tiny amount of saturated fat and sugar, you get over 30 grams of protein.
Coffee and a Bagel/muffin
When you’re starving but leaving the house in a rush in the morning, nothing’s more tempting then going to the coffee shop for a coffee and a bagel, muffin, or pastry. There’s nothing wrong with that, unless you’re not keen on starting your day with 500 to 1,000 calories and 100 grams of sugar, and you don’t mind the 10:00 a.m. midmorning energy crash.
Here’s a better idea if you’re hoping to avoid the crash, stay within your calorie limits, get some protein, and be more energized so your metabolism stays up. Grab a coffee and a muffin. Just make sure it’s the right kind of each. Choose BariatricPal Hot Protein Drinks Classic Cappuccino or Decaf Cappuccino and pair it with Quest Nutrition Protein Bar – Banana Nut, and you’ve got an instant breakfast for 270 calories, 4 grams of sugar, and 35 grams of protein. Not bad!
Eggs, Pancakes, and Hash Browns
It’s a classic breakfast combo, but a potentially devastating one for your waistline. A side of eggs can cost 200 calories, while omelets can run you over 500 calories. That’s before you even get to the pancakes at 500 calories a stack, not to mention the hash browns to seal the deal at over 1000 calories.
If you’re craving a big breakfast, why not start with a BariatricPal Vegetable Omelet for 100 calories and 15 grams of protein, and pair it with BariatricPal Hot Protein Breakfasts – Blueberry Pancakes for another 100 calories and 15 grams of protein. Satisfy your potato cravings by whipping up some “cauliflower hash browns,” using cauliflower florets instead of potatoes. This high-fiber, high-protein breakfast can keep you going all morning.
A healthy breakfast can be one of the keys to your weight loss, and it may not be as difficult as you might think to grab a healthy, great-tasting meal. Hopefully these ideas will provide inspiration and motivation to start your day off right!
