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Truth. I am burned out on breakfast! I’ve been happily eating eggs for breakfast for years now. Sometimes I have 2 scrambled eggs with 1 turkey sausage link and black beans with salsa. Sometimes it’s 2 scrambled eggs with salsa and half an avocado sliced on top. Sometimes it’s 1-2 fried eggs with an English muffin. Sometimes it’s oatmeal. Seriously–I need some variety.
I’ve tried cereal and it doesn’t work for me. I am hungry within the hour. I definitely need a breakfast that has some protein in it.
Experiment #1
Someone on twitter suggested I try some toast with cream cheese and tomatoes. That sounded really good to me. I toasted a slice of Dave’s Killer Seeded Bread, added cream cheese to it and then sliced a few fresh (but tiny) Roma tomatoes from my garden. I also had half a serving of plain Greek yogurt with pineapple chunks on the side.
So how was breakfast? It was delicious! I loved it. It needs some tweaking but I liked the combination. I ate it at 6:30 a.m. and then biked to work. It kept me full for 3 hours. That’s pretty decent but not quite good enough.
Experiment #2
I tried a variation of the first attempt. I toasted one slice of Dave’s Killer Bread and put cream cheese on half and 1/4 of an avocado on the other half, topped it with tomatoes and had some cherries.
This one worked great as well. I would definitely do this one again. I was satisfied for a few years at work.
Experiment #3
Can you tell that I am obsessed with avocados lately? Seriously, I’m putting them on everything I can. I might need an intervention. This time I had 2 fried eggs and toasted an English muffin. I spread half of an avocado on on the muffin.
Loved this one. This is a keeper, even though it is eggs!
Experiment #4
This was a breakfast on the weekend. Michael made us a 3 egg omelette to share. He put some cheese, two slices of bacon in it and topped it with slices of avocado and pico di gallo.
I’m usually not an omelette fan because they make me feel too full. But splitting one is usually okay for my stomach. This won’t be something I’ll have regularly because it was a little higher in calories than I’d like for breakfast and it’s not a quick breakfast to make. Probably just a once in awhile weekend thing for this one.
Experiment # 5
Finally, I tried waffles and one fried egg. I haven’t had frozen waffles in AGES. Like years…? But I saw them in the freezer section and thought, why not? Two waffles were 180 calories, so that wasn’t that bad.
I tried having the waffles alone and that didn’t satisfy me at all. I mean, it tasted great! But I was hungry pretty quickly afterward. The next time I added one egg and that worked great. It kept me full for about 2.5 hours. I liked this one so much that I did it almost every day one week. It’s not ideal. I’m trying to get away from processed foods as much as I can, and I certainly don’t want a ton of junk carbs for breakfast, but once in awhile this is an okay quick breakfast for me.
Satisfaction?
So did my experiments help? Not really. I found that I ate more carby things for breakfast and I didn’t like it. I’d rather not have a bunch of bread if I can avoid it. It did break of the monotony of scrambled eggs or oatmeal every day. I’m still on a search for a good, healthy, balanced breakfast.
QUESTION: Any ideas?
Beth @ Beth's Journey
Hey Lisa! Are you a cottage cheese fan? What about subbing the cream cheese out for cottage cheese on the toast in option #1 or #2. That has a ton of protein so it should stick to your ribs more than cream cheese might!
Lisa Eirene
Great idea! I love cottage cheese and totally spaced on having that for breakfast. Thanks!
Marc
If I lived where you do, I’d eat breakfast at Shari’s restaurant regularly. Shari’s is awesome!
Lisa Eirene
Ha! I try to avoid buying breakfast out. Just no time before work!
Michelle @ Eat Move Balance
I do love oatmeal, so I don’t mind eating it every morning. Consistency makes it easy for me–as I don’t want to have to concentrate too much on it at 6:30 am. I do change it up, though, with the add-ins, so I don’t get bored. I change what fruit I use, flavorings, and/or nut butter. So today, I had oat bran with banana, 1 T cocao powder, topped with almond butter. Yesterday, I had mixed berries with lots of cinnamon, topped with peanut butter. Sometimes I use a Starbucks Via for a coffee flavored oatmeal (especially if I need the extra caffeine) and sometimes I use a pumpkin pie spice. I just keep changing it. And with all the ingredients (complex carbs, healthy fat, protein–b/c I stir egg whites into my oatmeal, btw–it keeps me full until lunch. 🙂
Lisa Eirene
I like the idea of cocoa or coffee! I haven’t tried that yet.
Diane, fit to the finish
I am not a big breakfast fan so I’m not much help here. I eat a bit later in the morning and oftentimes it is something unconventional like leftovers from the night before or a boiled egg.
Lisa Eirene
Leftovers are a good idea. Hadn’t thought of that. I’ve been known to have leftovers from a restaurant for breakfast the next day. Good idea.
Amy
I tried this a couple of weeks ago. Cooked cold spelt (you could also use cooked wheat berries), with some vanilla low or non-fat Greek yogurt, 1/2 banana, and a handful of frozen blueberries. It was delicious. But then, I love spelt – hot and cold!
Lisa Eirene
I’ve never had spelt. I will check into that.
Lisa
My latest favorite is one egg with egg whites and a splash of milk scrambled and a bowl of Cheerios with fruit cut up on it, which is still eggs. Another stand by is English Muffin with sausage and cheese or English Muffin with peanut butter and drizzle of honey – these are portables for when I need to eat in the car. Occasionally I’ll do grits with cheese and sausage, of course you could make that sound fancier and call it polenta with cheese and sausage.
I love toast with tomatoes on it!! The avocado on toast looks yummy also.
Lisa Eirene
I love the idea of peanut butter! Good idea!
Jess
I have cereal, but with Greek yogurt instead of milk. More protein! Plus I have a latte on the way to work (my only real vice is that morning coffee!). That usually keeps me full for over 3 hours. (I eat it at 7am, get hungry sometime after 10). To reduce the hunger I sometimes have a banana just before 9, and then I am fine until 11, which is break time.
Lisa Eirene
Oh! I forgot to add that breakfast. I was doing a plain greek yogurt with the Fiber One cereal. That was a good breakfast. Very filling!
E
If you have a waffle maker (you can get them for as cheap as $10) you can make a big batch on the weekend and freeze the leftovers, than just pop them in the toaster. Super easy and no processed junk. (Plus, cheaper.)
I use this recipe:
http://waffleparty.com/2009/05/18/naked-vegan-waffles/
and usually cut the sugar in 1/2 b/c whatever I put on top is enough!
Lisa Eirene
I DO have a waffle maker! I haven’t used it in ages. Thanks for the great idea.
Lori
My I suggest my protein waffles/pancakes made with cottage cheese? I love these, and in fact will use them for bread for sandwiches.
http://findingradiance.com/recipes/breakfast/protein-pancakes/
Lisa Eirene
Thanks for the link. I’ll give it a try.
Marilyn @ Lipgloss and Spandex
I’m obsessed with the cottage cheese protein shakes from Dashing Dish. (http://dashingdish.com/recipes/shakes/). They’re amazing. I modified it to be lower calorie but it’s still filling.
Lisa Eirene
Interesting! I never heard of cottage cheese in protein shakes but it’s a great idea!!
Sophie
Thanks for these awesome breakfast ideas.
One of my new favourites is “grilling” a wholegrain wrap/tortilla on the grill pan with a little olive oil and then spreading with avocado, a bit of rock salt and then a tiny sprinkling of fetta or goats cheese.
Lisa Eirene
You had me at avocado! Seriously, though, it’s a great idea. I love breakfast burritos.
Wayne @ Fitness, Exercise and Paleo Blog
I know what you mean, I eat eggs and fruit every day for breakfast. Actually lately I have been fasting twice a week to drop weight. I don’t even get hungry. Tomorrow I am having some left over salmon, eggs, fruit and vegetables for breakfast.
Lisa Eirene
Salmon is a great idea! I sometimes add some smoked salmon to my scrambled eggs. That’s delicious.
Suzanne @WorkoutNirvana
Yum!!!! Amazing ideas!! I’ve been eating Greek yogurt with blueberries and Grape Nuts for a LONG time. (Yes, that’s two bowls and two spoons.) I’ll def check these out. And btw – if a meal is keeping you full for three hours that’s amazing. I get full quickly so I have to refuel about 1 1/2 hours later.
Lisa Eirene
You know, I think I was spoiled by that Slow Carb diet breakfast because it filled me up for hours. I didn’t have to eat a snack mid-morning usually. The beans, eggs and sausage was super filling.
I love Greek yogurt. I used to love Grape nuts too but gave up most cereals. I should give it another try. 🙂