Here are 5 easy ideas if you have a little time in the morning:
1. Yogurt Berry Popsicles
* You can find popsicle molds at Wegmans, Walmart, Bed, Bath and Beyond and online
Ingredients:
You will need a set of popsicle molds
Vanilla Greek yogurt
your favorite berries
Directions:
Add some yogurt to the bottom of mold
Add a layer of berries
Add another layer of yogurt
Add your second layer of berries
Top it off with a finishing layer of yogurt
Put in the freezer the night before
Pull it out in the am- makes a great high protein, low-calorie healthy breakfast you can eat on your way to work or school!
Calories: 80 Protein: 10 grams
2.Egg White Frittata with Spinach and Feta
This is a great, fast-and-easy meal to start the morning, and it’s packed with protein to help you stay full. If you need it on the go, throw it into a 100 percent whole-grain wrap or ½ P-28 protein wrap.
Ingredients:
- 6 egg whites
- 3 cups raw spinach
- 1 ounce feta cheese
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
Directions:
- In a nonstick pan, heat olive oil and sauté the onion and chopped spinach until wilted.
- Add the egg whites and stir constantly without stopping, pushing the eggs from the outside into the center of the pan.
- When the whites begin to set, continue to push toward the center and sprinkle with feta cheese. Finish in the microwave for 2 minutes until the egg whites are set, or finish in a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes.
Makes 2 servings. Each serving: 170 calories, 15 grams protein
Excerpt From: Wendy Scinta. “Bounce.” iBooks.
3. Frozen Fruit Smoothie
This is the best way to use natural sugar with no ice to drown out the flavor of drink. It is an awesome breakfast for the whole family.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup Frozen grapes
- ½ cup Frozen bananas
- ½ cup Frozen melon
- ½ cup Frozen berries
- ½ cup fat-free Greek yogurt
- ½ cup natural vanilla rice milk (or almond milk if you prefer)
Directions
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Thin out as desired with milk.
If you want to increase the protein, you can add a scoop of vanilla whey protein powder.
Although the recipe from my dear friend Michael Mignano calls for rice milk, I prefer almond milk or low-fat cow’s milk with more protein.
As listed: 286 cal., 12.5 gm protein. If you add 2 Scoops of Beneprotein (which we have at our office), protein is 25gm, and calories are 336. *
* I like to use a little less fruit and skim milk to increase the protein and decrease the calories. The important thing is to freeze the fruit so you don’t have to add ice, use Greek yogurt to increase the protein, and adjust the other ingredients to your liking.
Excerpt From: Wendy Scinta. “Bounce.” iBooks.
4. Protein Pancakes
P-28 is a local company that makes a fantastic protein pancake mix- with 14 grams of protein (170 calories) per pancake. They are available at Tops and Wegmans grocery stores. The white chocolate ones are delicious! They also come in a buckwheat version.
This is a great way to get protein in early in the morning and to sneak fruit in, with a little light whipped cream and syrup if you desire. Make the recipe as detailed on the package.
If you are not in the Syracuse area and have a Trader Joes or Target in your town, they also sell protein pancakes and they are also very good, called Kodiak cakes, with 14gm of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving.
High Protein Oatmeal:
In the cold winter months, it is nice sometimes to have a warm breakfast. Oatmeal is the perfect choice for a cold day, but most brands are low in protein and high in carbohydrates. Gratefully, we now high protein oatmeal available that keeps you full for longer, and helps stabilize your blood sugars. Two examples are Think Thin and Quaker Protein Oatmeal.
For those of you who like steel cut oats (which have more fiber and are less processed), just be careful to read the labels. Brands like Bob’s Red Mill have higher protein than others. Beneprotein (which is a tasteless whey protein isolate) can increase the protein by 6 grams for only 25 additional calories.