Healthy Breakfast Recipes & Cooking Tips

A high protein breakfast that is low in fat and calories can be helpful for weight loss and weight maintenance. Experts agree that eating a healthy breakfast helps to boost metabolism and keep cravings at bay throughout the day. And eating the right amount of protein helps to maintain lean muscle mass. But most people don't want to put too much time or effort into the day's first meal.

If you find yourself running through the house with no time to spare in the morning, don't despair. Use these tips and healthy breakfast recipes to create eye-opening breakfasts that will help you keep your weight loss plan in good shape.

Healthy Breakfast Foods

The best way to make sure you eat a healthy breakfast is to make sure your kitchen is stocked with low calorie, high protein foods. One day each week, make a shopping list and get everything you need to prepare the meals. Organize your pantry and refrigerator so that the foods are easy to find when you're still groggy.

Sample Grocery Shopping List:

• Non-fat Greek yogurt
• Eggs
• Egg substitute or whites
• Turkey or soy breakfast sausage (often found in the freezer section)
• Oatmeal (steel cut or rolled oats. Try to avoid the pre-packed single serving packets as they tend to be higher in sugar)
• Lean ground turkey
• Skim Milk

Breakfast Cooking Tips

Most of the foods on the list can be prepared with little to no cooking. Plain or vanilla Greek yogurt, for example, is delicious with a ? cup of blueberries. Or throw some crumbled turkey sausage and with a handful of diced red pepper into scrambled egg whites for a spicy start to the day.

To make sure your weight loss program stays on track, don't forget to count calories and measure portion sizes. You'll find the right serving size on the Nutrition Facts label. You may be surprised how often you eat more than you need. You'll also want to make sure you use cooking techniques that minimize the amount of fat and calories that you add to your food.

Healthy Breakfast Recipes

If you have more time to prepare breakfast, try this recipe, courtesy of the Jennie-O Turkey Store. The Breakfast Burrito is a great treat on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Or prepare a larger quantity during the weekend and eat a single serving each morning during the week.

Breakfast Burrito (made famous on The Biggest Loser)

• 1 package JENNIE-O TURKEY STORER Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast
• 1 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg and 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup wheat bran
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 8 whole wheat MANNY'SR tortillas

Put the ground turkey in a mixing bowl. Add onion, and garlic powder, paprika, and pepper; mix thoroughly. Add egg, egg white, applesauce, and wheat bran; stir well. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Pre-heat a large non-stick skillet to medium high and coat lightly with cooking spray. Add the ground turkey mixture and stir to crumble and brown, approximately 14 minutes. Always cook turkey to well-done, 165°F as measured by a meat thermometer. Reduce heat to medium. Add bell peppers and saute with meat for 5 minutes, continuing to stir and break up the turkey into smaller pieces. Drain the beans and add to the skillet. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes; Fill tortillas with mixture.

Nutritional Information: Calories 230, Fat 2.5g, Saturated Fat 0.5g, Protein 24g, Cholesterol 60mg, Carbohydrates 34g, Sodium 410mg, Fiber 6g

More recipes like these can be found at The Jennie-O Turkey Store.

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