Back to school mornings too busy for you? No time for a healthy breakfast? Well, the reality is that skipping breakfast can be a bad idea and can actually lead to weight gain, not weight loss. But don’t swing by the drive-thru for an Egg McMuffin, a Dunkin Donuts egg wrap or Burger King’s Double Croissan’wich – instead make a healthy delicious egg sandwich at home, thanks to the recipe below from our SMArt Kid’s nutritionist, Linda Germaine Miller.
Our new group of SMArt Kids at Burlington planned, prepped and cooked their egg muffin sandwiches in just minutes. The sandwiches were healthier, lower in fat and calories, and, we would argue, tastier than the drive-thru versions! Doesn’t it look simple yet delicious? Here’s how it’s done:
“BREAKWICHES”
(Serves 4, serving size: 1 sandwich)
¼ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 English Muffins (whole wheat)
4 eggs (beaten)
1 cup diced extra-lean ham
¼ cup finely chopped red pepper
¼ cup finely chopped green onions
¼ cup shredded, reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
- Stir together the mayonnaise with the mustard in a small bowl. Spread equal amounts on four halves of the English Muffins.
- Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat skillet with cooking spray. Cook the eggs 1-2 minutes, lifting the cooked portion up with a spatula to allow uncooked portion to flow underneath.
- Sprinkle evenly with the ham, peppers, onion, and cheese. Remove from the heat.
- Spoon equal amount on four halves of the English Muffins and top with the remaining halves. Press down lightly to allow ingredients to hold together.
At our first SMA of the school year, we reviewed the importance of eating a healthy breakfast. First, some realities about breakfast:
- Studies have shown that 8-12% of school-age kids skip breakfast.
- It’s even worse for older kids; 20-30% of teens skip it.
- The worst offenders are girls and older teens.
- Skipping breakfast can lead to weight gain.
Yet we know eating breakfast does the body good:
- Children who eat breakfast have healthier overall nutrition
- They also have a lower BMI
- Breakfast can enhance academic achievement. Parents: that means kids do better in school!
- For busy families, it also may be a better time for a family meal
While we all have plenty of excuses for why we miss breakfast and ignore the most important meal of the day, here are some ideas to fit it in:
- Fix breakfast the night before (warm up a plastic-wrapped plate of precooked eggs and lean bacon)
- Think beyond the usual breakfast fare (try leftovers)
- Pack a meal to go (try a Greek yogurt and banana.
- You’re running late! Grab the toaster. (try a whole wheat English muffin or bread with peanut butter instead of a bagel with cream cheese. While equal in calories, peanut butter has more nutrients and four times less saturated fat and over twenty times less sodium than cream cheese)
As part of our healthy breakfast discussion, we reviewed our SMArt Kids’ goals as well as ChooseMyPlate.gov. Keeping “MyPlate” in mind with breakfast and in fact with every meal is critical to being a SMArt kid. It reminds us that 50% of our plate should be fruits and veggies, while only a small serving should be whole grains and protein. Refer to the myplate.gov website for more details and tips that you can use at home.
Breakfast won’t be the only topic we tackle this year. Check back in to hear about what we learn over the next few SMAs. In the meantime, try our breakfast sandwich and stay SMArt!
Brittanny Boulanger, MD