As a naturopath a huge part of my weekly role is to support my clients to eat more strategically. Whether it be to help optimise daytime energy, or to support healthy weight loss, manage PCOS, menopause, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, anxiety or to simply support a healthy lifestyle, a commitment to a healthy breakfast is always an important goal.
Calm energy, mental focus, managing sugar cravings and a healthy mood require nutrients throughout the day and one of the most important macro nutrients is protein. Adding protein to a meal significantly affects the glycemic index of foods and can have a very positive impact on your blood glucose response.
Proteins are made up of the ‘building blocks’ of our bodies – amino acids. Without amino acids you cannot build and repair muscles and bones or make hormones and important enzymes. Eating foods that are rich in protein also enables you to make key neurotransmitters which are needed for healthy mood and deficiencies can be linked to depression and anxiety.
Filling your week with nutritious meals can sometimes be really challenging when you are busy and time poor and whilst there are some conditions where I reduce the quantity of eggs in a week such as genetic high cholesterol, endometriosis or people with certain food intolerances, I find that eggs for breakfast are a great, healthy and easy to make option.
A tasty omelette can tick many boxes.
So why do I prefer organic eggs?
Organic eggs are from organic farms where owners must abide by protocols about what chickens eat and chickens must be fed pure, chemical free feeds meaning no animal by products such as ground bones. To be officially recognized as an organic farm, these rules are very strict.
So let me reiterate that Australian Certified Organic means free from chemical pesticides, growth promoting compounds, herbicide, and antibiotics.
As a naturopath, supporting my clients to avoid foods full of these things is paramount so please eat organic eggs.
Eggs are a wonderful source of Protein
Eggs are a ‘complete protein’. This means that they contain all the essential amino acids needed for a healthy body to function optimally.
Healthy Fat
Eggs are an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids with more saturated than unsaturated fat.
Rich source of Vitamins and Minerals
Eggs are a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals including selenium, folate, Vitamin B5, B12, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin D, zinc, iodine, calcium and more.
Antioxidants
Eggs contain lutein and zeaxanthin which are powerful antioxidants for disease prevention and eye health.
Making your omelette – so many options!
Omelettes are a fabulous way to get vegetables into your diet and the choices are endless.
For one person, 2 eggs whisked can be easily added to a range of recipe concoctions.
Here are a few of my favourites:
Spinach and garlic mushroom (50 grams of sliced button mushrooms, 1 garlic clove, ½ cup baby spinach leaves, 30 grams of sheep feta)
Mushroom, cherry tomato and garlic (50 grams of mushrooms, 4 cherry tomatoes sliced, 1 garlic clove)
Mediterranean (1/2 red onion thinly sliced, 4 basil leaves shredded, ¼ zucchini, 3 cherry tomatoes and 25 grams of sheep feta crumbled)
Basically, you can really add a variety of fillings to make a yummy omelette. Sometimes I just use left over vegetables and then fry up in a little cold pressed olive oil and add my 2 whisked eggs. The other day I used left over roast cauliflower, cubes of roast pumpkin, added some red onion and a little bit of feta and it was delicious.
Now, let’s get cooking shall we with one of my favourite combinations to feed one person.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil, 2 teaspoons
- 50 grams of button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ½ cup baby spinach leaves
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 30 grams sheep fetta, crumbled or broken up
- Pepper to taste
Instructions:
Whisk your eggs.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add your garlic and cook until it softens.
Add your mushrooms and spinach and mix; lay evenly over fry pan.
Add your whisked eggs and then add your crumbled feta over the omelette.
Cook without stirring for a few minutes then fold in half and cook for a further 30 seconds or so.
Season with pepper.
I often have this on its own as my breakfast meal without toast or I add a side serve of green leaves, avocado and olives.
You may also enjoy on one piece of healthy toast.
You could also cook and take to work and have it cold for lunch!
