Last week we talked about snack swaps, this week I wanted to discuss easy breakfast swaps to help you reduce the amount of food additives you’re consuming. I noticed, through conversations with my clients, that besides snacks, having a healthy, nutrient dense breakfast is sometimes difficult. Getting themselves and the kids ready to and out the door can make mornings hectic so quick breakfasts at Dunkin’ or Starbucks is sometimes all they have time for. I totally get that! There are other quick and healthy options, so that is what we’re going to discuss today!
Breakfast Sandwich Swaps
Two top contenders for breakfast sandwiches are Starbucks’ Sausage Cheddar and Egg Sandwich and Dunkin’ Bacon Egg and Cheese on a Croissant. Both both have a ton of ingredients and many of those are the food additives we’ve been talking about the past couple of weeks.
The Starbucks’ Sausage Cheddar and Egg Sandwich contains the following additives (these are not all of the ingredients): enriched wheat flour, soybean oil, food starch-modified, sunflower oil, dextrose, sugar, and other bioengineered foods.
The Dunkin’ Bacon Egg and Cheese on Croissant contains the following additives (these are not all the ingredients): enriched wheat flour, margarine [(palm oil, modified palm oil, canola oil), sugar, monoglycerides, artificial colors, sugar, dextrose, fructose, corn syrup solids, soybean oil, and canola oil.
A great option if you’re pressed for time during weekday mornings is to prepare make-ahead breakfasts! Using fresh eggs, nitrate free bacon (like ones from Applegate or Niman Ranch), and grass fed cheese will make it a delicious, healthy, and nutrient dense option as you’re running out the door.
Here is one of my favorite make-ahead breakfast burrito recipes. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you give it a try!
You could also take those same ingredients and make a yummy breakfast sandwich using Ezekial English Muffins. Their ingredients are super clean and healthy, take a look: organic sprouted wheat, organic sprouted barley, organic sprouted millet, organic malted barley, organic sprouted lentils, organic sprouted soybeans, organic sprouted spelt, filtered water, yeast, organic wheat gluten, and sea salt.
Lastly, you could make some egg bites and put them in the fridge for a few days. Here is my go-to recipe:
Homemade Egg Bites
12 Eggs, ½ cup cottage cheese, 2-4 oz sharp cheddar, Salt to taste Blend in a high power blender for a full minute. Place a silicone muffin tin in a roasting tray with about a ½ inch of water. Optional: add crumbles of cooked bacon on top. Bake at 325 for about 25-30 mins.
Cereal
Weekday mornings often mean the kids are having cereal for breakfast before being schlepped out the door. While sugary cereals are okay everyone once and awhile (keep in mind that kids should not have more than 24g/day of added sugar), here are some healthier options you can introduce into their cereal rotation.
Cereals like Captain Crunch (17g of added sugar/serving) and Lucky Charms (12g of added sugar/serving) are loaded with food additives like: sugar, palm oil, coconut oil, modified corn starch, corn syrup, dextrose, BHT, and artificial colors (yellow 5 & 6, red 40, blue 1).
Even cereals that appear healthier contain lots of added sugar and some additives. Crackling Oat Bran has 16g of added sugar/serving and contains sugar, palm oil, and corn syrup.
Better options for cereals include:
Three Wish Fruity Cereal is a better option. Their ingredients include chickpea, tapioca, pea protein, organic cane sugar, natural flavors, vegetable juice for color and monk fruit.
I’d love to hear what you think if you give any of these swaps a try! And if you’re looking for help swapping out lunch or dinner options and eating a more nutrient-dense diet, feel free to fill out my form and we can get on a call for a free consultation.
