For many people, breakfast is a very important meal. It provides energy and makes you less likely to overeat later on in the day. Research also shows eating breakfast regularly suggests you’re more likely to maintain a healthy weight than if you skip it.
The problem is that mornings can be very hectic, so a healthy option that is also convenient and easily adaptable to your specific goals is an invaluable addition to your nutritional arsenal. Find out how to make an easy high-protein breakfast sandwich you can even put together the night before (or even in bulk and frozen), heated, then eaten on the run.
High-Protein Breakfast Sandwich: Ingredients
- 1 toasted organic spelt English muffin
Note: Ezekial, or gluten free breads work as well, as do low carb tortillas - 1 slice of organic American cheese
- 1 cage-free egg cooked in nonstick spray
Note: You can add more to make the sandwich more filling at only 70 calories an egg - 2 ounces of organic uncured ham
Note: Canadian bacon, or Turkey bacon, work as well - 1 teaspoon of organic ketchup
Just assemble these ingredients and go – it’s that easy.
High-Protein Breakfast Sandwich: Nutrition Profile
The nutritional breakdown will vary if you substitute ingredients, and if you choose to add an extra couple of eggs, but this is the profile for the original sandwich:
Calories: 327
Protein: 25 grams
Fat: 14 grams
Carbohydrates: 31 grams
For comparison, a bacon, egg and cheese bagel from McDonald’s has 630 calories. A Protein Snack Pack from Starbucks has 370 calories and only 13 grams of protein.
Hope you enjoy – let us know what other variations you come up with to keep this high-protein meal a go-to.
Chicken
Chicken breast, 3.5 oz – 30 grams protein
Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)
Drumstick – 11 grams
Wing – 6 grams
Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams
Fish
Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce
Tuna, 6 oz can – 40 grams of protein
Pork
Pork chop, average – 22 grams protein
Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams
Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams
Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams
Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams
Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 – 6
I’d substitute the cheese for another egg = roughly the same calories and an even better nutritional profile. Personal preference / suggestion.
Me too; or a better cheese. Then again, I have a prejudice against American “cheese” that I should probably overcome.
Like Gouda. High in Vit K2 🙂
The spelt muffins are a better option than most conventional alternatives, but I’d dig around for something with zero sugars, e.g. the Ezekiel choices. Plus, sprouted grain bread products are just pleasantly more rustic and hearty in texture.
I hate cooking in the am, therefore, I have taken to baking egg muffins. These are made in a jumbo muffin tin, with leftover meats and vegetables placed in the bottom and then 1 egg per muffin beaten & poured over the leftovers. I have 2 of these muffin tins, so I can make 12 muffins at a time, meaning for almost 2 weeks, all I have to do is shuffle to the refrigerator, get a muffing out, reheat it in the microwave & eat. I freeze about half the same day they are made, so they keep while I am eating the other half.
This article refers to a recent finding regarding animal protein consumption. I’d really like to know what you all think about this.
Kathleen
I don’t have the background to truly answer your question but it looked funky.
High diabetes in the high protein group?
Diabetes starts as a sugar/carb problem.
Here is somebody with credentials, who left a comment and has written a rebuttal.
Jason Cholewa – Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Coastal Carolina University
Doctorate of Exercise Physiology
Why then might the researchers make their conclusions off this lack of evidence? Its quite simple, the senior researcher, V. D. Luongo is the founder and has equity in L-Nutra, a Vegan Based Nutrition System. Luongo designed the study, obtained funding, and played a major role in the writing of the manuscript. This is a serious conflict of interest, and we should hold the publisher of the study, Cellular Metabolism, and their peer reviewers responsible for not identifying these issues. If you want to read more about it you can here at my objective critical analysis.
You can find the rebuttal here.
http://jasoncholewa.com/2014/03/05/high-protein-diets-cause-cancer-study-says/
Thanks for sharing, Ken.
I like the idea of egg muffins and a friend used to live on them. Suggest using two/three whites to each yolk, more protein but less saturates.
I don’t suggest microwaving any food, ever…. The microwaves destroy the nutritional value of the food, and although you will probably get the proteins, I believe microwaves go completely against the goal of healthy eating.
Skip the ketsup and added sugars. Add more healthy fat instead. I’d use a few avocado slices instead of a possibly processed American cheese (harder to digest). I’d also watch out on the bread choices as some of the GF breads contain sugars you don’t need. For me, I’d just scramble it and eat with a fork, forgoing the bread for another egg.
All great points, Amy. That’s why I recommended the Ezekiel or other sprouted grain breads. They would avoid the sugars issue. Plus, I just think they’re much tastier, especially when toasted.
Love the idea of the sandwich, but have tried it with a few replacements:
instead of the american cheese, try goats cheese (also the slice kind, not the spread). Instead of the ketchup I would use slices of fresh tomato. Organic or not, no ketchup is still better than ketchup and the fresh tomatoes will add the necessary moist to the sandwich as well.
And instead of the pork ham I would use Turkey ham (not turkey bacon).
Another tip: before you eat the sandwich, drink 8oz of water! It is surprising how much of our feeling of hunger can come from actually being thirsty!
Enjoy!!
Hi Marc, I just had a baby 4 months ago. I know I need more calories to consume since I am breastfeeding. so this is my situation. I am 5’4 176lbs.(I was 212lbs postpartum- I know like a NYC area code! LOL) 37 years young:) How many calories should I be eating a day, to lose weight to 130lbs? My goal is to be in a bikini to figure competition body frame. There is no time frame since I think slow losing is better.
Any comments?
I also noticed that nutritionally your articles are geared towards men and do not have many examples for women. Do you also work with women?
thanks
Rosa
Rosa – Congrats on having a baby! I certainly have and do work with women, but my expertise is not pre/post natal, which is where you are. Your question is very interesting and it’s honestly something I’ve never thought about. I wonder if Charlie can add his two cents who is the author of this article.
What would be an example of daily macros breakdown?