A Speedy Breakfast!

So. I actually planned to have a new dessert post for today. I tried to make a low-carb "Creamy Egg Custard" last night, and while not quite disgusting, it definitely wasn't...enticing. I couldn't find the Carb Countdown milk that it called for, but I didn't want to make the 500-calorie version with heavy cream, so I tried it with unsweetened almond milk. Perhaps it was my substitution that ruined it, or perhaps it was that the recipe is just bad... but it turned out kinda gross. A little slimy, and it totally smelled and tasted like cooked eggs--which isn't bad if you're expecting a breakfast casserole, but isn't good when you're expecting a smooth, rich, sweet custard dessert.

Anyway, as I was making my usual breakfast this morning, it occurred to me that many people (including me at one time) struggle to put together a quick, simple, healthy and/or low-carb breakfast in the mornings. So I thought I'd share what I usually do: an egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. Many studies have shown that eating breakfast--and especially including protein in your breakfasts--has numerous benefits, including help with controlling hunger and metabolism. Check out these articles and sites for more information here, here, and here. I know--you could probably get a breakfast sandwich quicker at McD's, BUT at least you know everything that's in it and how many calories it is when you make it at home...not to mention how much cheaper it is if you're eating this as frequently as I am.

FYI, to speed up food preparation in the mornings, it would be easy to cook the egg the night before (or a few days before). You can just fry them up and store them in ziploc bags, or--my favorite trick--cook several eggs up at once by plopping them into a muffin tin and baking them, then popping them out and storing them in baggies or containers. Easy and quick to reheat!

Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

Ingredients
Olive oil (I use my oil mister)
1 egg
1 slice reduced-fat cheese (I use pre-sliced Sargento RF Colby Jack, but really, any reduced-fat cheese would work)
1 Orowheat Mini Sandwich Thin

Heat olive oil in small frying pan on medium heat. Fry egg as desired. I like mine "over hard" so I don't have a runny mess in the morning if I have to eat this in the car. It's up to you, though. You could also scramble the egg and pour it into a cookie cutter or pancake shaper placed in the pan so that it isn't too big for the sandwich, I guess....  Or, if you made your egg in a muffin tin ahead of time, just reheat the egg in the microwave and plop it on the sandwich!

While the egg is cooking (or reheating), place cheese on the bottom half of the Orowheat mini. I am a little OCD about not having a bunch of cheese hanging over the edges of my bread, so I usually tear my cheese to fit mostly within the edges. :) Again, to each their own....

Place the cooked egg on top of the cheese, and cover with the other half of the Orowheat mini. Ta da! A quick, simple, delicious, and portable egg sandwich.

I always eat mine with a Dannon Light & Fit fruit yogurt (to get some fruit and dairy in with my breakfast), and sometimes with a cup of coffee with stevia and half-and-half in it. This is really filling, and always tides me over until lunchtime.

Egg Sandwich Nutrition Facts: 
Large egg....................70 cals, 4.5g fat, 240 chol, 70 sodium, 0.5 carb, 0 fiber, 7g prot, 0 sug
Sargento Cheese.........50 cals, 4g fat, 10 chol, 125 sodium, 0 carb, 0 fiber, 6g prot, 0 sug
Orowheat Mini............50 cals, 0.5g fat, 0 chol, 115 sodium, 10.5 carb, 2.5 fiber, 2.5g prot, 1 sug
Totals:........................170 cals, 9g fat, 250 cholesterol, 310 sodium, 11g carb, 2.5 fiber, 15.5g protein, 1 sug