Once upon a time, high-protein
meals were considered the domain of bodybuilders and weight lifters.
These days, more people are
recognising the health benefits of protein. Not only does protein help to build
muscle or lean body mass, but it can also help to keep you feeling fuller for longer, reduce cravings, and maintain healthy body weight. In fact, our bodies actually use energy to
digest protein, through something called the thermic effect of food.
It’s not just great for people
looking to lose weight or gain muscle: protein also offers health benefits to
older people by preventing a condition called sarcopenia,
or age-related muscle loss that can lead to more falls, less mobility
and a decreased quality of life.
Protein is typically found in
animal products like meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products. For many
Australians, lunch and dinner tend to be the time when we get the most of our
protein, but with many people choosing cereals or toast for breakfast (or
skipping it altogether), it can be hard to get a good dose of protein with your
morning meal.
Here are 10 breakfasts that offer a
protein hit to start your day right:
Egg and
bacon cups
Ingredients
12 rindless short-cut bacon rashers
6 eggs
1 small handful of low-fat grated
cheese
1 large handful of baby spinach
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Lightly spray a muffin tin with
cooking oil and line each muffin hole with two bacon rashers to form a cup. Top
with a few leaves of baby spinach, and crack an egg on top. Top with a small
sprinkle of cheese season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the egg is set and the bacon is cooked through.
Serves 6.
Greek
yoghurt and berries with granola
Ingredients
½ cup of low-fat Greek yoghurt
100g of fresh berries
20g of granola
Method
Combine yoghurt and berries in a
bowl and top with granola. Serves 1.
Soft-boiled
eggs and avocado on toast
Ingredients
1 or 2 slices of sourdough bread
2 eggs
1 handful of baby spinach leaves
¼ of an avocado
Method
Half-fill a small saucepan with hot
water and bring to the boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, bring
the heat down to 6 and gently lower in each egg using a slotted spoon. While
the eggs are cooking, fill a bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes and set
aside.
After six to seven minutes
(depending on how set you like your eggs), use the slotted spoon to remove your
eggs from the pot and place them straight into the ice water and leave to cool
for a few minutes while you toast your bread, before gently peeling away the
shells.
Top your toast with spinach leaves,
sliced avocado, eggs and salt and pepper.
Baked eggs
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup of tomato passata
1 tsp of dried oregano
1 tsp of dried basil
1 small handful of baby spinach
1 tablespoon of greek yoghurt
Fresh parsley, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees,
and lightly spray an oven-proof ramekin or small baking dish with cooking oil.
Pour in your tomato passata, dried
herbs, and baby spinach, and stir to combine. Crack in your two eggs and cook
in the oven for 15 minutes, or until egg whites are set.
Top with Greek yoghurt and chopped
parsley. Serves 1.
Berry
vanilla smoothie
Ingredients
100g frozen berries
1 cup of nut, oat or cow’s milk
½ cup of low-fat Greek yoghurt
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
Method
Add all ingredients and a handful
of ice cubes to a smoothie and blend to combine. For a thicker smoothie, add
more ice or frozen fruit. For a thinner consistency, add more milk or water.
Protein
pancakes
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 banana
¼ cup rolled oats
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
Method
Add a small amount of butter or oil
to a frypan over medium heat.
While the pan is warming up, add
ingredients to a blender and blitz until well combined.
Using a ¼ cup measure, ladle out
your batter onto the frypan. When bubbles appear in the centre of your pancake,
flip and cook on the other side for two minutes or until lightly golden. Repeat
with remaining batter.
Top with maple syrup or fruit and
yoghurt.
Ham and
cheese toastie
Ingredients
2 slices of wholemeal bread
120g of sliced ham
30g of low-fat cheese
1 tomato, sliced
1 small handful of baby spinach
leaves
Method
Top one slice of bread with baby
spinach, followed by a few slices of tomato, ham, and cheese. Add remaining
bread slice and toast in a sandwich toaster for two to three minutes or until
cheese is melted and bread is golden.
Alternatively, place the sandwich
on a lightly oiled frypan over medium-high heat and cook for two minutes,
before flipping over and cooking for another two minutes on the other side.
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