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It’s 7 a.m. and you’ve already pressed the snooze button twice. You’re going to need a lot of energy to make it through this day and that starts with breakfast. Bagels don’t count, neither does cereal. You don’t want food that leads to weight gain. Preferably you’d start the day with food that could do the opposite. Eggs are an anti-inflammatory, fat-burning food that fit the bill perfectly. “Eggs are one of the simplest and most inexpensive foods you can eat to help lose weight,” says Rebekah Blakely, a registered dietician with The Vitamin Shoppe. Make them part of your daily routine.
First off, just the act of having a morning meal means you’re one step closer to slimming down. “Studies show that people who eat breakfast are more successful at losing weight - and maintaining their weight loss - than those who skip it,” says Colette Heimowitz, a nutritionist with Atkins Nutritionals. She says your goal should be to control carbs and sugar so avoid the high glycemic impact carbs like low fiber cereals, white breads, buns, bagels, juice or pastries. As for the foods you should incorporate into breakfast: eggs deliver the protein you need.
It’s no secret how much we love eggs and Julie Andrews, The Gourmet RD, agrees with us. “Is there anything as satisfying as a super-runny, fresh yolky egg?” she asks. “It’s, like, nature’s perfect sauce, and eggs automatically make whatever you put them on breakfast.” One egg has 7 grams of protein plus vitamins, minerals and anti-inflammatory omega-3s. Eggs keep your blood sugar steady and provide nutrient-dense energy to keep you satiated. Eating eggs (the yolk included!) any time of day is a delicious and simple way to advance your weight loss goals.
There was a time medical experts warned us about the negative effects of eating too many eggs, but the story has changed. “We now know that dietary cholesterol isn't harmful to our health and that cholesterol is actually necessary to keep our cells functioning optimally,” says culinary nutrition expert, Andrea Wien. So if you want to eat eggs every day, go for it! In fact, any meal can benefit from the addition of an over easy egg. Truly. Andrews knows that busy people want to eat healthy, good tasting food. And she thinks cooking in a skillet, then topping the meal with eggs, is the answer. We agree. She has devised three recipes: black beans and sweet potatoes, turkey sausage and cannellini beans, and Mediterranean ground lamb with feta. You don’t need to stick with the ingredients – play with the idea of a skillet meal as a healthy vehicle for breakfast with eggs
So eggs are an awesome start. But there’s more. “Weight maintenance requires sustained dietary change,” says Rachel Swanson, a RDN at Lifespan Medicine. “Making it a habit to add multiple anti-inflammatory foods to your plate each day means controlling hunger over time and preventing weight re-gain.” Get a step up on shedding fat by including kale with eggs. “Emerging evidence suggests the phytochemical composition of leafy greens may have a role in weight loss,” says Swanson. Kale (and cousins spinach, chard, collard greens, etc.) is also high in natural antioxidants to help prevent muscle loss that can slow metabolism and lead to weight gain. A kale salad with a runny egg on top is totes delicious! A kale salad without the egg is meh. Cut kale into thin ribbons and add it to a quinoa bowl with diced hard-boiled eggs and black beans. Just the presence of kale turns a scrambled egg into a gourmet meal.
[Photos: Shutterstock]
