Breakfast Recipes Under 200 Calories

Do a search in google or bing on how many calories you should consume for breakfast, and you get all sorts of interesting nonsense. Most of which come from so-called health experts or health websites. They never cite any research to back up the claims that are made. Such claims as, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, “skipping breakfast is unhealthy”, “your brain needs the extra energy to function”, “it increases metabolism” (No it doesn’t), “consume 300-500 calories”….blah, blah, blah, blah. All nonsense really. If you’re a healthy adult  (no diabetes or eating disorder) who is not pregnant, skipping breakfast won’t hurt you, in fact there are many benefits to it (see here).

But, maybe you’re one of those people who need to have a quick lunch (an apple) and get back to work, or feels hungry in the morning (most people) and need to have something to eat out of habit. In that case let’s look at some healthy breakfast recipes that are low in calories (yes less than 300-500, closer to 200). These are quick and easy to make, no fuss at all.

1.Eggs and Grapefruit So we’re talking about two large eggs (about 75 Calories each) and a half of a large grapefruit (53 calories).  Just so you know these are hard boiled eggs. You can season however you want, with salt and pepper or oregano, you decide. The nutritional breakdown is as follows for 1 serving (203 Calories). Okay, not quite under 200 calories, but close enough.

Fat: 5.47 g

Cholesterol: 372 mg

Carbohydrates: 14.13 g

Protein: 14.06 g

Sugars: 11.96 g

My only comment, is that the sugar content is high compared to the protein content because of the grapefruit. I would like to see more protein and less sugar. Since we are using a large grapefruit, how about just doing a quarter of it. It will cut down the sugar content and still add some zest to your breakfast.

2. Fage Yogurt (Total 0 %) with chia seeds and blueberries This one has a ton of protein and will keep you full for a long time. The chia seeds absorbs moisture and expands keeping you satiated till your next meal. The Fage Total 0% has 100 calories. A tablespoon of chia seeds contains 60 calories and a quarter cup of blue berries…21 calories. The nutritional breakdown is as follows for 1 serving (181 Calories):

Fat: 4.21 g

Cholesterol: 0.10 mg

Carbohydrates: 16.36g

Protein: 22 g

Sugars: 10.69 g

This has a lot of protein  and a decent amount of carbs. It would make a good pre-workout food, if you’re lifting weights. The sugar content is die to the blueberries. You have the option of including it or taking it out. I like it, since it gives a little sweet to an otherwise bland yogurt/chia mix.

3. Asparagus with soft boiled eggs This takes about 10 mins. to prep and another 10 to cook. Prep the night before and cook in the morning if you’re in a hurry. The nutritional breakdown is as follows for 1 serving (186 Calories):

Fat: 10 g

Cholesterol: 186 mg

Carbohydrates: 12 g

Protein: 12 g

Sugars: 3 g

This would be a good shake to have before working out, due to carb content. Check out the details of how to make it here.

4.Garlic Salmon What would this list be without one seafood recipe. Now, you do need to have some time to do this one. So, maybe this can be a weekend go to dish. There is no frying of any sort just baking in the oven. The nutritional breakdown is as follows for 1 serving (169 Calories):

Fat: 6.7 g

Cholesterol: 50 mg

Carbohydrates: 2.1 g

Protein: 24.5 g

Sugars: 0 g

This has a lot of protein, 0 sugar and very little carbs. Again if you prep the night before, then you can cut the time in the morning and you only have to spend 20-25 mins. cooking. Check out the details, of how to make it, here.

5. Chick pea curry A recipe for my vegan friends. This only has 135 calories per serving. You have 65 calories you can play with, so maybe you can top it off with some yogurt or a handful of almonds. The nutritional breakdown is as follows for 1 serving (135 Calories):

Fat: 4.5 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Carbohydrates: 20.5 g

Protein: 4.1 g

Sugars: 0 g

It does take a fair amount of  time, about 40 mins with 10 mins of prep time included. Check out the details, of how to make it, here.

I will continue to update this post with more breakfast recipes for your tasting and health pleasure. None of the recipes call for expensive ingredients or anything that is difficult to get. Some do take a little longer to make, but it helps if you prep the night before, or do it on the weekend.

Asparagus and egg image under CC by 2.0 license

Grapefruit image under CC by SA 2.0 license

Hardboiled egg image under CC by SA 2.0 license