If you’ve only been eating eggs for breakfast, then you’re missing out on a great source of whole, lean protein for other meals in your day. And why do you need protein? Well, it boils down to muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn–even at rest. In order to build muscle, your body needs protein, which brings us right back to eggs.
Sure, there are lots of lean protein sources available out there–salmon, chicken, turkey, and so on. However, eggs are super versatile, which is why you should give them a second thought. While you may have just been taking them scrambled, fried, or over easy with your morning coffee, there are many more opportunities to eat them all day long.
Hard Boiled: Need a protein snack on the go? Hard-boiled eggs are a perfect travel companion. Boil up a dozen at one time (you can even bake them in the shells at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes for the same effect!), and you have twelve handy snacks. Leave the shell on until you’re hungry, and then just peel and eat.
Hard Boiled Plus: While hard boiled eggs are tasty on their own, they alone offer a wide array of yummy eating options. Chop them up and add them to a salad. Slice in half and use as a mini bowl for deviled, hummus, or guacamole filling. Or cut and mix with a light mayo, mustard, and celery for an egg salad to roll in a lettuce wrap.
Egg Topper: For being so simple to prepare, over easy eggs can add a lot to your favorite foods. There’s something very comfort-food like biting into a turkey burger as the yolk lightly runs over it. And that same effect holds true when you add an egg to a margarita pizza, to a pile of sweet potatoes, spinach, and Italian turkey sausage, or over the top of simple quinoa.
Stir-Fry Scrambler: If you love ordering in fried rice, but aren’t crazy about what it does to your waistline, make your own for a healthier option. Stir fry ground turkey, chopped carrots, and peas with a low sodium soy sauce and a little olive oil. Scramble eggs on the side and when the stir fry is cooked through mix it in. There’s not as much frying in this fried rice, but you won’t miss it in the taste.
Frittata: If omelettes and quiche had babies, they’d be frittatas. With this dish you get to throw in omelette favorites such as ham, mushrooms, and leeks and bake it the same way you would a quiche, but just without the crust. Be creative with your frittatas, using foods you wouldn’t normally associate with breakfast–such as tomatoes, turkey pepperoni, and basil–to make it feel more dinner-worthy.
Bowl It: Since eggs can easily be baked in the oven, crack them inside of “real-food bowls” for a perfectly packable lunches. What’s a real-food bowl? A pitted and halved avocado. A twice baked potato or sweet potato with space made for the egg. Or the underside of a portobello mushroom.
Like the commercials say: eggs really are incredibly edible–and not just when the sun comes up. Experiment with this protein-packed food, and your taste buds will be in for a healthy treat!
How do you like your eggs? Share with us in the comments!
Carrie Anton is a freelance writer focusing on health, fitness, and sports. She's been published in Self, Women's Health, Oxygen, and Maximum Fitness.
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