An average egg contains approximately 72 calories, 55 of those calories come from the yolk and only 17 from the white. There is 4.5 grams of fat in the yolk compared to 0.1 grams in the white and on another seemingly positive side the white contains 5 grams of protein and the yolk has the other 2.7grams. Now if you were on a weight loss or high protein diet this would make excluding the yolk seems like a good option as its high protein and low fat.

Looking in to the vitamins and minerals from an egg, the egg white alone contains 80% of the magnesium and 75% of the potassium content which is good for the heart and blood. However, the yolk contains 90% of the calcium and 93% of the iron content from the whole egg, meaning you lose close to any calcium or iron content you would have gained from the egg when you exclude the yolk.

One of the most common reasons people use egg whites alone is to reduce the amount of fat and calories they would get if eating the whole egg.  The egg yolk contains 4.5grams of fat but it is a GOOD fat, the body needs fats to survive and an egg is a healthy way to get the healthy fats in to your diet. The fat that an egg contains is a long chain Omega 3 fatty acid DHA, which is good for a healthy brain along with being known to promote healthy hair and skin.

Another negative myth surrounding egg yolks is they contribute to heart disease and other heart related problems due to the yolk containing 210mg of cholesterol and 0.0mg in just the egg white. However cholesterol itself does not cause heart disease and there is no evidence been found to prove that the yolk can contribute to heart disease.

After reading in to all the facts about egg yolks vs whites, I would have to say that I don’t agree with using just the egg white for a ‘healthier’ alternative. Yes, it is a lower calorie and lower fat alternative but while you’re saving yourself these calories and fat you are losing out on nutrition such as calcium, iron and essential fatty acids which are good for the brain and what better way to start your day than by knowing you’re feeding your brain with your breakfast. I think that using the egg white alone is a good alternative if you are trying to lose weight or you are on a short term high protein diet but from a health point of view in short, you lose the yolk and you’re losing the majority of the nutrition.

With all this in mind I thought I would create an egg white breakfast to try for myself what the taste was like, if any different!  I personally couldn’t taste much difference besides the slight lack of taste in my opinion compared to when I use the whole egg, it also didn’t cook as easily as the whole egg and I had to leave it in the pan for much longer than I normally do with scrambled egg so if you do begin to cook and it looks like it’s not going anywhere, persevere as it will eventually scramble. It made a nice breakfast and filled me up but I’m not convinced that egg whites are the way forward for me and I’ll be sticking to using the whole egg in future to get all that good nutrition!

Recipe:

serves 1

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 3 tbsp. of rice milk
• 1 ½ diced tomato
• 2 sliced mushrooms
• 2 Ryvita Original Crackerbreads
• A sprinkle of Lea and Perrins to top (optional)

Method:

1. In a bowl mix the whisk the egg whites with the rice milk and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste, leave aside.
2. Slice the mushrooms and dice the tomato. Grease a frying pan with low cal spray and add the mushroom and tomato, leave to cook for five minutes.
3. Pour the egg white mix over the veg in the frying pan and keep everything moving to avoid any egg sticking to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes until golden brown.
4. Move on to a warm plate and season with Lea and Perrins. Enjoy with some lightly buttered Ryvita Crackerbread.

We all know oats are good for us but what exactly can this super food do for our health?

• Good for Digestion – Fibre is necessary for regular bowel movements and can play a large part in helping people with IBS. Obviously you could get fibre from other foods but the good thing about oats is they contain two types of fibre, one being insoluble fibre. This helps to make stools heavier and speed up their passage along the gut which relieves constipation. Many people who suffer with constipation often steer away from high fibre food such as oats, as they think it will make the problem worse but it actually has the opposite effect. I myself do find that too many oats, for example a bowl of porridge, is too heavy on my stomach and leaves me feeling very heavy and bloated but by eating smaller more regular servings of high fibre food such as oats (try these flapjacks for example as they are perfect little bites!) can help IBS by regulating bowel movements.

• Lowers Cholesterol and Blood Pressure – The other type of fibre which oats contain is soluble fibre, which has been proven to lower blood pressure when consuming a daily serving of oats. High blood pressure can lead to many complications and problems with the heart and kidneys. Oats contain beta-glucan which helps towards lowering blood LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol in our body). You, like me may not currently suffer from any problems with cholesterol or blood pressure but by consuming more oats you can help to reduce your risk of these types of problems in the future.

• Aids Weight Loss and Maintaining a Healthy Weight – With the high soluble fibre content of oats, it means our bodies pass and digest the oats through the body at a slower pace. This leaves you feeling satisfied for longer and avoids the need to snack to keep your energy up.  Oats are also much higher in protein than other breakfast cereal and this high intake of protein will leave you with more energy for working out and speed up your metabolism.

• Controlling Blood Sugar Levels - Oats are also good for stabilizing your blood sugar levels as with their high fibre content, the body passes the food slower meaning it doesn’t instantly create and release glucose and energy from the food all at once, instead it slowly produces and releases glucose giving you a more stable amount of energy for a longer time. With many breakfast choices I have had in the past I often had a rush of energy which not only doesn’t last long it also results in a crash effect where I then feel very tired. By eating oats regularly you can take more control of your blood sugar levels and avoid problems such hypo glycaemia and more developed problems such as diabetes.

• Calming Effects – Oats are rich in B vitamins such as thiamin and riboflavin which allow the body to produce energy, help to maintain a healthy nervous system and reduce stress. Oats also act as a natural anti-depressant and are often used to depression and anxiety with their calming properties.

I could go on and on about oats! I have found out so much myself through doing this research and have inspired myself to get even more oats in my diet! Below you’ll find a simple recipe for my Power Packed Flapjack, they are full of good ingredients making them great for breakfast, a snack after a workout or enjoying with friends at tea time. After reading all the natural benefits oats can give you they are a quick and tasty way to start getting more in to your diet today!

Recipe:

Makes approximately 20 bars

Ingredients:

• 300grams of rolled oats
• 80grams of agave nectar
• 2 tbsp. of honey
• 8 tbsp. of warm water
• 30grams of sunflower spread
• 30grams of smooth peanut butter
• One mashed up banana
• 100grams of dried fruit, berries or chocolate chips (I used a mix of chocolate raisins, sultanas and cranberries)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200c. Grease a baking tray (I used a 7×12 inch) with low cal spray. In a bowl mix the oats, agave nectar, honey and warm water until combined.
2. Using a wooden spoon smooth in the sunflower spread, peanut butter and banana, this may take a few minutes and some effort as the mix can be quiet thick. Finally add the dried fruit and choc chip and mix through.
   

   This mixture can be very thick to stir but for perfect results persist until well combined! Add a teaspoons of water to help blend if needed....

3. Pour all the mix in to the baking tray and spread out evenly. Take a normal tablespoon and pat down until the mix is spread evenly and firm.
   

   I used a silver desert spoon to pat down evenly for a smoother result.

4. Place in the oven and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly golden brown around the edge. Slice in to small squares and transfer to a plate to cool. To store, keep in an airtight container in a cool dry place. You can also enjoy these raw, just follow the first three steps and place in fridge for half an hour to harden up then store as you would the cooked flapjack!
   

   Not only tasty but packed with energy and all the goodness from the oats!

I used Rice Krispies with this tower as I find a lot of cereals very heavy however after finishing I could imagine a nice granola with it. I drizzled on the rice milk afterwards and it slowly drizzle through the tower making it very moist, this delicious tower made a great change to a bowl of cereal. If you don’t have a much time to make a perfect tower you could try just mixing it in a bowl to make a nice scramble of flavours.

Recipe

I didn’t use many exact measurements throughout so just be creative based on how much cereal or berries you want. Also like I always say make the most of what you have in the kitchen and use up any fruit you have, just dice it up and stack like I did the berries.

Ingredients:

• Rice krispies
• Rice milk to drizzle on top (or any milk of your choice)
• A small bowl of berries

And for the banana nut yoghurt

• One banana
• Half a teaspoon on peanut butter
• A dash of cinnamon
• A teaspoon of rice milk

Forgot the include cinnamon when taking the picture!

Method:

1. Firstly make the yoghurt ready to layer in the tower. Take the banana, mash and stir with a fork until creamy and there is minimal lumps. Take the peanut butter and smooth in to the mixture ensuring the lump has been mixed in throughout, finally add the cinnamon and rice milk and stir.
2. Take a tall glass and begin to layer with rice krispies, smooth the yoghurt mix on and top with berries. Continue this process until cup is full. Drizzle over with milk and enjoy.

Be creative with how you pile it up, you can make it an eye catching breakfast for your children or anyone looking to get in their five a day!

For me, the biggest problem is that I rarely have any appetite in the morning. It is at least a couple hours after I wake up before I start to feel hungry and the thought of having to prepare anything makes me feel even less like eating!   In the past this has often meant I don’t eat until lunch time – sometimes six hours after I wake up. This is no good if you already suffer from stomach problems and in the long run, it just means your metabolism gets sluggish and this is the start of health problems.  To stop this happening, I’ve got into the habit of taking a snack with me I leave the house.  Then I’ve got something ready to eat, when I do start to feel hungry.

There are lots of breakfast bars in all the Supermarkets now and I used to pick these up, until I started to read the labels.  With some of them, you may as well buy a bar of chocolate.  They are full of sugar, bad fats and preservatives. So I have made my alternative. This is one of my favourite as the oats are perfect for slowly releasing energy and the bananas sweeten the bar without the need sugar. I have used agave nectar, a healthier substitute to sugar that I use alot for cooking with. If you haven’t tried agave nectar, you’ll find it in most big supermarket and you can read about it here: http://www.allaboutagave.com/index.php).

I usually make  these on a Sunday, make sure they’ve cooled down and  wrap them individually in tin foil. They’re ready for me to grab one in the morning. They also make a great snack mid afternoon, they give you plenty of energy to keep you going until dinner or if you need an energy boost after a workout.  Hope you enjoy them.  Let me know what you think.

Recipe:

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Baking Time: 20 minutes

Makes: 12 bars

Ingredients:

170grams of wheat free flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
115grams sunflower spread
1 egg
3 medium mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
135grams rolled oats

85 grams raisins and cranberries

135grams agave nectar

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 200C. I used a 12 inch baking pan which I covered with tin foil and used a low calorie fry spray to grease the pan. In a bowl add the flour and baking soda and place aside. In a large bowl, add the sunflower spread, agave nectar, egg and mashed bananas, beat until smooth.

It will look very lumpy at first but keep beating until all ingredients form a smooth mix like shown below...

2.Sift in flour mixture and fold in along with the oats. Finally add the spices and fruit and thoroughly stir in ensuring they are well mixed in.

3.Pour mixture in to the prepared baking tin and smooth mixture over evenly.

Use low calorie sprays to grease your baking tins. Not only is it suitable for vegans, it works just as well as butter without all the added calories!

4.Bake for ten minutes then take out and sprinkle the coconut over the top, bake for a further ten minutes until golden brown. Take out and leave to cool for ten minutes before trying to remove from the baking tin or cut, as it can be crumbly when too hot.

 

 

Enjoy with some juice and berries at home for the perfect breakfast....

 

... Or individually wrap and store in an air tight container to enjoy for an on the go breakfast throughout the week!