Low-Fat & Low-Calorie Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. Unfortunately, traditional breakfast foods include a lot of fat and calories, hindering any weight loss or dieting plan. Instead of relying on such foods, seek out healthier alternatives to the traditional breakfast. They will help you cut calories and fat from your morning routine, and slim your waistline in the process.

Eggs

• The traditional omelet contains high-calorie and high-fat cheese and breakfast meats. One omelet made with two large eggs and a half of a cup of shredded cheddar or American cheese can total 604 calories and 44 grams of fat, and provide very little nutritional value. Using four egg whites, one half of a cup of feta cheese and one cup of spinach totals 320 calories and 22 grams of fat. Adding vegetables can also increase your portion size and provide essential nutrients without adding fat or calories.

Cereals

• Many cereals consist of sugar and processed flours. These are known as empty calories because they have no nutritional value for your body. If you eat these with whole milk, that can add fat on top of the empty calories. Instead, go with whole grain hot cereals, such as cream of wheat or oatmeal. They contain fiber, which will keep you full for longer and provide lasting energy. To these you can add one percent or skim milk, berries, ground flax seeds or honey. Although honey is sugar, it metabolizes differently in the body and will not store as fat like table sugar will.

Drinks

• Coffee, tea and juices are a major source of hidden calories. Alone, coffee or tea contain very little calories, but adding sugar, milk and creamers can quickly add up. Try using skim milk to cut the fat content and limit the amount of sugar used to one teaspoon. Try keeping juice to eight-ounce servings, or eat the whole fruit when you can. Juice stores calories quickly because it lacks fiber, a slow burning carbohydrate that will use the energy from the fruit more efficiently.

Fruits

• Although fruits contain a lot of sugar, they also contain the essential enzymes, vitamins and minerals that will help you metabolize these sugars correctly, as well as fiber to help you burn this sugar more slowly. They also hold less fat and calories than more traditional breakfast items, like breads, meats and eggs. A fruit salad always makes a good breakfast choice, and can be paired with a low to nonfat yogurt or cottage cheese for protein. You might also combine one apple and two tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter: loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals and healthy oils.

Bread

• Popular breakfast choices in the bread category include bagels, toast and English muffins, to name a few. Switching to whole grains can cut calories and provide essential fiber, a complex carbohydrate that takes longer to digest and releases energy over time. While just one plain large bagel can average 360 calories, two pieces of whole wheat toast are only 120 calories. Instead of butter, try using sugar-free jellies, peanut butter or hummus to avoid saturated fats and lower the amount of calories.