Articles
Breakfast
Breakfast should be the most important meal of the day. It can be interesting and varied while still keeping to a low fat healthy diet. In the past, breakfast was a substantial meal when we worked physically and walked rather than sitting in cars and using public transport. We now need quick and easy meals that are not too high in kilojoules but will sustain us over the morning, be that doing housework, working in an office or going to school. At the weekends, you may like to look at more substantial breakfasts that are really more like brunches. Here are different ideas for breakfasts of all types.
Simple Quick Breakfasts.
- Toast spread with jam, peanut butter, honey or vegemite
- English Muffins with ricotta or Continental Quark and jam
- American Muffins that are low fat eg Muffin Man™ or homemade Muffins
- Fruit Smoothie with non fat milk
- Cereals - refer to Health and Medicine on April 19th or The Best All Round Cereals for help in choosing good high fibre, low fat cereals. If choosing muesli, make sure it doesn’t have a significant quantity of coconut.
Make your own Muesli
Make your own recipe by combining a mixture of oats, different brans, puff wheat, oat flakes, soy products and chopped dried fruit and nuts. Avoid dried bananas as they are usually fried. Muesli is high in kilojoules so be careful of quantity.
More Low Cholesterol Breakfast Choices:
Oatmeal Porridge
Make according to the package directions allowing 1/3 oats to 2/3 water or low fat milk. You may add 1 to 2 tabsp of natural bran to increase the fibre and make it more satisfying. Add additional interest with 1 tabsp of chopped apricots, or sultanas or LSA (linseed, sunflower seeds and almonds)
Creamed corn
Use as is from the can or flavour with a little stir-fried chopped capsicum. Serve on dry toast as the moisture from the corn reduces the need for a spread.
Baked Beans
Everyday canned baked beans are a healthy food, low in fat but high in sodium. You can choose a low salt variety. Heat and serve as is or add a little chopped onion and chopped apple or a few sultanas for extra interest. Serve on dry toast.
Savoury mushrooms
Cook in a non-stick pan with a spot of water, lemon juice and nutmeg. If you are using field mushrooms, slice and stir-fry with a little good oil and then when soft, thicken with a little water, cornflour and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Flavour with chopped chives and nutmeg. Cook for 5 minutes more and adjust seasoning.
Ready Egg™
Ready Egg™ is a yolk free mix based on egg white combined with an oil-flavoured mixture to replace the yolk. It looks like beaten eggs and comes frozen in 100 grams sachets that equal 2 eggs. It is usually only available from Coles Supermarkets. It is often found with the frozen pastry. One normal egg or egg yolk has 220 mg of cholesterol while this product has none. It can also be used in cakes and biscuits and quiche type dishes. Most people keeping to a low cholesterol diet should limit whole eggs to 1 or 2 a week.
To prepare omelettes or scrambled eggs using Ready Egg™:
Add 1 tablespoon of skim milk or water to one sachet to make an omelette or scrambled eggs. The addition of chopped spring onions, tomato or capsicum will give extra flavour. Use a non-stick pan and spray with oil as it is inclined to stick. Don’t over cook.
Instead of streaky bacon
Use Festive Turkey Bacon™, Hunsa - Lite Generation Country Style Bacon™ or middle eye breakfast rashers with the outside rim of fat removed. These all have about 5% fat. Leg ham steaks have 6% fat.
Instead of fat sausages
Sausages vary depending on the butcher. There are low fat beef and chicken ones available but you need to shop carefully. To cook- prick well, grill or poach in a little water, pour off water and brown. Remove as much fat as possible. Use sparingly.
Sausages - 10 per 500 grams | Fat per sausage | % Fat |
Regular sausages | 11 grams | 22% fat |
Low fat sausage | 4 grams | 8% fat |
Chicken sausages | 5 - 10 grams | 10 to 20% fat |
Chevups™ skinless sausages | 4 grams | 8.1% fat |
Healthy traditional cooked Breakfast
Combine an omelette or scrambled egg made with Ready Egg™ with Turkey Bacon™ and grilled tomato or baked beans to give an excellent low saturated fat, low cholesterol brunch for Sunday morning.
French Toast
Beat 1 egg or 1/2 pkg of Ready Egg™ with 1-cup non-fat milk. Dip 4 slices of bread in mixture until it is all absorbed. Cook in a hot, non-stick pan with a teaspoon of margarine, covering until puffed and golden brown. Serve plain or with honey or golden syrup.
Poached South African Fillet
Poach fish in a little non-fat milk in the microwave or the oven until it flakes. Remove bones and skin. Serve on dry toast as is or make white parsley flavoured sauce for fish.
Breakfast can be interesting and varied but still low cholesterol.
Compare levels of fat and kilojoules in different cooked breakfast menus.
A-Large High Fat Breakfast 2 egg omelette with 1 rasher of streaky bacon, 2 fried sausages, 2 slices of buttered toast and 1 grilled tomato.
B-Low Fat equivalent Breakfast 100 gram Ready Egg™ omelette, 1 slice turkey bacon, 2 low fat grilled sausages, 2 slices of dry toast and 1 grilled tomato.
C-Large Low Fat Breakfast 100 grams Ready Egg™ omelette, 1/2 cup Baked Beans, 1 slice Turkey Bacon™ or Hunza Lite Bacon™, 2 slices whole meal dry toast and 1/2 grilled tomato.
D-Smaller Lower Fat Breakfast 100 gram Ready Egg™ omelette, with 1/2-cup sweet corn, 2 slices of dry toast and 1 grilled tomato.
E-Light Low Fat Breakfast 1 large field mushroom that has been stir-fried in olive oil and thickened with cornflour and served on 2 slices of wholegrain toast.
Remember that less than 10% saturated fat and a total fat of less than 30% per day is ideal.
Breakfast | Kilojoules | Calories | Total Fat (grams) |
Sat. Fat (grams) |
Cholesterol (mg) |
A | 2,949 | 711 | 45 | 22 | 457 |
B | 2,301 | 670 | 24 | 14 | 108 |
C | 1,969 | 475 | 16.3 | 2.6 | 54 |
D | 1,749 | 419 | 14 | 0.5 | 5 |
E | 900 | 218 | 6.8 | 1.0 | 0 |
Added to site on : Wednesday, 10 May 2000