A Mindful Breakfast: Spinach and Tomato Egg White Omelette

Breakfast is the most challenging meal of the day for me. It is difficult to put together a healthy, complete breakfast when your eyes are bleary with sleep and you can barely stand up straight. Being at home during the day has made me more conscious of my breakfast choices, but there are times when I hearken back to the days of commuting an hour and a half to work and quickly scarfing down a Starbucks breakfast sandwich, or whatever piece of chocolate or leftover baked good I could find in my apartment. Then there were those days when I didn't eat breakfast at all, and rectified my low blood sugar with a can of coke at 10 AM...yeah, those were the days. I am a reformed woman, though, and I eat breakfast every day, and 95% of the time, it is healthy and mindfully eaten. I definitely thrive on having a wide selection of breakfast varieties available to me, so that I don't slip back into eating sugary cereals or other nutritionally-deficient options. I usually alternate between oatmeal, fruit, green smoothies and a variety of egg dishes. Today, I am sharing one of my favorite omelettes.

Mindful eating has always been a challenge for me. I have never been a fan of prepackaged food and convenience snacks, but I have always been a fan of anything butter-laden and decadent. I still love desserts and baked indulgences, but I save them for the weekend or special occasions. Anyway, I digress. Back to the point. When I make my food myself and consciously choose to use fresh produce, and the most natural ingredients I can afford, I am a more healthy, happy and satisfied person. My diet directly affects how I feel, and a good breakfast can set the tone for the entire day. This weekend, I had several sodas, pizza, and fast food. I felt awful. I know that is directly related to my dietary choices and my body screaming at me to eat something with nutritional value and devoid of all traces of high-fructose corn syrup.

So today, I woke up craving a really good omelette. Disclaimer: I cannot cook pretty omelettes. They never flip correctly and usually fall apart on me. But they still taste delicious! This omelette is packed full of protein (three egg whites), vitamin-rich spinach and tomato, and flavor with some fresh green onion. It will fill you up and keep you satisfied until your mid-morning snack, or lunchtime. 

Start by separating three eggs and putting the whites into a bowl or measuring cup. Use your yolks in a custard or yolk-heavy recipe, or give your cute dog a treat!

Next, wash and chop up a generous handful of baby spinach leaves, half of a ripe tomato, and a few green onions. You can add a 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese or whatever other cheese floats your boat. It's so colorful-what a great way to start the day!

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat, and spray lightly with olive oil spray. Pour in your egg whites and add your other ingredients as well. You can sort of stir things around and incorporate the spinach and tomato into the egg whites. Seriously, don't worry about it looking pretty. Just let it cook. Flip it over once if you need to. Mine seriously fell apart today, and I just kept going. My omelettes, especially when they are loaded with delicious add-ins, are never terribly stable.

Turn your omelette out onto a plate. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt, and enjoy. Today, my breakfast was more of a brunch, so I paired mine with a 1/2 cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt, some freshly sliced Juan Canararia melon (it's like a Honeydew) and a banana. It might not look super pretty, but it tastes wonderful and you get several servings of veggies and a power punch of protein. Happy morning to you!

Spinach and Tomato Omelette

Ingredients

-Three egg whites (you could use whole eggs, but I prefer egg whites)

-A handful of chopped baby spinach

-One half of a ripe tomato chopped

-1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

-Three or four chopped green onions

-Olive Oil Spray

1. Separate your eggs and set them aside.

2. Chop a handful of fresh baby spinach, half of a fresh tomato, and three or four green onions. Measure out a 1/4 cup of cheese.

3. Heat a small saute pan over medium heat and spray with olive oil. Add the egg whites and veggies to the pan. Stir slightly to incorporate the veggies. Cook several minutes until the eggs are firm. Flip once if needed. 

4. Turn out onto a plate and pair with your favorite breakfast accompaniments.