Bacon Egg and Hashbrown Caserole...healthy??
gmar84
Posts: 6 Member
Here is the link to a MFP approved "healthy" recipe:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/slow-cooker-bacon-egg-hash-brown-casserole/
Eggs, fine. But frozen hashbrowns? Bacon (which does not specify nitrate/nitrite-free)?? And cheese just adds to the already fatty ingredient list, even more if you use whole milk (again, didnt specify).
Just look at the serving size. 1 cup = 342 calories. I don't know about you, but that would NOT fill me up for any meal. I would have to have 2 servings, which would be 684 calories and 44g of fat.
And hardly any fiber for the amount of calories you're consuming.
And processed meats are generally a bad idea.
And potatoes are generally considered "not-that-healthy" because it is a simple carb and spikes blood sugar levels.
Okay, look I can understand eating something like this on occasion, but this would be more of a "cheat" meal in my opinion.
Did I miss something here? What happened to eating clean and lean, high protein and high fiber diets, and stay away from high processed foods (BACON) ??
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/slow-cooker-bacon-egg-hash-brown-casserole/
Eggs, fine. But frozen hashbrowns? Bacon (which does not specify nitrate/nitrite-free)?? And cheese just adds to the already fatty ingredient list, even more if you use whole milk (again, didnt specify).
Just look at the serving size. 1 cup = 342 calories. I don't know about you, but that would NOT fill me up for any meal. I would have to have 2 servings, which would be 684 calories and 44g of fat.
And hardly any fiber for the amount of calories you're consuming.
And processed meats are generally a bad idea.
And potatoes are generally considered "not-that-healthy" because it is a simple carb and spikes blood sugar levels.
Okay, look I can understand eating something like this on occasion, but this would be more of a "cheat" meal in my opinion.
Did I miss something here? What happened to eating clean and lean, high protein and high fiber diets, and stay away from high processed foods (BACON) ??
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Dietary fat isn't inherently unhealthy...it is an essential macro nutrient. Furthermore, there are lots of people who do low carb, high fat diets. In that context this is perfectly healthy.
You can't really discuss matters of nutrition or "healthy" vs "non-healthy" in a vacuum...context is very important.
Also, "clean" is a highly subjective term...everyone has their own definition of that
Further, it is irrelevant if 1 cup would fill you up or not...0 -
I like processed meat.
I like potatoes.
I like frozen hashbrowns.
When looked at in the grand scheme of a full dietary intake, and fit in to my well constructed and balance diet I find them to be perfectly "healthy".0 -
Focusing on just a side issue first, it's not at all true that potatoes are "generally considered" not healthy, and even if "spiking blood sugar" were a thing that mattered for more than a subset of the popular the glycemic load/index of a potato eaten alone is obviously not relevant to how it would affect someone when eaten with cheese and bacon.
On the broader point, that breakfast sounds filling to me, but would not be one I'd eat, because it doesn't fit with how I like to eat, no. On the other hand, your comments point out the difficulties of claiming to eat a "clean" or "healthy" diet, since there are an awful lot of people here who do that and yet have no issue with potatoes (although they might with boxed stuff) or, of course, whole milk or cheese or bacon (I get mine from a local farm and wouldn't consider it "unclean," although I don't eat that much of it because of the calories and personal preferences).
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Okay, I understand what you guys are saying, but I still can't seem to get past the bacon being "healthy" in any diet, except just on occasion.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/sodium-nitrate/faq-20057848
I like processed meats too, but if they have the potential to increase risk for heart disease, I'm not going to consume them all that much and maybe just once in a while, as a "cheat" meal like I said earlier.0 -
There are no recipe police. You may use any type of bacon or milk you like. You could even modify the recipe and leave the bacon out or reduce the amount of cheese if you like. Make it fit your goals.Here is the link to a MFP approved "healthy" recipe:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/slow-cooker-bacon-egg-hash-brown-casserole/
Eggs, fine. But frozen hashbrowns? Bacon (which does not specify nitrate/nitrite-free)?? And cheese just adds to the already fatty ingredient list, even more if you use whole milk (again, didnt specify).Just look at the serving size. 1 cup = 342 calories. I don't know about you, but that would NOT fill me up for any meal. I would have to have 2 servings, which would be 684 calories and 44g of fat.
No you don't have to have 2 servings. You could add something else to round out your meal. Some berries would be low calorie and add some fiber.
Also 2 servings could be a perfectly reasonable meal for some of the endurance athletes around here or even someone who preferred to eat a bigger breakfast.And hardly any fiber for the amount of calories you're consuming.
And processed meats are generally a bad idea.
And potatoes are generally considered "not-that-healthy" because it is a simple carb and spikes blood sugar levels.
Okay, look I can understand eating something like this on occasion, but this would be more of a "cheat" meal in my opinion.
Did I miss something here? What happened to eating clean and lean, high protein and high fiber diets, and stay away from high processed foods (BACON) ??
No. Processed meats and potoes are not bad evil foods. Moderation and balance are key. The only dirty food is food that has been dropped or needs washing.0 -
Interesting. Thanks for the insight.0
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The idea of healthy food is subjective. Unless you have a medical reason to remove certain foods from your diet, there's really not food that's off limits here. If you want bacon, spend your allotted calories on bacon. Doesn't matter.0
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Stay away from BACON?? Pfft. Not a chance.0
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Here is the link to a MFP approved "healthy" recipe:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/slow-cooker-bacon-egg-hash-brown-casserole/
Eggs, fine. But frozen hashbrowns? Bacon (which does not specify nitrate/nitrite-free)?? And cheese just adds to the already fatty ingredient list, even more if you use whole milk (again, didnt specify).
Just look at the serving size. 1 cup = 342 calories. I don't know about you, but that would NOT fill me up for any meal. I would have to have 2 servings, which would be 684 calories and 44g of fat.
And hardly any fiber for the amount of calories you're consuming.
And processed meats are generally a bad idea.
And potatoes are generally considered "not-that-healthy" because it is a simple carb and spikes blood sugar levels.
Okay, look I can understand eating something like this on occasion, but this would be more of a "cheat" meal in my opinion.
Did I miss something here? What happened to eating clean and lean, high protein and high fiber diets, and stay away from high processed foods (BACON) ??
If you're eating something that is high calorie (which can be very relative to your overall allotment) and it doesn't fill you up, you don't have to have a second serving. If I had something like this for a meal, I would round it out with vegetables or a brothy soup. The resulting meal could be very reasonable. I'm on a low calorie plan (1,200 plus eating exercise calories back) and I wouldn't consider 342 calories to be a "cheat" as part of my dinner. I often have 500-600 calories for dinner because I eat lightly the rest of the day.
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>_>0
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I eat bacon and hashbrowns (and probably a zillion other things that might make the OP gasp in horror) on a regular basis. I personally don't see anything unhealthy about this dish. There is nothing wrong with potatoes, bacon, or cheese - or eating 684 calories and 44g of fat - so long as it fits into your overall goals for the day.
I eat 200+ grams of carbs every day. I drink beer. I don't watch my sugar intake. I eat cheese as often as I want. I guess I'm still doing something right, because I lost 60+ pounds in 2011 and have kept it off ever since. According to my doctor, I have excellent health markers (BP, cholesterol, blood sugar, lean-to-fat ratio).
(to be fair - I do eat lots of vegetables, fruits, lean meats, fiber-rich foods, etc as well)
Don't get hung up on labeling foods healthy -vs- unhealthy. I think there is room for a bit of everything you like in a healthy diet.
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It all depends on your goals....and how you modify the recipe. I make a breakfast casserole that is very similar to this.
1 bag frozen hash browns (roughly 3 1/2 cups)
1 package banquet sausage patties, chopped (8 patties)
1 bag sargento shredded cheddar jack cheese (2 cups)
1 qt original egg beaters
Breaking it down into 6 servings (which are HUGE, because the frozen hash browns puff up when they cook in this), per serving it is 417 calories with 19 grams of fat, 24g carbs, and 30g protein. I like to drizzle a little maple syrup on top. It is yumzo! And the hubs eats it! Score! 0 -
I dont know if its healthy I dont care if its healthy...ill bet it tastes outstanding. 0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Here is the link to a MFP approved "healthy" recipe:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/slow-cooker-bacon-egg-hash-brown-casserole/
Eggs, fine. But frozen hashbrowns? Bacon (which does not specify nitrate/nitrite-free)?? And cheese just adds to the already fatty ingredient list, even more if you use whole milk (again, didnt specify).
Just look at the serving size. 1 cup = 342 calories. I don't know about you, but that would NOT fill me up for any meal. I would have to have 2 servings, which would be 684 calories and 44g of fat.
And hardly any fiber for the amount of calories you're consuming.
And processed meats are generally a bad idea.
And potatoes are generally considered "not-that-healthy" because it is a simple carb and spikes blood sugar levels.
Okay, look I can understand eating something like this on occasion, but this would be more of a "cheat" meal in my opinion.
Did I miss something here? What happened to eating clean and lean, high protein and high fiber diets, and stay away from high processed foods (BACON) ??
If you're eating something that is high calorie (which can be very relative to your overall allotment) and it doesn't fill you up, you don't have to have a second serving. If I had something like this for a meal, I would round it out with vegetables or a brothy soup. The resulting meal could be very reasonable. I'm on a low calorie plan (1,200 plus eating exercise calories back) and I wouldn't consider 342 calories to be a "cheat" as part of my dinner. I often have 500-600 calories for dinner because I eat lightly the rest of the day.
Good point.
If I were to argue that MFP (or Elle Penner) missed an opportunity here, it would be that she should have included some veggies in the basic recipe instead of just the green onions. Given how often people ask how to get veggies in if you don't love them, this would probably be a good way, and it would bulk it up some without adding many calories.
I don't read the recipes here, so am I wrong to assume they have a variety for a range of preferences?0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Here is the link to a MFP approved "healthy" recipe:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/slow-cooker-bacon-egg-hash-brown-casserole/
Eggs, fine. But frozen hashbrowns? Bacon (which does not specify nitrate/nitrite-free)?? And cheese just adds to the already fatty ingredient list, even more if you use whole milk (again, didnt specify).
Just look at the serving size. 1 cup = 342 calories. I don't know about you, but that would NOT fill me up for any meal. I would have to have 2 servings, which would be 684 calories and 44g of fat.
And hardly any fiber for the amount of calories you're consuming.
And processed meats are generally a bad idea.
And potatoes are generally considered "not-that-healthy" because it is a simple carb and spikes blood sugar levels.
Okay, look I can understand eating something like this on occasion, but this would be more of a "cheat" meal in my opinion.
Did I miss something here? What happened to eating clean and lean, high protein and high fiber diets, and stay away from high processed foods (BACON) ??
If you're eating something that is high calorie (which can be very relative to your overall allotment) and it doesn't fill you up, you don't have to have a second serving. If I had something like this for a meal, I would round it out with vegetables or a brothy soup. The resulting meal could be very reasonable. I'm on a low calorie plan (1,200 plus eating exercise calories back) and I wouldn't consider 342 calories to be a "cheat" as part of my dinner. I often have 500-600 calories for dinner because I eat lightly the rest of the day.
Good point.
If I were to argue that MFP (or Elle Penner) missed an opportunity here, it would be that she should have included some veggies in the basic recipe instead of just the green onions. Given how often people ask how to get veggies in if you don't love them, this would probably be a good way, and it would bulk it up some without adding many calories.
I don't read the recipes here, so am I wrong to assume they have a variety for a range of preferences?
Yes, the post could have been a lot stronger with suggestions of what to serve with this. I don't look at the recipes often, but it seems to me like that they have recipes for all types of "plans." If one recipe doesn't meet your needs due to calories/fat/sodium/carbs, whatever, the next one could.0 -
Actually I make stuff like this a LOT. I only do it in a crock pot when we have family or friends over for the night but we do a LOT of egg bakes. I usually do frozen tater tots if I'm feeling frisky OR chopped potatoes. If I want to cut down on calories I use low calorie bread in the bottom. Spinach, eggs, turkey bacon and I put in water instead of milk. Roughly it can even out to about 300-400 calories per serving and one serving is normally enough. I see no issue with the calorie count because I eat light during the day too and my dinners are normally that much. Nutrient wise we add a lot of spinach or other veggies.
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LifeInTheBikeLane wrote: »Actually I make stuff like this a LOT. I only do it in a crock pot when we have family or friends over for the night but we do a LOT of egg bakes. I usually do frozen tater tots if I'm feeling frisky OR chopped potatoes. If I want to cut down on calories I use low calorie bread in the bottom. Spinach, eggs, turkey bacon and I put in water instead of milk. Roughly it can even out to about 300-400 calories per serving and one serving is normally enough. I see no issue with the calorie count because I eat light during the day too and my dinners are normally that much. Nutrient wise we add a lot of spinach or other veggies.
Ohh tater tots. Genius. I'm totally making this for Thursday morning.0 -
Okay, I understand what you guys are saying, but I still can't seem to get past the bacon being "healthy" in any diet, except just on occasion.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/sodium-nitrate/faq-20057848
I like processed meats too, but if they have the potential to increase risk for heart disease, I'm not going to consume them all that much and maybe just once in a while, as a "cheat" meal like I said earlier.
Keep in mind that there are about a gazillion studies that illustrate the dangers of sodium nitrate are vastly overstated and that a lot of the studies the do claim dangers like to conveniently skip over dosage...that is why the verbiage here states, "may cause heart disease"..."could cause heart disease."...I mean hell, drinking too much water can kill you too but you don't see people going around fear mongering water do you?
Also, I guess one would have to define occasional...I pretty much eat bacon every Sunday as has been the tradition in my home since I was a child...my Grandmother who is 85 and still walks about 5 miles per day is the one who started this family tradition as far as I know...and she's 85...and doing a lot better than some much younger people I know.
ETA: this would personally not be a recipe I would be into myself...just not my style. I prefer to just have some scrambled eggs and a couple slices of bacon with some home fries and a small cup of berries or something myself...pretty much every Sunday.0 -
One cup wouldn't come close to filling me up, either, and a meal-sized serving would blow my macros to hell.
Looks yummy, but not for me, thanks!
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I mean hell, drinking too much water can kill you too but you don't see people going around fear mongering water do you?
I would be willing to bet there are vastly more people who have died from heart disease than there are people who have died from drinking too much water, so no, of course you don't hear about the dangers of drinking too much water.
Sure, eating processed meat once a week might be acceptable. But what about bacon one day, hot dogs the next, bologna the next, etc etc. The key phrase here is "MAY increase RISK of heart disease", and you are potentially increasing said risk the more you consume.
I would rather lower my risk, not increase it, but that's just me, and I think if you take away this obsession with calorie counting - "as long as you track the calories you're fine", and start to realize potential risks and dangers of eating certain foods on a regular basis (backed up by studies), then you might start to see my point.
I think a lot of people lose sight of what is considered healthy and what will make you lose weight. Wasn't there someone who lost weight on a twinkie diet, and then another lost weight on a pizza diet? I remember hearing about those on the news several years ago.
Should those diets be promoted as being healthy because they lost weight and they tracked their calories?
Most if not all doctors would agree - no. So why is it ok to promote the idea of "eat anything as long as you track it and stay within your calories" that MFP seems to promote?
However, all of this is just my way thinking and not everyone else's. If people feel satisfied and healthy with how they eat then I am not one to tell them different, this is simply how I feel about it.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I mean hell, drinking too much water can kill you too but you don't see people going around fear mongering water do you?
I would be willing to bet there are vastly more people who have died from heart disease than there are people who have died from drinking too much water, so no, of course you don't hear about the dangers of drinking too much water.
Sure, eating processed meat once a week might be acceptable. But what about bacon one day, hot dogs the next, bologna the next, etc etc. The key phrase here is "MAY increase RISK of heart disease", and you are potentially increasing said risk the more you consume.
I would rather lower my risk, not increase it, but that's just me, and I think if you take away this obsession with calorie counting - "as long as you track the calories you're fine", and start to realize potential risks and dangers of eating certain foods on a regular basis (backed up by studies), then you might start to see my point.
I think a lot of people lose sight of what is considered healthy and what will make you lose weight. Wasn't there someone who lost weight on a twinkie diet, and then another lost weight on a pizza diet? I remember hearing about those on the news several years ago.
Should those diets be promoted as being healthy because they lost weight and they tracked their calories?
Most if not all doctors would agree - no. So why is it ok to promote the idea of "eat anything as long as you track it and stay within your calories" that MFP seems to promote?
However, all of this is just my way thinking and not everyone else's. If people feel satisfied and healthy with how they eat then I am not one to tell them different, this is simply how I feel about it.
As I said before, there are numerous studies that actually show the dangers of sodium nitrate to be greatly exaggerated. So pick your study...you can find a study to back up pretty much whatever your belief is.
Also, I'm not one to poo poo nutrition...my diary is open...I'm pretty much all about rockin' nutrition.0
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