Breakfast: least of all evils?

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greg4168nj
greg4168nj Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi - I am trying to come up with a healthier (ie. less fattening) breakfast menu for myself, and am wondering about the various pickup places I pass on my way to work. I'd like something I can pick up quickly and take to work to eat at my desk. I usually get a pumpernickel rye bagel and butter (I don't eat cream cheese) plus a bottle of water from a local bagel shop. If not that then maybe a bacon & egg sandwich. I drive past the usual fast food places but shy away from getting breakfast there because they all seem so fattening.

What have people found to be the best fast food-ish places to pick up a quick breakfast, while limiting fat & calories? I'm not interested in preparing something for myself, strictly looking for pickup suggestions.

Thanks

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,976 Member
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    Just get something with some protein. The egg sandwich sounds good. Protein will help you stay full. I go to whatever is nearby when I need to eat breakfast away from home.

    Is there some reason you can't fry up an egg and have toast with it at home? Takes 3 minutes, costs practically nothing.
  • greg4168nj
    greg4168nj Posts: 3 Member
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    What kind of toast would you recommend with an egg? Going strictly for weight loss so least calories possible. Thinking the bacon & egg sandwich is really high in calories.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,976 Member
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    Bread is bread. Eat what you like, don't overthink this. I have eggs with cheese and toast and bacon or sausage with potatoes nearly every morning. Just keep track of it and eat what you like.
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
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    You could get packets of instant oatmeal and prepare them at your office.

    A bagel's not bad, but for me, eating the amount of butter they'd put on it wouldn't be a good idea. As a tweak to what you're doing, you'll get less fat with ham than with bacon. Also, ask them to use as little fat as possible when preparing your eggs. (Poached is messy for a sandwich, but has no additional fat. Hard boiled eggs can be sliced for sandwiches.)

    I agree with @cmriverside that protein is a good idea. If you don't mind stepping outside of the "breakfast food" box, you could try sliced turkey breast or tuna on a bagel.

    I'm having a hard time resisting the urge to ask you why you don't want to cook at home!
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
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    greg4168nj wrote: »
    What kind of toast would you recommend with an egg? Going strictly for weight loss so least calories possible. Thinking the bacon & egg sandwich is really high in calories.

    To lower calories, use one slice of toast instead of two, and it your "sandwich" open faced.
  • greg4168nj
    greg4168nj Posts: 3 Member
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    64crayons: I'm usually stressing out about what I have to do when I get to the office so rushing out of the house in the morning to get there and relieve the stress. It'd be difficult to put aside the time to cook something before I leave. Like your idea of ham instead of bacon, and oatmeal. Thanks!
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
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    Ah! Have you heard of "overnight oats"? Google it!

    Also - (not what you asked, but I can't help myself...) - get up 15 minutes earlier, and take 10 of those minutes to sit quietly and get your head screwed on right for the day. Stress isn't good for you in so many ways, INCLUDING messing with weight loss.
  • Cynsonya
    Cynsonya Posts: 668 Member
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    amyrebeccah wrote: »
    If you're in the US, an egg mcmuffin will usually fit that bill for me. 300 calories, a bit of protein, and filling enough to last til lunch.

    Or the Egg White Delight. Only 250 calories and less fat.
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
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    Another idea for when you want a bagel - see if your place has mini-bagels. They're still really more than large enough for breakfast, IMO.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    When I do drive-thru breakfast it's almost always McDonalds (easiest to get to on my way to work). An egg mcmuffin is 300 calories. The sausage burrito is about the same. The fruit & yogurt parfait is 150. Fruit & maple oatmeal is 290.

    All chain fast food places will have their nutrition information online. I don't know how many calories you want for breakfast or what your other goals might be, but you can check out your favorite places and see what they might have that fits your goals.
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
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    You can also do most of your breakfast prepwork the night before so in the morning you can grab and go. Faster than waiting in line somewhere.
    • Hardboiled eggs (I don't like these cold, but some people do so it goes on the list!)
    • Baked egg muffins (eggs + vegetables + maybe meat + maybe cheese) in muffin tin -- sooo many recipes on internet, absurdly easy to do.
    • Toast is also faster than waiting in line anywhere, let's be real here. Toast ain't gonna slow you down.
    • As many have suggested, overnight oats. This is my own go-to, and I do them savory with meat, cheese and eggs as well as the more common sweet ones with fruit (nuke 'em in the morning so they're warm -- again, faster than waiting in line)

    If you just don't like to cook and have a preference for eating out, that's fine, but you really have to acknowledge that it limits your options and tends to steer you in unhealthier directions than you might want to go. I don't like food-shaming anybody. I like a fast-food breakfast sandwich as much as the next gal. But I have made it a once-a-week "treat" rather than a daily habit. Saves me money too.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I don't cook in the morning but also don't buy fast food more than once a week.
    Breakfast for me is things like Greek yogurt, granola bars, cereal with milk, sandwich, dinner leftovers, fruit ... mostly quick portable foods and about 200-300 calories. Today I had cottage cheese and an orange for breakfast.

    I rarely do bread for breakfast as it is not as filling for the calories as a food with more protein.

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