Egg Breakfast with Quinoa

Last spring I was in Honolulu for work. I always imagined that visiting Hawai’i for the first time would be for a fun vacation, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers. I was busy throughout the trip but had time to hit the gym in the morning before heading to the conference hall. It isn’t easy maintaining a healthy diet while traveling for work. Sometimes it is more convenient to grab a burger and fries while running from one place to another. I learned awhile ago that starting my day with a good breakfast is paramount to keeping my hunger in check throughout the day and to promote healthy diet choices.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When we wake up, our body requires fuel to get us through our day. A breakfast high in protein, fiber and health carbohydrates promotes a feeling of satiety longer than a breakfast of a bowel of crispy, sugar-laced cereal. A healthy lifestyle is all about healthy choices.

The hotel’s restaurant in Honolulu had an interesting breakfast on its menu containing steamed rice, ground beef and 2 eggs. It was a big breakfast and also contained the wrong type of rice to help me throughout the day. I didn’t eat all the rice, but I did enjoy it.

I have always liked eggs and I have recently been eating them a little more often. I do us I do use products like Egg Beaters for scrambled eggs and omelets, but I had been become bored of having plain eggs. A plate of a couple eggs over easy with a side of something becomes boring after a month. So did the scrambled eggs and omelets. I am always trying to think of ways to spice things up and create exciting new meals. That is why I had to try the idea I had of changing the breakfast that I enjoyed in Honolulu. I was introduced to quinoa about year ago and have used it as a rice substitute in other recipes. I don’t know why it took me so long to think of this, but I am glad I did!

If you haven’t heard of quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wa) before, you aren’t alone. Quinoa is the most nutritious of all the grains. It is high in fiber, a good source of iron and has all eight essential amino acids. Originally found in South America, quinoa was a stable of the ancient Inca’s diet. This nutty flavored grain is simple to prepare and is versatile enough to be used alone or in recipes as a substitute for other grains.

I have mixed quinoa with crushed almonds, pure maple syrup and fruit for another easy breakfast meal. I also made this simple egg breakfast recipe that will fill you up and get you going in the morning.

Ingredients

¼ cup of cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
Chicken Sausage (optional-I use Alfresco Country Style Chicken Sausage with a Hint of Sage and Thyme)

Cook the quinoa by the direction on the package
Cook one sausage link in a skillet and chop into fine pieces resembling ground beef
In a skillet prepare 2 large eggs (I cook mine over easy)

This is an easy recipe to whip up in the morning. I usually cook a cup of quinoa and keep it in the fridge through the week and take what I need. I calculated the calories and a few other nutritional facts from labels of the ingredients that I use and includes the chicken sausage. You can subtract 60 calories if you go without it.