Happy New Year…again! Thank you all for all the emails I received yesterday about the healthy eating post. I know so many of you will succeed in your weight loss goals.
In the meantime, I want to share some ideas and recipes for breakfast stir-frys. Did you know this is what I eat almost every morning? The term “breakfast stir-fry” is probably a little misleading. I bet you were expecting eggs and sausages along with some peppers and onions. However, that’s not what you are going to find here.
I spoke yesterday about eating 5 smaller meals a day, all around the 200-220 calorie range. These stir-frys fit in perfectly and are even less calorie-wise than that. However, they are so filling, you might not even think about food until noontime.
The picture you see above, it’s a massive amount of food. That is a 10″ dinner plate filled to the brim. The calorie count…about 180. You will be stuffed after polishing this off and you will feel good.
I like to leave my higher protein meals for dinnertime when I’m cooking for the family. If I follow my eating plan and exercise, I know at dinnertime I will still have about 600 calories to play with. This allows for lean protein, lots of veggies, an adult beverage and sometimes a treat.
If you are watching your calorie intake, you can’t ask for more than that.
To make these healthy, low-calorie stir-fry dishes, I use my favorite nonstick pan. The reason I like it and why it’s important is the tight fitting lid. It helps a lot when it comes to softening these veggies in a short amount of time.
I use my scale and weigh all of my ingredients, this is so important when you are counting calories. I then enter their weights into My Fitness Pal so I can keep track of my daily intake.
Again, you will be amazed at how much food you get to have when you eat very close to the earth. My husband looks at my plate and swears there is no way all that food is under 200 calories…yep, it is. The best part, you will be stuffed. You won’t think about eating again for several hours. This is key when you are trying to cut back.
Here are the calorie counts and ingredients for what you see in the stir-fry above. All of my veggies are weighed, added to the pan and done cooking in about 7-8 minutes.
The least accurate measurement below will be the amount in cups, scale measurements are right on….obviously. The following dishes are just of the combinations you can do but it will depend on what you have available.
Calorie Total: 153 (above)
Snow Peas: 3 oz, 86 grams, 1-1/4 cups
Sliced Carrots: 2 oz, 62 g, 1/2 cup
Button Mushrooms: 5.75 oz, 163 g, 1-1/2 cups
Thin Asparagus: 2.75 oz, 80 g, 2 cups
Broccoli Slaw: 1.5 oz, 42 g, 1/4 cup
Grape Tomatoes: 5 oz, 144 g, 1 cup (added after stir fry has been cooked)
Calorie Total: 191 (above)
Broccoli: 8 oz, 230 g, 3 cups
Thin Asparagus: 2.75 oz, 80 g, 2 cups
Snow Peas: 3 oz, 86 g, 1-1/4 cups
Mushrooms: 3.5 oz, 102 g, 1 cup
Grape Tomatoes: 5 oz, 144 g, 1 cup (added after stir fry has been cooked)
Calorie Total: 176 (above)
Zucchini: 7.5 oz, 215 g, 2 cups
Broccoli: 3.5 oz, 101 g, 1-1/4 cups
Mushrooms: 7 oz, 203 g, 2-1/2 cups
Carrots: 2 oz, 58 g, 1/2 cup
Broccoli Slaw: 1.5 oz, 42 g, 1/3 cup
Grape Tomatoes: 5 oz, 144 g, 1 cup (added after stir fry has been cooked)
For this picture I will show you what it looks like when I enter all the food information into My Fitness Pal. It couldn’t get any easier than this.
If you feel the need to add a protein to your stir fry, I would suggest one of these sausages. They are lower in calories. Just chop them up and add to the pan before your veggies, browning them slightly.
Low-Calorie Breakfast Stir-Frys
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- vegetables of your choice, as seen above
- salt to taste
- Tabasco green pepper sauce
Directions
- Generously spray a 12" nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Once warmed, add all vegetables except for tomatoes. Saute until slightly brown, about 2 minutes. Cover and continue to cook about 2-3 minutes more. Lift lid and pour in 1/8 cup of water and immediately close lid (it should make a large steaming/frying sound). Cook for 2-3 minutes more or until veggies are softened but still slightly crisp.
- Plate veggies and surround with halved grape tomatoes. Salt to taste and drizzle with Tabasco green pepper sauce.
- Serving size: 1
- Calories: Between 153-191
Yesterday I mentioned this green pepper Tabasco sauce briefly. It’s the best when sprinkled over these veggie stir-frys. Full of flavor and not hot, it livens up what would be a very bland tasting dish.
These stir-frys are not just for breakfast, you can have them anytime . You will not be hungry after enjoying one of these. Feel free to make up any combo you would like.
Remember:
Weigh your food and learn what a portion size really looks like.
Track your calories.
Eat whole foods as much as possible.
Try to eat later and finish early.
Disclosure: I am not a health or medical expert. If you are looking weight loss advice for your specific situation, please speak to an expert in that field. Ideas or suggestions found here are things that work for me and may not fit into your lifestyle. Always do what works for you.
One Year Ago: Slow Cooker Green Chicken Chili
Three Years Ago: Dark Chocolate Espresso Pudding with White Chocolate Whipped Cream
Five Years Ago: Post An Entry and Call Me in the Morning
Sues says
I love the idea of a breakfast stir fry! Now if only I had time to make one before work đŸ™‚
Anna says
Those look great… but I guess you’re out if you don’t like mushrooms, lol!
Cathy says
You don’t need mushrooms at all, use whatever you like. These are just ideas to inspire.
Lisa says
Thanks Cathy, these look delicious! And such an artful presentation! May I ask what kitchen tool you used to give the carrots such a lovely texture?
Lisa
Cathy says
I buy them pre-sliced that way. However I do have a kitchen tool that would do it, I believe it’s called a crinkle cutter.
John says
Are the veggies just steamed,or some type of oil !
Cathy says
I use only cooking spray to brown them slightly and then a little water for the steaming as stated in the recipe.
DIANE says
Stir fry for breakfast sounds great but your recipes are lacking healthy fat that really is needed with EVERY meal. Most cooking sprays are unhealthy fats – such as canola oil in PAM. I would cook it in coconut oil, butter &/or olive oil & never use nonstick cookware that has a coating like Teflon.
Cathy says
Hi Dianne-
Thanks for your concern. I understand what your saying about healthy fats. However, when designing what I eat, I look at my whole day, not every meal indivually. Fortunately my diet far exceeds daily nutritional requirements in a very healthy way. I think I’m going to be okay! And the teflon thing…I’m pretty sure nonstick cookware at low and medium temps are completely safe but everyone is welcome to use whatever pan they choose or makes them happy.
DIANE says
Your meals at 10 g. & your daily goal of 45 g. of protein are way too low. Every meal should have 3-4 oz of proten (about 7 g. per oz) & daily goal should be equal in grams to 1/2 your weight in pounds (if you weigh 120 lb., you need at least 60 g protein). Protein is needed to keep metabolism going & fats stabilize blood sugar.
Cathy says
Again thank you for your concern for me…but like I said, I look at my day as whole. That is what works for me. Have a great day!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
Such wonderful and practical tips!! Love the idea of breakfast stir-fries!!
Dyanne says
Yummers! I like the addition of the green pepper sauce. Maybe a little squeeze of lemon would add a little zing, too. Thanks for sharing all your great recipes. Happy new year!!!
Dyanne says
@Diane – I use SCANPAN CTX cookware. It’s a terrific line of non-stick cookware that is 100% toxin-free. It’s beautiful and lasts forever. You should look into it. I get mine at Sur la Table in Austin, TX.
DessertForTwo says
Wow! That’s a lotta veggies! Love it. I do the same—I save calories for dinnertime. It’s my favorite time of day, so I like to relax, eat a little meat and drink a glass of red. One thing I could do is plan to eat dinner earlier so I don’t go to bed with a full stomach. Is that still bad for us? I can’t keep up with diet plans.
Anyway, I’m off to check out your post about healthy eating!
Jeff @ Cheese-burger.net says
I’m hoarding low calorie and veggie recipes to start shedding some weight from the holiday festivities.