Melissa Rifkin, Dr., says the main reason nutrition experts like eggs so much is that they’re a nutrient goldmine. “In addition to protein, eggs provide a variety of vitamins, including A, D, E, K, and B12, choline, and lutein,” he says. “While we should be consuming these nutrients from multiple sources throughout the day, enjoying them at breakfast is a great way to ensure you reach an adequate intake throughout the day and don’t start the day too late in consuming these important nutrients .”
Watch the video below to learn more about the health benefits of eggs:
Okay, so it’s pretty clear that eggs are a breakfast win. But Rifkin also says that if he doesn’t pair anything with them, his morning meal isn’t as complete as it should be. To really make sure he’s covering his nutrient bases in the morning, he recommends following a very simple three-step formula, which details what to eat with eggs.
The 3-step formula to make sure your egg breakfast is a complete morning meal:
1. Cook your eggs with herbs.
The first part of the three-step formula is the most obvious: cooking the eggs. Rifkin explains that eggs provide both the protein and healthy fats needed to give you enough energy until lunch. Both nutrients are also key to feeling full. One way to make your eggs even healthier in a second is to cook them with anti-inflammatory herbs. Have fun experimenting with different combinations. Some to try are turmeric and pepper, oregano and thyme, dill and chives, or garlic and red pepper.
2. Add a fiber source of your choice.
Eggs have many nutrients, but one they don’t have is fiber. “Fiber is another nutrient that needs to be consumed throughout the day,” Rifkin says, adding that it’s another key nutrient for feeling full with your morning meal. “In addition, fiber helps increase the processing of the contents through the digestive tract aiding in digestive regularity.”
When it comes to what to eat with eggs to increase fiber, Rifkin says there are plenty of foods that can be easily integrated into your morning meal. “You can add vegetables to a scrambled egg, have a fruit cup on the side, serve the eggs on a whole wheat tortilla or a slice of whole wheat bread, have a tasty bowl of oatmeal with eggor incorporate nuts or seeds,” she says. The key is to just add something with fiber to your food.
3. Incorporate a carbohydrate.
Yes, carbohydrates are good—important even. Rifkin says they’re also another nutrient eggs don’t have, so when it comes to what to eat with eggs, this is the last part of the formula to think about. “Fortunately, many of the same foods that have fiber also have carbohydrates,” he says, listing oatmeal, whole-grain toast, fruit, and nuts as excellent sources of carbohydrates.
Really, when you think about it, this three-step formula is usually a two-step formula because many foods cover both the fiber and carbohydrate nutrient base. How easy is that? It just goes to show that eating a full morning meal doesn’t have to take a long time to prepare; your egg breakfast will be ready just as quickly if you follow the formula all the way through. And it will end up doing a better job of keeping you full until lunch too.
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