Brunch is the meal that splits the difference between breakfast and lunch. With typical fare like French toast loaded with butter and syrup and high-fat breakfast sausage, brunch can add to your waistline. You can incorporate fresh ingredients and prepare lower-fat versions of your favorite brunch menu items to save calories without sacrificing flavor.
Healthy Quiche
Quiche contains protein-laden eggs, and you can add a number of healthy food options to it to increase the nutrient content. Start with a flaky phyllo dough crust or use whole-grain crescent rolls to form the crust of your quiche. Add four eggs and two egg whites and 1/2 cup of skim milk. Find the healthy ingredients you love: turkey sausage or bacon are lower-fat options than traditional sausage. Add lots of vegetables, like broccoli, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach or bell peppers. If you wish, add 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, such as mozzarella made with low-fat skim milk.
Extras
Serving fresh fruit provides a colorful pairing for your brunch menu. Slice a honeydew or cantaloupe melon or serve strawberries on the side. If you do offer extras like butter or a fruit spread, use low-fat margarine or a vanilla yogurt. For your beverages, look for orange, grapefruit and apple juices with labels indicating they are "100-percent" fruit juice and avoid those with added sugars.
Low-Fat French Toast
Swapping full-fat milk and eggs can help you achieve a healthier French toast. Choose whole-wheat bread and dip in a mixture of two egg whites and one egg, 3/4 a cup of 1-percent or skim milk and a dash of vanilla extract and salt. Use 1 tsp. low-fat margarine instead of butter to coat your skillet instead. Top with berries in their natural juice or real maple syrup instead of syrup with added sugars.
Date-Oat Muffins
Instead of adding chocolate and sugars, incorporate healthy options like flaxseeds into your muffin recipe to lower the fat and boost nutrition. "Fitness" magazine recommends combining your muffin mix or dry ingredients together with additions of your choice like chopped walnuts, flaxseeds, dates or orange zest.
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