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Benefits of Eating Avocados

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benefits of avocadoAvocado is a unique fruit that is loaded with healthy fats and important nutrients. Unfortunately, many have been led to think of this fruit as nothing but a side dish in the form of guacamole. The delicious avocado should actually be a regular part of a healthy diet for a number of reasons. Here are just a few of the benefits of eating avocados on a regular basis.

  • Helps to Reduce the Risk of Some Cancers

Since raw avocados are anti-inflammatory and contain a lot of important antioxidants that have cancer fighting capabilities. Consuming avocado could also mean less risk of certain cancers (prostate, skin and mouth, for example). The reason for this is that phytochemicals present in the fruit inhibit cancer cell growth which causes cancer cells to die.

Avocado has also proven useful for people going through chemotherapy. Chemotherapy often leaves patients severely lacking in certain vitamins and antioxidants- all of which avocado helps to replenish.

  • Aids in Nutrient Absorption of Other Foods

Avocado is an incredible source of healthy fats. People need fat for overall health, especially brain health, but it also serves another purpose. The fat helps your body process/use nutrients. Fat absorbs vitamins and minerals that normally wouldn’t be completely used by the body. It literally acts like a sponge so when your body breaks down the fat, it also gains numerous other nutrients.

  • Improves Heart Health

Another reason avocado’s impressive fat content is so good for the human body is that it protects your heart’s health. Most of the fat in the avocado is called oleic acid and studies have shown that it’s useful in reducing inflammation and protecting the heart from disease and stress. If you have a history of heart conditions in your family or already have a health condition, you definitely want look into to eating more of this fruit.

  • Helps to Lower Bad Cholesterol

Again, fat comes into play. Monounsaturated fat is a healthy fat that helps lower bad cholesterol, which is also known as LDL. The reason this happens is because avocados are high in a compound called beta-sitosterol. This compound doesn’t only lower LDL but simultaneously raises HDL, which is the health cholesterol. A study published in the Archives of Medical Research proved just how effective avocados are at lowering bad cholesterol.

  • Impressive Source of Fiber

The average woman is lacking roughly 5 to 10 grams of the recommend 35 grams of fiber she should consume on a daily basis. Instead of going to a fiber supplement, just have an avocado. One medium avocado has about 11 grams of both soluble and insoluble fiber, roughly 25% soluble and 75% insoluble. Fiber is very important for weight loss, digestive health and overall metabolic health.

  • Avocados Support Eye Health

As mentioned earlier, avocados are high in different antioxidants but two of them are particularly important for eye health, Lutein and Zeaxanthin. These two antioxidants have been proven to reduce the risk of cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Avocados are useful in eye protection in all ages but are especially useful for the elderly.

  • They Have an Insane Number of Vitamins and Minerals

This fruit is loaded with vitamins and minerals, more than 20 of them to be exact. These include:

  • Vitamin K
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin A
  • Folate
  • Copper
  • Potassium
  • Zinc
  • Phosphorous
  • Iron

All of these vitamins and minerals are necessary for health and if you can get all of them in one food, why not?

Avocados are just as healthy as they are delicious. They are also super versatile in terms of how you can prepare them. If you’re unsure of how to incorporate avocados into meals check out these recipes for inspiration. It is best to consume avocado raw or unprocessed to get the most nutritional benefit from them. Recipes like fried avocados wedges are delicious but you are going to be negating a lot of the fruit’s health benefits.

Kale Berry Mango Green Smoothie

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kale raspberry mango smoothie

I whip up this smoothie very, very often in my trusty Nutribullet, so I thought I’d share the recipe with you this morning. It’s a great, anytime smoothie with lots of nutrients, vitamins, fiber and protein. Balanced, Creamy and Sweet with just 232 calories.

I used SunWarrior’s Warrior Blend Vanilla Protein Powder. I love it because it’s vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free. With no added sugar, artificial flavors or artificial sweeteners, it’s a great choice for those who want a more natural protein powder.

Prep time:  7 mins

Cook time:  3 mins

Total time:  10 mins

Serves: 1 serving

Ingredients

  • ½ cup mango, frozen
  • ½ cup mango, frozen
  • 1 cup raspberry, frozen
  • 1 cup raspberry, frozen
  • 1 cup kale, chopped
  • 1 cup kale, chopped
  • 1 scoop Warrior Blend Vanilla Protein Powder
  • 1 scoop Warrior Blend Vanilla Protein Powder
  • ¾ cup of water

Instructions

  1. Load all of the ingredients into your blender. Add the fruit and water first, then the other ingredients.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 232 Fat: 2.65 Carbohydrates: 38.7 Sugar: 18.3 Fiber: 12.4 Protein: 20.5

 

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Green smoothie book
If you would like to learn more about making delicious green smoothies, check out our green smoothie e-book, “Drink Green Smoothies“.  It’s a detailed guide with over 80 delicious recipes.

Mango Mint Mojito Smoothie

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mango mint mojito smoothieJust before all of the signs of Summer fade into Fall, you can enjoy this great tropical smoothie. This low calorie drink is half Mojito/half smoothie…no alcohol.  Feel free to add a little protein powder or a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt to the recipe if you would like for more protein. I’ve suggested frozen mango, just in case you can’t find fresh ones in the stores anymore.

Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1
Half mojito, half smoothie. This drink will let you slip into a tropic state of mind anytime of year.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of frozen mango
  • ½ cup pineapple, frozen or fresh
  • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon of lime juice
  • 8 mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon of honey
  • 1 cup of So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk, chilled
Instructions
  1. Load the ingredients into your blender. Start with the solids and then add the juice and coconut milk.
  2. Add a few pieces of ice if you would like a very frosty smoothie.
  3. Use 2 tablespoons of sweetener instead of one if you want a very sweet smoothie. Don’t forget to add in those calories.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 231 Fat: 5.2 Carbohydrates: 49 Sugar: 38.3 Fiber: 3.2 Protein: 1.74

Enjoy!

Blackberry Cheesecake Smoothie

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blackberry cheesecake smoothieLooking for a low calorie, high protein smoothie that will help tame your sweet tooth?  We’ve got the smoothie for you.  261 calories and 30.5 grams of protein.

Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 serving
High protein, low calorie smoothie. Great for cheesecake lovers.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup vanilla greek yogurt (Oikos)
  • ½ cup blackberries
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tbsp cream cheese
  • ½ cup water
  • 7-9 pieces of ice
Instructions
  1. Load the ingredients into your blender. Start with the ice, cream cheese and blackberries.
  2. Then add the yogurt and protein powder.
  3. Add the water last.
  4. Blend until the ice is broken down.
  5. If you have a traditional blender, blend on the highest setting to crush the ice.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 261 Fat: 3.5 Carbohydrates: 26.1 Fiber: 5 Protein: 30.5

Blackberries are a great fruit for smoothies because they are low in sugar and high in fiber.  They also contain lots of nutrients, including vitamin C, antioxidants and vitamin K. (more info on the benefits of blackberries)

Protein Powder: You can use the protein powder that you like. I used the Vanilla version of Amplify Smoothie by NDS.  Purchased it at GNC and it has no artificial flavors, no sweeteners or preservatives.  20 grams of protein, 2 grams of sugar and 4 grams of carbs.
blackberry cheesecake nutribulletI blended everything up in my trusty Nutribullet. This photo includes all of the ingredients, except water. What I learned was that I should have put the yogurt in last because some of it stuck to the top of the Nutribullet blending cup. I had to take it off of the base and shake the cup to get to some of it to blend into the mix. Then, I blended for another 20 seconds.

blackberry cheesecake smoothie

The finished product was a bright, beautiful lavender color.  Delicious and perfect for cheesecake lovers.

Berries and Oats Breakfast Smoothie

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This is a great and simple meal replacement smoothie for breakfast with lots of protein. It’s a meal in a cup.

berries and oats smoothie recipe

There is a whole LOT of fiber in this smoothie and that is what balances out the carbs.  Because of the fiber, your blood sugar won’t rise like it would if you were just eating pure sugar. This recipe is also full of nutrients, like potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E.

You can use plain yogurt to cut out even more sugar and carbs, but you’ll want to add a low carb sweetener, like stevia, if you want to replace the sweetness.  You can also add vanilla protein powder if you would like more protein.

Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
A great breakfast smoothie with berries, oats and greek yogurt for a complete meal in a cup.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup frozen strawberries
  • ½ cup frozen raspberries
  • ½ banana, medium
  • 1 cup vanilla greek yogurt
  • ½ cup of oats (quick oats/rolled oats)
  • ½ cup of water
  • 1 teaspoon of honey or agave (optional)
Instructions
  1. Add the water and greek yogurt to your blender first.
  2. Then add the oats and banana.
  3. Add the berries and any sweetener last
  4. Blend until smooth. Add a bit more water if the mix is not blending due to the thickness of the mixture.
  5. Taste to make sure you’ve achieved the desired sweetness.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 400 Fat: 3.3 Carbohydrates: 71 Protein: 23.4

Notes:

  • If you want to use fresh berries instead of frozen, that’s fine.  Frozen berries can be a bit more affordable.  Just add a few ice cubes to chill the mixture.
  • Freeze the other half of the banana and use it with your next smoothie.
  • Find the brand of vanilla greek yogurt with the lowest sugar.  I used Oikos at 11 grams per cup.
  • The agave or honey is optional. Omit sweetener to reduce the calories and carbs in this recipe. The banana and berries will actually make the smoothie sweet. If you prefer, you can add a few drops of Stevia for a low carb boost of sweet instead.

Chopped Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Garlic

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I love Brussel Sprouts! I REALLY disliked them as a child, but I was re-introduced to them as an adult and I’m a true fan. They are one of my favorite side dishes. My favorite way to sauté them is with Pancetta (Italian-style bacon), garlic, lemon juice and oilve oil. I whipped some up today and you’ll find the recipe below.

chopped brussels sprouts

Brussels Sprouts are a great low calorie food. 1 cup of fresh Brussels sprouts has about 40 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and 8 grams of carbs.  They have a taste similar to cabbage and you can cook them in a similar way and use the same kinds of flavors to season them. They are also a great source of protein, iron, antioxidants, folic acid and potassium. For this recipe, I chopped them up and this can help them cook faster.  Remove any dark, speckled leaves or bad spots.

fresh brussels sprouts

Chopped Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Garlic
Recipe Type: Side Dish, Veggies
Cuisine: Side Dish, Salad
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3
Sauteed Chopped Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta Italian-style bacon, garlic, olive oil and lemon.
Ingredients
  • 1lb Brussels Sprouts, chopped
  • 1 oz Pancetta, cubed
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large or medium skillet, cook the Pancetta for about 5 minutes on low/medium heat to let the fat melt. Stir occasionally so that it doesn’t stick.
  2. Then add in the olive oil and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 1-2 min until the garlic starts to brown.
  3. Turn the heat to medium. Add the Brussels Sprouts to the skillet and pour the lemon juice over it.
  4. Stir the mixture to allow the oils and garlic to coat the sprouts. Cook for 8-11 minutes until the large pieces are tender to your liking (taste and see). Keep stirring every 2-3 min to make sure the mix cooks evenly and nothing sticks.
  5. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Serving size: 1/3 of the total – approx 5 oz Calories: 155 Fat: 9.8 Carbohydrates: 14.4 Fiber: 5.7 Protein: 6.7

Here is a photo of the recipe cooking.
cooking brussels sprouts

Here is the final finished product. Delicious!

brussels sprouts recipe

September 2015 – 14 Day Smoothie Challenge

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For September 2015, We will commit to a 14 Day Smoothie Challenge following BWLW’s Free Guide!

We will use smoothies for meal replacement and to give our bodies a rest from processed, chemical filled foods. We will detoxify, experience more energy, and get control of your eating habits by letting go of foods we’ve become addicted to.

Green smoothie book
After you download the free guide, check out our E-book for just $7.99

I’ve created a FREE 21 page guide to help you learn how homemade smoothies can help you eliminate toxins and lose weight. It details the detox and includes 30 recipes. We are giving this information to you free of charge because we want you to succeed on your wellness journey and have exposure to information like this.  If you could like a more in depth guide to Green Smoothies, check out our E-book, “Drink Green Smoothies“.

Starting Date: Anytime within the first week of September. Of course, you can extend the detox for 21 days or more if you like.

Download the guide today!

14 day smoothie detox challenge

14 Day Smoothie Detox Challenge – The goal of this challenge is to have healthy, homemade smoothies make up 60-100% of your daily diet.

For this challenge, you can use any combination of fruits, veggies, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, spices (like ginger and cinnamon), whole grains and protein powder that you choose. If you can buy organic, that’s great. If not, regular produce is perfectly fine, including frozen fruits and veggies. Just make sure there is no sugar, cream or salt added. If you can eat nuts, seeds and whole grains (like oatmeal), that is great as well but not a requirement to see the benefits of this detox challenge. I encourage you to drink green smoothies with lots of fresh leafy greens, like kale, dandelion greens, swiss chard and spinach. Get the details today.

Here is some additional information on smoothies as meal replacements.

Tip for Downloading the Guide: If you don’t see an email from us in your inbox with the download link, check your spam folder. You may need to add our email address to your contacts to ensure that our emails are received in your inbox. Email us if you do not receive the file at info(at)blackweightlosssuccess.com

We don’t have an exercise calendar this month.  Instead we encourage you to incorporate our workouts into your daily routines and to take your time to research what method of exercise is right for you.

Workout Links – We’ve posted videos of the moves so that you can see proper form.

The Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

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sweet potato benefitsWho doesn’t love Grandma’s sweet potatoes? Sweet potatoes make a vibrant edition to any meal but sadly aren’t used as often as regular potatoes. They always make an appearance around Thanksgiving and Christmas in the form of pie and are staples of good soul food cuisine. Many may not realize that they are arguably the healthiest potato out there. Let’s take a look at what sweet potatoes are and why you really should be eating them throughout the year, not just on the holidays.

Sweet Potatoes vs Yams

There seems to be a common misconception that yams are sweet potatoes and vice versa. In reality, yams aren’t that common in grocery stores and they certainly aren’t the traditional yellow-orange fleshed potatoes sold in stores.

True yams are in a totally different family of edible roots. They resemble a normal baking potato on the outside (rough skin) but are more elongated in shape like a sweet potato. True yams also have a white/cream flesh. The potatoes so commonly seen with a smooth sienna to red colored skin with a yellow to bright orange flesh are the true sweet potatoes.  This is what you’ll see in most southern cooking or served up as sweet potato fries. (Side Note: Oddly enough, sweet potatoes can also have purple flesh.)

Why You Need to Eat More Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes shouldn’t just be saved for holiday pies. These potatoes are chock-full of health benefits and easily make traditional white Russet potatoes pale in comparison. Here are a few reasons why sweet potatoes are so superior.

  • Fiber

Sweet potatoes are a great source of dietary fiber. There is roughly 6-7 grams in one medium baked potato. Many Americans are deficient in fiber and by introducing high fiber foods like sweet potato into the diet, they won’t need to take supplements.

  • Low Calorie

If you are calorie counting to maintain a deficit you’ll be happy to know that a medium sweet potato has approx.112 calories. One medium Russet has about 169! Alos, sweet potato is very dense, so despite being lower in calories it is often far more filling.

  • Low Carb

People on low carb diets find that sweet potatoes are a perfect alternative. One medium sized sweet potato has roughly 26 gram of carbs vs 38 carbs in a medium Russet. It would also have only about 5.4 grams of sugar and 3.9 grams of fiber. Those on Paleo diets can eat sweet potatoes as well, despite not being able to eat traditional potato varieties.

  • Low Glycemic Index

Those struggling with blood sugar may be better able to digest sweet potatoes than white potatoes since they have a lower glycemic impact depending on how they are cooked. Even those without blood sugar problems can benefit from how slowly sugar from the sweet potato is released as spikes in blood sugar are associated with weight gain and other health problems. It’s all about portion size and how you cook this vegetable.

“The way you prepare sweet potatoes makes a difference in their GI. The GI of a 150-g sweet potato, boiled with its skin for 30 minutes, is 46. That number rises to 94 if the same sweet potato is baked for 45 minutes.”

“The glycemic load is a way to take a food’s carbohydrate content into account when figuring its impact on blood sugar. The GL considers both the quality and quantity of the carbohydrates in a food. A boiled sweet potato has a GL of 11, compared to a GL of 42 for a baked sweet potato. Because the GL doesn’t take a food’s nutritional content into account when measuring its metabolic effects, it’s important to consider the health benefits of the sweet potato’s vitamins and phytonutrients when making your food choices.” – Livestrong

  • Vitamins

It’s almost crazy how full of vitamins sweet potatoes are. They contain vitamin A, C, D, B1, B2 and B6. The beta-carotene associated with the orange flesh is especially a good source of vitamin A.

  • Minerals

Sweet potatoes have manganese, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, copper and more. These minerals all have their own individual benefits that make them extremely important for overall health.

  • Magnesium

As mentioned, sweet potato is a great source of the mineral manganese. Magnesium is important for preventing the effects of stress and improve over heart, circulatory and nerve functions. Roughly 80% of Americans have a magnesium deficiency.

  • Vitamin D

This vitamin is also a hormone and is prevalent in sweet potatoes. Not only does vitamin D support healthier bones but it also affects mood, similarly to magnesium. Consuming enough vitamin D will give you a life in spirits and prevent issues like SAD from occurring.

  • Iron

If you’ve been feeling tired and weak or have been getting ill easily, you’re probably lacking iron. Sweet potatoes give plenty of this immune system protecting, white blood cell count boosting mineral.

How to Prepare Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato pie may be delicious but it certainly isn’t the only way, or the healthiest, to prepare them. You can easily substitute sweet potato in many potato recipes or bake one in place of a Russet. If you like to experiment in the kitchen, here are some recipe ideas to get you started.

With its delicious flavor and numerous health benefits, having sweet potato once or twice a week is a wonderful idea. Pick up a few the next time you go shopping and try out a promising recipe.

How to Make Cauliflower Rice

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how to make cauliflower riceI want to show you how to make one of my favorite side dishes: Cauliflower Rice!  I like to make this dish in a simple and straight forward way. I’ve eaten it heated, as well as unheated as a Vegan or Raw Vegan side dish.  This dish is low carb, paleo and vegetarian/vegan (if you don’t use butter).  Also, it is very low calorie compared to regular white rice. 1 cup of cauliflower has 25 calories, 5.3 grams of carbs and 2.5 grams of fiber, compared to a cup of regular white rice with 204 calories, 44 grams of carbs and .6 grams of fiber.  It can be served with any dish that is supposed to be served over rice, like stir fry and curry, or you can just have it on the side.

Today, I’m going to show you how to break down a cauliflower, chop it up with a food processor and heat it up on a stove top.  Simple and Delicious!  Let’s get started.

How to Make Cauliflower Rice
Recipe Type: Vegan, Paleo, Vegetarian, Low Carb
Cuisine: Side Dish
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 5-7 servings
A simple yet tasty recipe for Cauliflower Rice or Califlower Couscous, depending on the size of the “rice”. Serving size 1 to 1 1/2 cup of chopped cauliflower
Ingredients
  • 1 large head of cauliflower (rinsed)
  • 1 tbsp of unsalted butter or virgin olive oil
  • handful of chopped onion
  • Salt and/or pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Prep Cauliflower by removing the leaves and stem. Cut the head into quarters and rinse. Place on paper towel and pat dry.
  2. Cut the quarters into florets the throw the rest away.
  3. Place the florets into your food processor and “pulse to chop” until the rice reaches your desired size. Remove any large pieces and chop them as well
  4. In a medium sized skillet, add olive oil or butter and the onion and heat at the medium setting for one or two minutes.
  5. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cauliflower rice to the skillet. Cook for 5-9 minutes depending on how tender you want the rice to be. Stir while cooking and taste to find the desired tenderness.
  6. Remove from the skillet on to the plate. Season to your liking with salt and pepper and serve.
  7. Put the rest of the rice in sandwich bags, one portion per bag, and freeze.

raw cauliflowerBreak it down!  Set yourself up on a clean counter top or cutting board. If you see any dark spots on the outside of your cauliflower, remove them first with a sharp knife.  Next, you want to remove the leaves and stem.

cut leaves off

Next, you will cut the whole head of cauliflower into quarters so that you can remove the internal stem.  Rinse the quarters with water, place them on a paper towel and pat dry. I prefer to use just the florets, but you can cut off just the bottom of the stem and use the internal stem if the cauliflower is fresh and tender. Your choice. Note: Raw cauliflower can have a stinky smell when you chop it, just like broccoli. Don’t be alarmed.

quatered cauliflower rice

florets cauliflower rice

Now, it is time to chop up the florets in your food processor. I used the “Pulse to Chop”button. This allowed me to control the size of the “rice” grains. I pressed the button 3 times, checked the size, then pressed the button a few more times until the size was just right. Depending on how small you chop the cauliflower, you may be making cauliflower couscous, but that’s up to you. Tip: if you do not have a food processor, you can use a cheese grater/box grater using the side with the larger holes.

before chopped cauliflower

pulse chopped cauliflower

After the cauliflower was chopped up to rice size, I knew that I only wanted to make 2 cups worth, so I put the rest of the rice in sandwich bags so that I could freeze 1 cup portions (packed down in the cup measure).  I usually freeze these portions for up to 3 weeks.  When I cook these portions, I will take the bag out of the fridge for about 5-6 min and let it sit at room temperature to unthaw a bit before cooking.

bagged cauliflower rice

Now, it’s time to cook! I added 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a handful of chopped onion to my medium sized skillet and turned the heat to medium. You can also use butter or coconut oil if you prefer. If you love buttered rice, I suggest that you use butter. Let the oil/butter and onion cook for about 1 1/2 minutes.  Cook the mixture for 5-9 minutes depending on how tender you want the cauliflower rice.  You’ll need to stir it while it cooks and taste a little to check for tenderness you are looking for.  I cooked this batch for about 6 minutes because I like my rice a bit firm.

cooking rice

Here is the finished product with chicken breast on the side.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your taste.  You can also add things like green onion, sautéed mushrooms, herbs, etc…just as you would with rice.

cauliflower rice

Paleo Egg Muffins with Ham and Bacon

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egg muffin finishedEgg Muffins are awesome for breakfast! If you are focused on Keto, Paleo, Grain-free, Clean or Low Carb eating, you definitely want to try making these.  They can be made pretty cheaply with a variety of ingredients. Left over protein or veggies from yesterday’s dinner or lunch are perfect for egg muffins. I love using spinach, mozzarella, herbs, mushrooms, onion, broccoli, low sodium sliced turkey, bacon, chicken breast and turkey sausage. My family loves them. Whip up your own recipes and make them to fit your taste. Alter the calories by using lean meat, egg whites and lots of veggies.  Add fresh herbs, dried herbs/spices, salt, etc for more flavor. (Full recipe at the end of this post)

Calories, Protein and Carbs: The serving size is one muffin. The way we’ve made this recipe, you get approx. 144 calories/11 grams of protein for the bacon cups and 120 calories/13 grams of protein for the ham cups. Carbs will depend on your ingredients.  This recipe has about a gram of carbs per serving…depending on how much onion is in the serving. (Fat: one whole egg has 4.9 grams of fat.)

We were inspired by Oh Snap Let’s Eat‘s recipe for Baked Ham in Egg Cups. We started by trying out these Reynold’s baking cups.  The thought was that it may have been easier to remove than baking right in the pan, which we did in the past.  The eggs really stick to the sides of the pan and it is messy, so we thought this might be a great solution. You can use a non stick spray, olive oil or coconut oil as well.

egg muffins foil cupsThe aluminum cups worked OK…but I think I’ll keep looking for a better solution.  The muffins stuck to the inner paper liner, so it was only a little bit better.  However, the foil helped the mixture to cook very well, especially the bacon.  That was a plus.  If you have silicone baking cups, I’m pretty sure they would work very well. I’m going to try porcelain ramekins next.

For the egg mixture, we used; One egg per cup = 12 eggs.  Green onion = 2 tablespoons chopped.  1 tablespoon of oregano. Salt and pepper to taste.  Meat: 3 slices of bacon and 9 slices of ham.  That’s all…very simple.

The first step is to mix your eggs with the veggies, herbs, spices, cheese and other ingredients you choose.  It’s like whipping up a large batch of scrambled eggs.  Next, turn on your oven and set it to 400 degrees. Side Note: You can also drop whole eggs into the cups if you prefer.
egg muffins mix

Moving on, we added the ham and bacon into the muffin tins.

egg muffin bacon

Then, we used a 3/4 cup measuring cup to ladle in the egg mix into the cups.  We didn’t put a full 3/4 cup in each one…we just used it as a guide.  Don’t full the cups to the top because the mix will rise while it cooks.  Add too much and could be scraping egg out of your oven for a few days.

egg muffin prep

This is what the egg muffins looked like before cooking.  Cook for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

egg muffin before cooking

Here is what they looked like fresh out of the oven.  Issue: We had to cook them a bit longer than we did when we used only ham because the bacon was so thick.  So, I would recommend doing either sandwich meat or bacon, not both at the same time, to avoid this.  You could of course remove the ham muffins and keep cooking the bacon ones.  Perhaps I should have done that…but I’m scatter brained when I cook in the morning. The hunger takes over.  😀  Also, you’ll need to cut into one of the muffins to make sure that the egg has cooked through. If you add a lot of wet ingredients like tomato or crab meat, it could take longer to cook.

egg muffin fresh out of oven

Freeze and Eat: Egg muffins can be frozen for 3-4 weeks (depending on the ingredients), so you can make a couple days worth to heat and go to save time.  Let them cool down before prepping them to be frozen.  Wrap them individually with plastic wrap and then put them in a freezer bag.  Microwave to reheat or let them thaw overnight in the fridge and re-warm in the oven in the morning. (Of course you need to remove the plastic warp before reheating.)

Paleo Egg Muffins with Ham and Bacon
Recipe Type: Paleo, Low Carb, Grain-Free
Cuisine: Breakfast
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12 servings
Delicious egg muffins can be made to fit your taste.
Ingredients
  • 12 whole eggs
  • 2 tbsp chopped green onion
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 slices of thick bacon
  • 9 slices of low sodium ham
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees.
  2. Mix eggs, onion, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix as you would scrambled eggs.
  3. Prepare muffin baking tray. Use liners, butter, coconut oil or cooking spray.
  4. Add meat to each cup.
  5. Add egg mixture to each cup. Do not fill to the top as the mixture will rise when cooked.
  6. Put the muffin tray in the oven for 15 minutes. Thick bacon may require 1-2 additional minutes.
  7. Take the tray out and cut through a muffin to see if they are fully cooked.
  8. Let the tray cool for at least 1 minute before removing the muffins.