It sounds so easy: If you want to lose weight, don’t eat too much. You may find that limiting portion size is easier said than done. Looks can be deceiving, and the correct portion size is often smaller than you think. Unless you’re painstakingly measuring out all the food that you eat, it’s difficult to get your portion size right.
Marin Clemson, a registered dietitian with the HonorHealth Bariatric Center, has a solution: Create individually portioned food as you’re cooking. Her recipe for veggie egg muffin cups is healthy, tasty and pre-portioned. It’s a win-win-win!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup red bell pepper
- 1 cup green bell pepper
- 1 cup yellow onion
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup mushrooms
- 1 cup black beans, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt to taste
- 4 whole eggs
- 4 egg whites
- Hot sauce (optional)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a standard 12-slot muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, red pepper, green pepper and onion. Sauté five to seven minutes or until peppers are tender.
- Add spinach, beans and mushrooms and cook for an additional two minutes. In the last 30 seconds, add in minced garlic. Season with salt and remove from heat.
- Crack eggs and egg whites into a large bowl and whisk together. Stir in cooked veggies.
- Pour the egg and veggie mixture evenly into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch and eggs are cooked.
- Cool slightly and serve immediately. Drizzle with hot sauce if desired. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about four days.
Approximate nutritional breakdown per serving: Two egg muffins - 158 calories, 11 grams protein, 7 grams fat, 12 grams carbohydrate, 1.3 grams fiber, 177 milligrams sodium