Contest-Prep Nutrition: 5 Tasty Breakfast Recipes!

Egg whites and oatmeal? Oh no! Don't be enslaved to this bodybuilding standard. Instead, break your fast with these yummy, fat-loss-friendly recipes.

by Jillian Beck

Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day. Because I use it to literally break my overnight fast, breakfast is also easily my biggest meal of the day. It's super-filling, energizing, and always delicious! While I like my go-to breakfast of spinach, egg whites, and oatmeal, even that trio can grow tiresome over time.

When I get bored with my food, I like to try new things. It's the best way to learn how to prepare healthy meals. To help you get started, I've supplied the creativity for you. Here are five clean, contest prep-friendly recipes packed with all the nutrients and flavor you want in a healthy breakfast.

1 / Egg White Puffs

When you diet, traveling can seem more like a pain than an exciting adventure. I remember asking myself, "How on earth am I going to get my egg whites and oats every morning?" Oats can be easily packed in Ziploc baggies, but egg whites are another story. To make things easier on myself, I got creative and came up with these portable egg-white puffs. Below is the recipe for my favorite veggie combination, but feel free to get creative!

Ingredients

• Liquid egg whites
• Chopped spinach
• Chopped bell pepper
• Chopped onion
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. (I like Pam olive oil spray).
3. Fill each muffin cup halfway with liquid egg whites.
4. Add chopped veggies to each cup until almost full.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Recipe yields 3-4 servings

Amount per serving

Calories 168

Total Fat1 g

Total Carb10 g

Protein30 g

2 / Blueberry Protein Pancakes

Blueberries, blueberries, blueberries! I can't get enough of those little antioxidant bites. They're even better on some delicious protein pancakes.

Ingredients

• 1 scoop vanilla protein
• 1/3-1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 tbsp flaxseeds
• 2 tbsp non-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4-1/2 cup blueberries, cinnamon and Stevia, to taste

Directions

1. In a sauce pan, heat non-stick cooking spray over medium high heat.
2. Blend all ingredients together.
3. Pour mixture on pan and add half the blueberries to the pancake.
4. When bubbles form on the surface, flip pancake and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Once pancake is done, top with remaining blueberries and sugar-free syrup.

Nutrition Facts
Recipe yields 1 serving

Amount per serving

Calories 372

Total Fat6 g

Total Carb45 g

Protein33 g

3 / Low-carb Protein Crepe

If you're a few weeks out from a photo shoot, competition, or other big event, you might be carb cycling. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with carb cycling—I know I do! Those low-carb days don't have to be a drag though. With a little creativity, you can enjoy many tasty meals. Here is one of my favorite breakfasts that tastes more like a dessert!

Ingredients

• 1 scoop vanilla protein
• 1/4 cup liquid egg whites
• Splash of sweetened almond milk
• 2 tbsp PB2 powdered peanut butter
• Stevia to taste
• Cinnamon galore

Directions

1. Spray sauce pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat.
2. Blend protein powder, egg whites, almond milk, and Stevia.
3. Pour batter in a pan and cook for 3 minutes, or until bubbles appear.
4. Fold in half and continue cooking until done.
5. Mix PB2 powder with water until you reach desired consistency.
6. Top crepe with PB2 and cinnamon.

Nutrition Facts
Recipe yields 1 serving

Amount per serving

Calories 196

Total Fat2.5 g

Total Carb9 g

Protein35 g

4 / Banana-Walnut French Toast

There are times when you just gotta have French toast! For me, it's those rainy cozy weekend mornings that call for an extra delicious breakfast. If you have some extra time to prepare your breakfast, try my healthy take on this all-time favorite!

Ingredients

• 4 pieces Ezekial bread
• 1/3 cup liquid egg whites
• 1 egg
• Splash of almond milk
• 1/2 tbsp sugar-free hazelnut syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Cinnamon and Stevia, to taste
• 1 banana
• 8 walnut halves

Directions

1. Whisk together egg whites, egg, almond milk, vanilla, hazelnut, cinnamon, and Stevia.
2. Coat each slice of bread in mixture.
3. Fry in a sprayed, heated pan 2 minutes each side, or until golden brown.
4. Top slices with sliced banana, walnut halves, and your favorite sugar-free syrup.

Nutrition Facts
Recipe yields 2 servings

Amount per serving

Calories 359

Total Fat10 g

Total Carb46 g

Protein21 g

5 / Apple Pie for Breakfast

Here is a hearty and scrumptious protein shake to jumpstart your morning. It comes complete with some good carbs and healthy fat! I'm sure you'll enjoy putting a different spin on your usual morning protein shake.

Ingredients

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 avocado
• 3 pitted dates, chopped
• 1/2 apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• Cinnamon and Stevia, to taste

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients.
2. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Recipe yields 1 serving

Amount per serving

Calories 399

Total Fat16 g

Total Carb54 g

Protein27 g