Set Your Day Off Right! 8 Healthy Breakfast Sandwich Ideas

August 25, 2019

breakfast sandwich
How many times did your mom tell you to never skip breakfast because it’s the most important meal? It turns out almost 25% of Americans don’t listen to that advice, instead skipping breakfast.

If you’re a chronic breakfast skipper, trying some fresh breakfast ideas may get you excited about your morning meal. A breakfast sandwich is an easy way to get the benefits of eating breakfast.

Forget the soggy English muffin sandwiches you can get at fast-food restaurants. Getting creating with the bread and fillings means every morning is a new culinary adventure. Packing the sandwich with proteins and veggies loads them up with nutrients to start your day in a healthy way.

Check out these breakfast recipes for inspiration. Then get creative and experiment with your own combinations.

1. Egg and Bagel Thin Sandwiches

An egg breakfast sandwich with or without meat is a classic option. A large egg has just 70 calories, but it provides your body with 6 grams of protein. If you want a lighter version, use only the egg whites on your sandwich.

Make it lighter by using thin bagels instead of full-sized bagels to cut the carb count and lower the calories. You can also use light English muffins as your base. Using only one half of the bread to eat the sandwich open-face style cuts calories even more.

Cook an egg any style you like. Add your choice of breakfast meats and cheese. Turkey bacon or chicken sausage is a healthier option for your sandwich.

If you don’t have time to eat your sandwich at home, wrap it up in foil and take it to work. Grab your favorite type of coffee on the way to complete the meal.

2. Veggie Egg Scramble Pitas

Keep it light and simple by mixing egg whites and veggies to make a healthy pita filling. Spinach, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes are good choices.

Add veggies like onions and peppers to the skillet first so they soften. Add spinach toward the end of the egg cooking time to wilt it just a little. Add tomatoes after the eggs are fully cooked.

If you want a little extra flavor, sprinkle shredded cheese into the eggs when they’re done cooking. Season the mix with salt, pepper, and other favorite herbs or spices.

Scoop the veggie egg scramble into a pita pocket and serve.

3. Ham and Egg Wrap

Skip the carbs by using the ham as the wrap on this handheld sandwich. The ham holds the eggs and other fillings inside the wrap.

Scramble eggs with spinach or other favorite veggies. Stir in a little cheese just until it melts. Season the egg scramble with salt and pepper plus other seasonings you enjoy.

Layer two slices of ham on a plate to give the “wrap” extra stability. Scoop some of the egg mixture onto the ham, and roll it up like a wrap.

If you want a crispy outside, place the ham roll-ups in a baking dish. Broil them for a few minutes until they get crispy. Always watch broiling food closely as it can turn from perfectly browned to burnt quickly.

4. Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Sandwich

This classic Mexican breakfast dish is served traditionally on tortillas. In this version, you can use a light English muffin or thin bagel to hold the ingredients.

Toast the English muffin to give it a crispy texture. Top the base with heated refried beans, mashed avocado, eggs cooked your favorite way, and salsa. Finish the sandwich with the top of the English muffin.

5. Whole Wheat Waffle Sandwiches

Start your morning with a healthy dose of grains when you use whole wheat waffles as an alternative bread for your sandwich. If you’re really hungry, use two waffles for a top and bottom. Make it a lower calorie and lower carb sandwich by folding a single waffle in half with the fillings in the middle taco style.

What you put inside your waffle is up to you. Scrambled eggs with veggies and turkey bacon or sausage. Sprinkle a little cheese on top for extra flavor and protein.

6. Open-Face Portobello Mushroom Sandwich

Replace the traditional bread on your breakfast sandwich with a robust portobello mushroom cap. The thin, flat shape makes it a good stand-in for a bagel or English muffin.

Soften the mushroom cap by drizzling it with a little olive oil and broiling it for 10 minutes or until it’s soft. Saute your choice of vegetables and some chicken or turkey sausage. Fry an egg to the doneness that you like.

Assemble the open-faced sandwich by scooping the cooked veggies inside the mushroom cap. Add the egg on top.

7. Avocado Toast Sandwich

Sure, avocado toast is a bit of a cliche, especially among the millennial set. But the benefits of avocados make this a serious contender for a healthy morning sandwich. They’re packed with vitamins and good fats.

Start with two pieces of your choice of bread or a light English muffin and toast it. Mash an avocado and spread it over both sides. Salt and pepper the avocado.

Now you can get creative with other toppings. Add eggs, other vegetables, bacon, or any other toppings that sound good. With the variety of filling options, you can have avocado toast every morning with variety each day.

Put the two slices of toast together like a sandwich, or eat them separately open-face style.

8. Breakfast Burrito

It may not technically fall under the sandwich category, but a morning burrito is a savory handheld dish that you can make healthier depending on what you add. Choosing corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas starts off the burrito on a lighter note.

Inside, stuff eggs cooked in your favorite style with veggies, cheese, and salsa. Add a little light sour cream to balance out the flavors.

Enjoy a Breakfast Sandwich

Which breakfast sandwich recipe are you ready to try? No matter how you make it, a sandwich is a healthy and filling way to start your day.

On busy mornings, let us take care of the breakfast sandwiches, or stop by for a cup of coffee to go along with your homemade breakfast sandwich. Check out our menu to plan your morning stop to make sure you’re fueled for your day.

Beware: Added Sugar! The Best Low Sugar Smoothies to Enjoy in the Morning

July 26, 2019

low sugar smoothies

Each day it seems as though our lives are on fast-forward. When you’re on the go grabbing fast food is convenient. Those fatty, processed meat sandwiches and greasy hash-browns can entice an empty tummy. Those foods are okay but in moderation.

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day you shouldn’t ignore the essentials your body needs. Consider changing your eating habits to include healthier options like smoothies.

Smoothies provide the right amount of daily fruit and veggie servings without tasting like paste. Yet many fruit-heavy smoothies come with too much sugar.

Although natural sugar is good for you, consuming large quantities of sugar each day is bad. It even increases your chances of developing Diabetes.

So when you’re making the switch from junk food to healthy choices then try low sugar smoothies.

Reasons to Drink Low Sugar Smoothies

Aside from being a better breakfast option than cereal, smoothies have legitimate benefits with convenience being at the top of the list.

Drinking smoothies doesn’t need to be a drawn-out chore. Whether you’re making them at home or grabbing one before work, smoothies are quick and easy. But other benefits of smoothies include:

  • Boosting Metabolism
  • Curb Cravings
  • Extra Energy
  • Lower Blood Pressure
  • Relieving Arthritis Pain
  • Youthful Look

Yes, smoothies can boost your metabolism if made with the right ingredients. According to eatthisnotthat.com, ginger, and cayenne pepper help people burn fat at a quicker rate than people eating the same meal without this ingredient.

Smoothies also curb your cravings for junk food if you add a little apple cider vinegar or cinnamon to your drink.

Need the energy of a superhero? Try putting cold-brew coffee, banana and protein powder for the lasting jolt of energy you need to get through the first half of your day.

According to Eat This, Not That, potassium foods provide a natural remedy to lower blood pressure. This is due to how the mineral helps with sodium effects on the body and it “eases tension on blood vessel walls.” So tossing in a banana or two into your smoothie is a good idea.

Millions of people suffer from arthritis due to many reasons. In order to prevent inflammation be aware of what food cause it and which ones reduce it. If you want to help ease the symptoms make a low sugar smoothie with kale, spinach, blueberries or strawberries. All of these ingredients have anti-inflammatory attributes according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Want to keep your youthful appearance? Consider drinking smoothies with apricots, carrots, cinnamon or honey. Each of these items contains beta-carotene and may help repair damaged skin according to Eat This, Not That.

Why You Should Try Low Sugar Smoothies

Now that you know low sugar smoothies offer amazing health benefits it’s time to break down what different types of smoothies will offer you.

Healthy low sugar smoothies provide the boost of vitamins and minerals your body needs to start the day right. Don’t think that smoothie with kale, spinach, and beets will taste disgusting. If blended with the right ingredients your low sugar green smoothie will have you wanting more.

In fact, some people who begin drinking smoothies start to let go of their go-to snacks because their tastes have changed. They no longer want to gulp down a high-fructose soda or chemically created cupcake. Altered eating habits can have unintentional positive effects like weight loss. But it’s up to you to give them a try.

Continue reading to learn some of the best low sugar smoothies, we offer, for waking up your early morning brain and body.

Avocado Dream

Do you like avocados? Who doesn’t! Then try the avocado dream smoothie. It’s mixed with avocado, spinach, kiwi, and orange juice. A great combination of greens flavored with orange. Making sure you receive a good dose of vitamin A, C, E, K, fiber, folate, and potassium.

Tropical Chia

The tropical chia tastes as good as it sounds. This breakfast treat combines pineapple, mango, ginger, chia seeds, and coconut water. Giving you a delicious beverage with vitamins A, B-6, C, beta-carotene, folate, iron, magnesium, and more.

Green Goodness

Treat your body like a temple with a green goddess smoothie. Packed with pineapple, spinach, banana, and orange juice. It’s got vitamins A, C, fiber, and potassium providing your body adequate nourishment.

Beetalicious

In the mood to try something new? Give the beetalicious smoothie a chance. It’s made from mango, strawberry, beet, orange, and carrot. Vitamin A, C, calcium, fiber, folate, and potassium will satisfy your body’s hunger.

Banana Energy

The banana energy smoothie, blends bananas, cacao beans, granola, and almond milk. This delicious beverage provides calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium. It’s the perfect option if you’re super hungry but short on time.

Yum Berry

You can’t spell yummy without yum. That’s exactly what you’ll find when sipping the yum berry smoothie. This smoothie combines blueberry, strawberry, banana, and coconut water. Plus vitamins B-6, C, K, calcium, magnesium, and potassium add to your daily intake of nutrients.

Give Them a Chance

As you can see low sugar smoothies offer convenience, decreased cravings for junk food, extra energy, increased metabolism, reduce inflammation, and a youthful look. Yet these are only some of the advantages of incorporating more fruits and veggies into your daily diet.

If you’re interested in checking out other menu options please click here. We look forward to meeting you at one of our locations.

A Toast to Our Favorite Superfood: 7 Health Benefits of Avocado

May 13, 2019

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Despite our love of guacamole during the Super Bowl, Americans may not be eating as many avocados as they should. Mexico exports 1.5 billion pounds of the dimpled green fruit to the U.S. annually, yet the average Americans consume only five avocados each year.

Maybe if more people knew how good avocados are for them, they’d add this superfood to their diet a lot more often. Avocados contain healthy fats and nutrients that make them an important part of a balanced diet. Here are seven health benefits of avocados you should know about.

1. They’re like a Multivitamin

This small fruit packs a serious nutritional punch. Avocados contain nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

Eating one-third of an avocado (considered one serving) will give you 10% of vitamin K, which builds strong bones and helps your blood clot. The same amount also contains 6% of vitamin E, which helps our immune system fight viruses and bacteria.

One-third of an avocado also delivers 14% of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) which our body needs to create energy from food. Avocados are high in copper, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B5 (folate), and other nutrients.

Best of all, you get all of these for only 80 calories per serving, making avocados a nutrient-dense food.

2. They Contain Fiber

The same serving of avocado contains three grams of fiber or 11% of the recommended daily consumption for adults. Fiber assists our digestive system and may decrease the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

It also helps us feel full longer, which is why avocado is a great addition to any meal, particularly if you’re trying to lose weight. Incorporating avocado into a breakfast meal or shake will help you feel satisfied and energized through the morning hours. Dishes made with avocado are often a Best brunch in Chicago menu item for this reason.

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3. They’re Good for Your Eyes

Move over, carrots. It turns out that avocado is one of the foods that we should be eating more of to protect our eyes.

Avocados contain lutein and zeaxanthin. These are carotenoids, plant pigments that give fruits and vegetables their distinctive hues. Carotenoids, in general, are very good for the human body, but lutein and zeaxanthin have been found to be very beneficial for eye health.

Our eyes actually love to absorb these two pigments—they head straight for our retinas. Consuming foods that contain lutein and zeaxanthin may help reduce our risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration.

Researchers don’t know yet exactly how much of these pigments we should eat daily to help our eyes. However, adding avocados to your diet along with other color-packed fruits and vegetables can contribute towards a healthy vision.

4. They’re Good for Your Heart

Let’s get one thing out of the way: avocados are a fatty food. There are a whopping 21 grams of fat in one cup of sliced avocado. If we saw that number associated with other foods, we might avoid eating them.

But the good news is this fat is mostly the “good” kind—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. These two types of fat help keep bad cholesterol levels down which helps prevent cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes. Only 15% of the fat found in avocados is the saturated kind.

Speaking of cholesterol, avocados are a cholesterol-free food. This means you can use them as a creamy substitute for mayonnaise and butter. You just need to watch your portion control, as the calories from avocado can quickly add up.

The vitamins and antioxidants found in avocado are also heart-healthy. Heart patients can eat avocados in moderation and know they’re doing something good for their health.

5. They’re Good for Expectant Moms

Avocados are rich in folate, a B-vitamin that is known to have benefits to expectant and new mothers. Folate can help prevent birth defects such as Spina Bifida and it helps a baby’s nervous system develop properly.

Folate is found in many foods but can be destroyed through cooking. Since avocados can be enjoyed raw, this makes them a great choice for getting enough folate. Half of one avocado contains 21% of the recommended daily intake of folate.

6. They Boost Sex Drive and Testosterone

It’s true: if you’re looking for foods to naturally boost your sex drive, add avocado to your diet. The vitamins and minerals found in avocados—particularly zinc and copper—help support our endocrine system. These are the glands that release hormones into our blood, helping to boost our desire for sex.

Avocados are especially beneficial to men, as they can increase testosterone levels. If you lift weights and are looking for more energy to power you through workouts, adding avocados to your diet can help.

7. They Can Help Keep Blood Pressure Normal

Potassium is very important for our bodies. It helps equalize fluid in our cells, maintains our nervous system, and regulates heart and muscle contractions. People with high blood pressure need enough potassium to keep their pressure within a normal range.

Half of an avocado gives you 10% of your recommended daily value of potassium, just edging out the 9% found in a medium-sized banana. As a bonus, they contain very little sodium, something that people with high blood pressure need to watch out for.

The Benefits of Avocado Can’t Be Beat

As you can see, there’s a lot to love about avocados. They deserve their label as a superfood because the number of nutrients they provide can’t be beat.

Here at Cupitol All Day Eatery & Bar, we love the health benefits of avocado as well and thats why we use it to make the best breakfast in Chicago. That’s why you can find avocados as the main ingredient in several of our menu offerings, including our avocado wrap sandwich avocado dream smoothie.

The next time you’re near our Streeterville / Downtown Chicago location, come in and experience for yourself how good avocado is for you. Or check out our menu and try one of our healthy offerings for the Best breakfast, lunch, dinner & an All Day Bar.