Think beyond breakfast with these three unique and tasty new ways to enjoy eggs any time of day!
When I think of eggs, I think of the smell of my mom’s french toast and my dad’s omelettes and childhood. Food can be so nostalgic in that way.
I fell in love with food long before I fell in love with writing and even longer before I fell in love with nutrition. Eggs were one of the first things I could make all by myself without burning my hair off. It brings me great joy to chat you today about one of the first foods that actually made me feel confident in the kitchen. As I grew up and got more creative with cooking, eggs became so much more than breakfast fare to me. They pretty much saved my wallet and my stomach in college. We all deserve to know how to get the most nutrition bang for our buck along with ALL THE FLAVORS by using eggs in some creative and fun new ways. Everyone can use a little change sometimes, ehh?
I’m a big variety girl.
But let’s rewind for a hot minute and revisit what makes eggs so nutritionally stellar. An interesting tid bit you may not know is that eggs are one of the only natural sources of vitamin D, with 41 IU per large egg. They’re also one of the richest food sources of choline, which is critical not only for fetal brain development but also for maintaining optimal brain function later in life. An even more interesting tid bit is that most of that choline along with vitamin B12, selenium, and more than 40% of the egg’s protein is found there. You’ll also find plenty of fat-soluble nutrients like vitamin D, E, A, and the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin in the yolk. HOLY SMOKES!
One of my personal favorite facts about eggs is that they’re such an affordable and accessible source of high-quality protein for all. We don’t all have the luxury of stocking are cupboards with thirty types of flour and ancient aztec superfoods, ya know. Now let’s talk about versatility and how you can get your drool on STAT with these epic non-breakfast recipe ideas!
First up, we’ve got a Mediterranean Salad in a Jar with hard-boiled eggs! I was actually shocked how good this was. I knew it would be tasty, but when I shook it up and dumped it in a bowl, I couldn’t help but gasp over how perfectly the flavors and textures melded together. Salads in a jar are meal prep at its finest. I don’t know about you, but I never make salads for lunch solely because I’m too lazy to chop everything. Layering nutrient-dense + flavorful ingredients in a jar with the dressing at the bottom and greens at the top allows them to stay fresh and crisp for days. Such an easy lunch or dinner on the go!
As an added bonus, a study by Purdue University found that adding whole eggs to a colorful veggie-based salad boosts the amount of vitamin E and other antioxidants the body absorbs from the vegetables.
Mediterranean Salad in a Jar
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Salad
Description
This refreshing, nutritious Mediterranean Salad in a Jar is the perfect protein-packed EASY lunch on the go!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Big pinch of salt, pepper, and oregano
- 1/2 an avocado
- 1/4 cup chopped shallot
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups arugula
- 2 large hard-boiled eggs
Instructions
- Mix together olive oil, vinegar, and seasoning in a small bowl. Distribute evenly into two quart-sized mason jars.
- Layer the avocado, shallot, chickpeas, arugula, and egg in the order listed dividing evenly between both jars.
- Tightly close jars and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to eat, shake jar well and pour into a big bowl.
Now let’s talk about my favorite time of day: snack time! Jeff always laughs at me because I’m the queen of eating seventeen things in one sitting. I can’t help wanting a bite of everything in the fridge! For example, yesterday at 5pm I had a bunch of crackers and hummus with hot sauce, two dill pickles, and a hard boiled egg. Random but delish! This Sweet and Salty Snack Plate is super satisfying and hits every flavor and texture note. My kinda snack situation!
Sweet and Salty Snack Plate
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
This ultra satisfying Sweet and Salty Snack Plate will keep your belly full and happy afternoon!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp garlic hummus
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 1 hard boiled egg sliced and seasoned with salt + pepper
- 2 tbsp dried fruit and nut mix
- 1/2 green apple, sliced with cinnamon
Instructions
- Place all ingredients on a plate and dig in!
Last but not least, let’s talk about the magic of a sunny-side up or over easy egg paired with creamy avocado bright lemon, and a crunchy rice cake as a snack versus breakfast. For some reason, using a brown rice cake totally takes away the breakfast connotation for me. Anyone else? I always crave crunchy when I’m snacking and brown rice cakes totally hit the spot! Slather it with mashed avocado, a squirt of fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, a hot egg, and greens if you have them on hand. Snack smarter, not harder!
Avocado & Egg Rice Cake
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Snack
Description
This crunchy and creamy Avocado & Egg Rice Cake is the perfect protein-packed snacked to keep you satisfied all afternoon.
Ingredients
- 1 large sunny side-up or over easy egg
- 1 brown rice cake (I like Lundberg Farms)
- 1/4 an avocado, mashed
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional)
- Sea salt
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Basil/cilantro/greens to garnish
Instructions
- Cook egg to your liking.
- Spread avocado on brown rice cake. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes.
- Top with egg and herbs or greens, if desired.
Have another fun way to enjoy eggs beyond the breakfast basics? Tell me all about it in the comments!
This post is sponsored by The American Egg Board. For more recipes, visit IncredibleEgg.org and check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
I eat scrambled eggs pretty much every morning for breakfast and compared to oatmeal, it fills me up so much longer!
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★★★★★
I am hardcore craving eggs now!
Please don’t judge me for asking this question–should we be at all concerned about arsenic in brown rice? I eat brown rice, brown rice cakes, brown rice pasta…I totally love your balanced approach and respect your opinion, so I would love to know what you think. As someone learning to intuitively eat and get the nutrition noise out of my head, I would very much appreciate it! Thank you!
All of these creations are oh-so mouthwatering and amazing! I love eggs, and I eat them so much more now. They’re incredibly versatile and deeelicious.
ugh i love eggs so freakin’ much. i’m pretty sure i could survive off ’em if it wasn’t terrible to eat like 6 a day…haha. I’m with you though, they’re just such a delicious, versatile and cheap way to get in nutrients and you can add them to so many different things. i love that you topped a rice cake with one in place of toast – genius!!
Thanks, Jordan! The crunch just GETS me.
These all look super yummy! I’ve always wanted to try the jar- salad situation but I’m so picky about my salads. I’ll have to give it a shot though! It looks so easy.
The best part is how customizable they are. Give it a whirl!
Love the idea of adding eggs to the salad in a jar. Super creative, will try that! 😀
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
So easy, right? Enjoy!