French toast and avocado toast are both versatile and delicious dishes that can be incorporated into a weight loss plan. While traditional French toast might not be considered a health food, modifications can transform it into a nutritious and satisfying meal. Similarly, avocado toast offers a wealth of nutrients and can be customized to fit various dietary preferences. This article explores both options, providing recipes, topping ideas, and tips for making toast a valuable asset in achieving your weight loss goals.
Fat-Burning French Toast: A Sweet Treat Without the Guilt
Craving something sweet while trying to stick to your nutrition plan? Fat-burning French toast could be the answer. This recipe, popularized by Coach Greg Doucette, offers a delicious, filling, and quick-to-make alternative to traditional French toast.
The Recipe
To make fat-burning French toast, you'll need just a few simple ingredients:
- 150g egg whites
- 3 slices of bread (Nature’s Own no sugar added is a good option)
- 1 packet of non-nutritive sweetener (such as Stevia or Splenda)
- Sugar-free syrup
Instructions
- Mix the egg whites, cinnamon, and sweetener in a bowl.
- Soak the bread in the mixture.
- Place the soaked bread in a frying pan on medium heat.
- Flip the toasts after 3-4 minutes and cook for another few minutes.
- Plate and drench in sugar-free syrup.
Why It Works
This French toast is considered "fat-burning" due to its combination of high fiber, high volume, and high satiety. It fills you up, fulfills cravings, supports a high-protein and high-fiber diet, and helps prevent overeating. Consistently consuming fewer calories than you burn leads to fat loss.
Making It Anabolic or Focusing on Fat Loss
If your goal is muscle gain, you can make the recipe more anabolic by:
Read also: Avocado toast: a guide to healthy eating
- Mixing whole eggs with the egg whites
- Using sourdough or Ezekiel bread instead of low-calorie bread
- Adding a scoop of almond or peanut butter
If your goal is fat loss, stick to egg whites and low-calorie bread.
Avocado Toast: A Nutrient-Packed Powerhouse
Avocado toast is a versatile dish that fits nearly any eating style. It’s delicious and delivers superpowered nutrients and minerals.
The Importance of Breakfast
Eating a balanced breakfast starts your metabolic "engine" earlier in the day, prompting your body to use calories more efficiently. Good fats, like those in Hass avocados, leave you feeling satiated. A clinical trial showed that eating a whole avocado at breakfast suppressed hunger and improved meal satisfaction in overweight and obese adults.
The Benefits of Avocado
Avocado is one of the few fruits that provide good fats. It contains six grams of naturally good fat per serving, which helps our bodies absorb certain nutrients without raising LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
Maintaining Lean Body Mass
Maintaining lean body mass (or muscle mass) is crucial for weight loss and weight management as you age. Muscle mass decreases at a rate of 3-8% every decade after the age of 30. Strength training and adequate protein intake are essential.
Read also: Easy Keto Muffins
Adding Protein to Avocado Toast
To increase the protein content of your avocado toast, consider adding toppings like:
- Eggs
- Salmon
- Cheese
- Shredded chicken
- Lean ham
- Canned tuna
Beyond Breakfast
Avocado toast tastes great any time of day and helps you add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Dietary fiber aids digestion, reduces blood cholesterol levels, reduces the risk for Type 2 diabetes and some cancers, and is key for people wanting to shed a few pounds! Avocados are nutrient-dense, so they pack a big nutritional punch in a small serving.
20 Healthy Breakfast Toast Ideas
Toast is the perfect canvas for all kinds of spreads and toppings. Here are 20 healthy breakfast toast recipes, ranging from sweet and savory options to light and low-calorie choices:
- Goat Cheese and Berry Toast: Spread fresh goat cheese onto toast and top with fresh blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries.
- Avocado Toast with Poached Egg: Mash avocado with lime juice and salt, spread on toast, and top with a poached egg.
- Buttered Toast with Jam: Spread butter on toast and add your favorite strawberry jam.
- Avocado and Feta Toast: Layer avocado on toast and top with feta cheese crumbles. Add a fried egg for extra protein.
- Melted Cheese Toast: Place a slice of toast on a sheet pan, top with cheddar cheese, and broil until melted.
- Everything Bagel Toast: Top with tomato and avocado. Garnish with everything bagel seasoning.
- Cinnamon Sugar Toast: Mix butter, sugar, and cinnamon, spread on toast, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) for 10 minutes, then broil until golden brown.
- Eggs on Toast: Top toast with regular or vegan cooked eggs (sunny side up or scrambled).
- Tomato and Mozzarella Toast: Toss diced cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper together, scoop onto toast, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar or glaze.
- Peanut Butter and Banana Toast: Slather peanut butter on toast, top with sliced bananas, and drizzle with honey.
- Cream Cheese, Peaches, and Cinnamon Toast: Pair rich cream cheese with sweet peaches and cinnamon. Cottage cheese also works.
- Nutella and Nuts Toast: Spread Nutella onto toast and add crushed nuts.
- Nut Butter and Chocolate Chip Toast: Top toast with nut butter and a sprinkle of chocolate chips.
- Nutella and Fruit Toast: Spread Nutella onto toast and top with fresh blueberries, banana slices, strawberries, or raspberries.
- Hummus, Tomato, and Red Onion Toast: Top toast with hummus, sliced tomato, and red onion. Add an egg for breakfast.
- Hummus, Tomato, and Kalamata Olives Toast: Top toast with hummus, sliced tomato, and chopped Kalamata olives.
- Cream Cheese and Veggie Toast: Slather cream cheese onto toast and add shredded carrots, thinly sliced radishes, arugula, garden peas, or spring onions.
- Cucumber and Hummus Toast: Pair cucumber and hummus for a light and refreshing option.
- Ricotta, Granola, and Berry Toast: Add a layer of ricotta cheese followed by granola and fresh berries.
- Roasted Garlic Hummus Toast: Spread toast with hummus. Top with cucumber, olives, and feta. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Toast Topping Ideas from Nutrition Experts
- Fig-getaboutit Toast: Spread Greek yogurt on whole-wheat toast. Assemble sliced figs on top. Drizzle with honey. Sprinkle mint leaves.
- Baba Ganoush Toast: Spread toast with baba ganoush. Garnish with goat cheese and basil. Season with red pepper flakes, Maldon salt, and black pepper to taste.
- Green Machine Toast: Spread toast with pesto. Top with sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and parmesan.
- ABBA Toast: Spread toast with almond butter. Top with a few apple slices and garnish with cinnamon.
- Avo-Berry Toast: Top toast with sliced avocado, salt, and pepper. Press avocado into toast with the back of a fork, but don’t mash completely. Top with berries. Garnish with hemp seeds.
- Strawberry Fields Toast: Spread toast with sunflower butter. Top with sliced strawberries and seeds.
- Spinach Frittata Toast: Spread toast with hummus and top with egg-spinach mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Banana And Peanut Butter Cup Toast: Spread toast with peanut butter. Top with banana and chocolate chips.
- Peaches 'N' Cream Toast: Spread toast with cottage cheese. Top with peach slices. Garnish with sea salt and honey.
- Red, White, And Blueberry Toast: Spread toast with ricotta. Top with blueberries and raspberries. Drizzle with honey.
- Pumpkin Pie Toast: Spread toast with goat cheese-pumpkin mixture. Top with pecans, maple syrup, and nutmeg.
- Fall Spice Toast: Spread toast with cashew butter. Top with pear. Garnish with pumpkin pie spice and honey (if using).
- Tricolor Toast: Spread pesto and hummus over bread. Top with red peppers. Garnish with pepper.
Tips for Making Healthy Toast
- Toast Bread Well: Start with well-toasted bread for a sturdy base.
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Choose ripe avocados, juicy tomatoes, and crisp cucumbers.
- Timing Is Everything: Enjoy toast immediately after making it.
- Get Creative: Experiment with different toppings and combinations.
- Oven Toasting: Toast bread in the oven for the whole family or for thick slices.
- Bread Variety: Change the type of bread you use.
- Cheese Variety: Switch up the cheese you use.
- Vegan Options: Use toppings like avocado, vegan cheese, and fresh produce.
- Nut Butter Variety: Explore different nut butters.
- Toppings: Look in your pantry and use your favorite ingredients.
Serving Suggestions
- Standalone Meal or Snack: Enjoy healthy toast as a quick and easy meal or snack.
- With Other Breakfast Foods: Serve toast with omelets, frittatas, or breakfast hash.
- With Salads: Pair toast with salads like tomato avocado cucumber salad or roasted pumpkin salad.
- With Soups: Enjoy toast with tomato soup, Greek lentil soup, or vegan minestrone soup.
- With Beverages: Serve toast with a warm drink like an oatmilk honey latte or golden milk turmeric latte.
Storage Tips
- Prep Ahead: Prepare toppings and store them in separate, air-tight containers in the fridge.
- Toast Fresh: Toast bread right before assembling and serving.
- Avoid Storing Assembled Toast: Assembled toast will get soggy in the fridge.
- Freezing: This recipe doesn’t freeze well.
Preventing Soggy Toast
- Toast bread until golden and crisp.
- Avoid overly wet toppings or drain excess liquid.
- Eat toast immediately after preparing it.
Alternatives to Bread
For low-carb or grain-free options, try using roasted sweet potato slices, portobello mushrooms, or large slices of roasted eggplant as a base.
Selecting the Right Bread
When choosing bread for weight loss, opt for whole grains. Whole grains contain the bran, endosperm, and germ, providing fiber, protein, folate, B-vitamins, and healthy fats. Refined bread only contains the endosperm, which is mostly starch.
Read also: Healthy French Toast Sticks
The Schmear
Stick to one tablespoon of any spread per toast slice. Use healthy fats like hummus, peanut butter, or almond butter.
Fruit and Vegetable Toppings
Top toast with fruit for fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. If you prefer savory, switch to vegetables.
Seeds and Nuts
Add fiber-filled seeds and nuts to keep hunger at bay.