Full English breakfast swaps you should make right now, according to nutritionist
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Yueke
Fri, Jun 28, 2024
PHOTO: Yueke
If you're looking for easy, everyday swaps that could make you a bit healthier, one nutritionist might have the answer.
Whether or not breakfast is the most important meal of the day is a much-debated topic. Some argue a healthy helping of breakfast can help you keep going through the day, while others say skipping it, also known as intermittent fasting, has its benefits.
But there's one thing many can agree on - breakfast is delicious. Many Brits will particularly agree that nothing beats a full English breakfast. However, they can be very unhealthy, with the British Heart Foundation claiming a full fry-up comes in at about 850 calories - quite a large chunk of the recommended daily intake, which is 2,000 (women) or 2,500 (men).
But it's good to know that even if you're trying to be healthier, you don't have to give up your fry-up entirely - because you can make healthy swaps. We spoke to Kate Booker, Nutritionist at [Nutritionist's Organization], who gave her verdict on the nation's favourite brekkie.
And Kate doesn't believe a full English needs to be unhealthy, because you can make some healthy swaps. According to the English Breakfast Society, the 'common' full English breakfast consists of back bacon, eggs, sausages, baked beans, bubble and squeak, fried tomato, fried mushrooms, black pudding, and toast on the side.
One big swap that can make a huge difference is swapping the fried eggs for poached or scrambled, to avoid excess oil. According to Kate, you should also "make sure the eggs are free range". Research has found that free-range eggs have lower cholesterol, less saturated fats, as well as additional vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids, than eggs from caged hens.
If you do use oil to create your fry-up, Kate says she wouldn't "use inflammatory seed oils like sunflower or rapeseed, which can get damaged quite easily". Explaining why this is a problem, Kate said seed oils are "prone to oxidising at high temperatures and forming harmful by-products", due to their "high PUFA (polyunsaturated fat) content".
She continued: "The process of oxidation in the human body damages cell membranes and other structures, including cellular proteins, lipids, and DNA. When oxygen is metabolised, it creates unstable molecules called 'free radicals', which steal electrons from other molecules, causing damage to DNA and other cells. More antioxidants are required to donate an electron and offset the damage," so it's better to stay clear.
Kate is all for having sausages and bacon on your breakfast plate, but you should "make sure to use high-quality meat, outdoor-bred sausages and bacon for a healthier meat, from a healthier animal". She added: "I love Pipers Farm Cumberland sausages that are also nitrate-free."
Instead of fried bread, Kate recommends going for "organic sourdough for toast," or if you're gluten-free you can "just omit it completely and add another vegetable instead". Kate gives fried mushrooms the green light, but recommends adding garlic to make them "even more delicious and add some anti-inflammatory goodness".
Mushrooms, as well as beans, also contain fibre, which Kate says is "great for our gut". All in all, a cooked breakfast, full of protein, can be great, Kate says. She added: "The great thing about a protein-packed breakfast is your blood sugar will be stable and it helps reduce energy crashes and sugar cravings. Cereals don't keep you full for long and lead to a drop in blood sugar."
Whether or not breakfast is the most important meal of the day is a much-debated topic. Some argue a healthy helping of breakfast can help you keep going through the day, while others say skipping it, also known as intermittent fasting, has its benefits.
But there's one thing many can agree on - breakfast is delicious. Many Brits will particularly agree that nothing beats a full English breakfast. However, they can be very unhealthy, with the British Heart Foundation claiming a full fry-up comes in at about 850 calories - quite a large chunk of the recommended daily intake, which is 2,000 (women) or 2,500 (men).
But it's good to know that even if you're trying to be healthier, you don't have to give up your fry-up entirely - because you can make healthy swaps. We spoke to Kate Booker, Nutritionist at [Nutritionist's Organization], who gave her verdict on the nation's favourite brekkie.
And Kate doesn't believe a full English needs to be unhealthy, because you can make some healthy swaps. According to the English Breakfast Society, the 'common' full English breakfast consists of back bacon, eggs, sausages, baked beans, bubble and squeak, fried tomato, fried mushrooms, black pudding, and toast on the side.
One big swap that can make a huge difference is swapping the fried eggs for poached or scrambled, to avoid excess oil. According to Kate, you should also "make sure the eggs are free range". Research has found that free-range eggs have lower cholesterol, less saturated fats, as well as additional vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids, than eggs from caged hens.
If you do use oil to create your fry-up, Kate says she wouldn't "use inflammatory seed oils like sunflower or rapeseed, which can get damaged quite easily". Explaining why this is a problem, Kate said seed oils are "prone to oxidising at high temperatures and forming harmful by-products", due to their "high PUFA (polyunsaturated fat) content".
She continued: "The process of oxidation in the human body damages cell membranes and other structures, including cellular proteins, lipids, and DNA. When oxygen is metabolised, it creates unstable molecules called 'free radicals', which steal electrons from other molecules, causing damage to DNA and other cells. More antioxidants are required to donate an electron and offset the damage," so it's better to stay clear.
Kate is all for having sausages and bacon on your breakfast plate, but you should "make sure to use high-quality meat, outdoor-bred sausages and bacon for a healthier meat, from a healthier animal". She added: "I love Pipers Farm Cumberland sausages that are also nitrate-free."
Instead of fried bread, Kate recommends going for "organic sourdough for toast," or if you're gluten-free you can "just omit it completely and add another vegetable instead". Kate gives fried mushrooms the green light, but recommends adding garlic to make them "even more delicious and add some anti-inflammatory goodness".
Mushrooms, as well as beans, also contain fibre, which Kate says is "great for our gut". All in all, a cooked breakfast, full of protein, can be great, Kate says. She added: "The great thing about a protein-packed breakfast is your blood sugar will be stable and it helps reduce energy crashes and sugar cravings. Cereals don't keep you full for long and lead to a drop in blood sugar."
This hearty meal is perfect for busy days.
Most of us don't want to spend more time than we have to in the kitchen, especially when we all lead busy lives that mean we have a hundred other things we'd rather be doing than making dinner. But thankfully, if you have a busy Saturday ahead of you, or you're looking to plan a tasty midweek meal for next week, Mary Berry has you covered with a quick and easy one-pot fricassee.
The former Great British Bake Off judge said she makes the tasty chicken stew as a "midweek supper," and it can be made up to one day in advance, meaning you could make it this weekend to kickstart your week. What's more, it only takes 20 minutes to prepare and can be slowly cooked in the oven.
Mary shared her recipe in her cookbook, and said: "We often have friends round for a midweek supper and this is a perfect dish to make ahead. We like chicken thighs, skinned but left on the bone for full flavour, but you could also use skinned chicken breasts."
Ingredients
You will also need a frying pan with a lid or an ovenproof casserole dish to prepare the dish.
Method
First, preheat the oven to 160C, or gas mark 3. Then, start by cutting the onions into wedges, slicing the fennel bulbs into thick slices, and chopping the tarragon. Set all this to one side and add oil to your pan and heat it until hot, before seasoning your chicken with salt and pepper and searing it quickly in the pan.
Remove the chicken from the pan and set it to one side. Add the onions and fennel to the pan and cook for roughly five minutes, stirring occasionally so the vegetables cook evenly. Pour in the sherry and let it boil on a high heat until the liquid has reduced by half, then pour in the chicken stock and return the chicken to the pan.
Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pan with a lid, and then transfer it to the oven. Cook the mixture for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and tender. If you're using chicken breasts instead, it'll only take around 30 minutes. Two minutes before the mixture comes out of the oven, add the cornflour in a small bowl with a little cold water and stir until you have a smooth paste.
Transfer the pan with the stew mixture back onto the hob, then stir in the creme fraiche and then add the cornflour paste. Stir on a high heat until the sauce has thickened. Add in the tarragon, sugar, and lemon juice, then season once again to preference.
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