SPINACH & RICOTTA EGG BITES >> a high protein, on-the-go breakfast!

Sep 23, 2020

Are you hungry first thing in the morning?

Some people are ready to dive into breakfast first thing while others needs a few hours to warm up to the idea of eating!

It typically takes me appetite a few hours to kick-in in the morning. Luckily, working from home allows me to prepare a wholesome breakfast when my appetite peaks.

However, if you don't work from home it's tempting to run out the door without giving breakfast much thought. While it's great to wait to eat breakfast until you are truly hungry for it, if you don't have a plan you may be out-of-luck when hunger strikes! This rapid onset of hunger can lead to impulsive drive through breakfasts or an energy crash mid-morning! Not ideal!

If you like to eat breakfast a bit later, these egg bites might be for you! You can batch make them and store them in the freezer. Take them on-the-go and warm them up in the microwave when hunger strikes. Some ways to enjoy these egg bites:

Eat 'em straight up. These egg bites are a source of protein and are amped up with volume from the spinach and onions. They make for a fantastic protein-packed snack to bridge you between meals.
Build a breakfast sandwich. Turn the egg bites into a more complete meal by using them as an egg patty for a breakfast sandwich. Sandwich the egg bites in a whole grain English muffin with some cheese or fresh avocado!
Enjoy fruit on the side. Enjoy the egg bites alongside a portable carbohydrate source like an apple or banana. Since the egg bites are low in fat, you may want to add some extra fat on the side like a few almonds or a slather of PB on your banana!

I was inspired to make these egg bites from the Starbucks Sous Vides Egg Bites and Tim Hortons' Omelette Bites. Both of which are great options if you are in a pinch. If you have time to make a homemade version, they are just as tasty and far more affordable!

There are a few bites missing from the photoshoot as I just had to taste test them - haha!

SPINACH & RICOTTA EGG BITES

Search "Vitality Nutrition Spinach & Ricotta Egg Bites" in MyFitnessPal to add the macros to your diary.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 tablespoon (7g) butter or olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 small (150g) onion, diced
2 large handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (110g) light ricotta cheese
2 cups (500g) egg whites*
pinch of salt and pepper

*2 cups of egg whites is equivalent to one small carton of egg whites

DIRECTIONS

Add your oil to a sauce pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until the onions are translucent.
Stir in the chopped spinach and cook until wilted.
Add the onion and spinach mixture to a large bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes.
Mix in the ricotta cheese and the egg whites. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Spray the muffin cavities with non-stick spray. I used muffin liners but I'd actually recommend not to as the parchment liners can get a bit "wet" from the water-y egg mixture.
Evenly spread the mixture between the 12 muffin tins. You can use a 1/4 cup to evenly distribute the mixture!
Bake at 350F for 15 minutes.

VARIATIONS

Consider my recipe as one variation.

You can adjust the recipe by using a combination of eggs and egg whites (I find 4 eggs + 1/2 cup egg whites works well!), sautéing your favorite vegetables, or add fats like cheese or bacon. Some ideas:

Greek Egg Bites: use peppers and onion for vegetables and add feta and olives for fat.
Cheddar & Ham: boost the protein with some ham or back bacon and shredded cheddar mixed in with the egg whites.
Mushroom & Bacon: saute some bacon with mushrooms and mix in the egg whites.

I WANNA KNOW!

Did you try this recipe or a variation of it? Comment below! Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram so we can see your creation!

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