Greek Omelet

I don’t always eat breakfast, and that’s not a smart thing to do. But I do enjoy a good omelet on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Watching my cholesterol intake means that I have to limit my consumption of egg yolks. Bummer. Egg whites are a good substitute, but I always feel like there is a little something missing. Then I remembered another favorite of mine, deviled hard boiled eggs. I thought, if I have to cut down on the yolks, why not enhance them to take full advantage? It worked out great.


The basic concept of this recipe is to use a few whole eggs and add egg whites. This cuts down on the fats and cholesterol. In order to enhance the few remaining egg yolks, I add mustard. Then, it’s just a matter of finding a healthy omelet filling.


Ingredient List (serves 2 – 4 people):
2 whole eggs
1 ½ cups egg whites
1 tablespoon mustard (I use Gulden’s)
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 large olives (chopped)
¼ cup Greek Yogurt
Juice from ½ lemon


Put the frozen spinach, garlic, olives, and lemon juice in a microwave safe bowl and nuke it for a few minutes, enough to get spinach hot. Set aside.


Wisk eggs, egg whites and mustard in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. Spray oil into a large hot non-stick skillet and add egg mixture. Once the eggs are almost cooked through, add the spinach mix to half of the pan, then spoon the yogurt over the spinach. Season with salt and pepper to taste (or leave the salt out and let them add it at the table.) Carefully fold the empty half over and turn off the heat. Cut into 2 or 4 servings, and serve.

One tip to get really fluffy omelets is to take a non-metalic spatula or spoon and stir the eggs as they cook, until they are about halfway done. Then stop so they can set into an omelet and don’t end up scrambled eggs.


The Stats:

	Calories	Fat (sat)	Chol	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Protein
Eggs (2)	150	10 g (3 g)	426 mg	126 mg	1 g	0	13 g
Egg Whites (1 1/2 cups)	180	0 (0)	0	575 mg	6 g	0	36 g
Mustard	15	0 (0)	0	150 mg	0	0	0
Yogurt (1/2 cups)	60	0 (0)	0	43 mg	5 g	0	10 g
Spinach	30	0 (0)	0	120 mg	3 g	1 g	2 g
Olives	60	5 g (0)	0	690 mg	0	0	0
Total	495	15 g (3 g)	426 mg	1704 mg	15 g	1 g	61 g
Large serving (serves 2)	309	8 g (2 g)	213 mg	852 mg*	8 g	0	31 g
Small serving (serves 4)	154	4 g (1 g)	107 mg	426 mg*	4 g	0	15 g

* Sodium is a bit high, mainly because of the egg and olive. Adjust sodium levels by removing either or both.


Bottom line: This is a really filling omelet, and a great compromise between whole eggs and healthy eating. A large portion is a full meal at 7 points. A smaller portion is only 3 points, leaving plenty of room for toast and juice.

Pumpkin Mousse

As a kid, I loved pumpkin pie. I had no idea that pumpkin was a squash, or that it was really good for you. I’m much older and a bit wiser now, but I still love pumpkin pie. So that’s why I love this dessert. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also so good for you, and extremely good if you are looking to keep the calorie count low. It’s full of vitamins A (including beta carotene) and D, calcium, and potassium.

The basic concept of this recipe was something I got from a TV show called From Farm to Table. The idea is simple, mix one part canned pumpkin with one part vanilla yogurt. I made enough for 4 hungry people, but you can adjust the amounts to fit your crowd (or lack of it.) I added some spices to make it a bit more savory and cut down on the sweetness of the vanilla yogurt. Of course, the spices I added also give it more of that pumpkin pie flavor, which I like.

Ingredient List (serves 4 – 8 people)

2 cups canned pumpkin
2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt (I used Weight Watchers brand for this)
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon allspice (optional)
1 ½ teaspoon ground clove (optional)

Mix everything in a bowl and serve. It will be a creamy, not quite pudding consistency. Or chill it in the fridge and it will set up a tiny bit more. Add toppings, such as non-fat non-dairy whipped topping, to finish the presentation.

The Stats:

	Calories	Fat (sat)	Chol	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Protein
Pumpkin (2 cups)	160	2 g (0 g)	0	20 mg	36 g	20 g	8 g
Yogurt (2 cups)	240	0	10 mg	320 mg	42 g	6 g	16 g
Salt, Allspice, Clove	0	0	0	1110 mg*	0	0	0
Total	400	2 g (0 g)	10 mg	1440 mg*	78 g	26 g	24 g
1 cup serving (4)	100	0.5 g	2 mg	360 mg*	20 g	7 g	6 g
½ cup serving (8)	50	0	1 mg	180 mg*	10 g	3 g	3 g

* Salt is optional. I’d leave it out completely if you need to watch your sodium levels.

Bottom line: This dessert is packed with vitamin goodness. 1 cup has a full day’s supply of vitamin A and beta carotene. It’s got a lot of fiber, making it quite a filling dessert. And best of all for my friends counting points, a cup of this dessert is 1 point. Half cup of this is 0 points! Free dessert, how can you not love it?