Egg White Omelet with Spinach and Mushrooms

Egg White Omelet with Spinach and Mushrooms

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Serves 1

vs. Veggie and Cheese Omelet (save 320 calories, 20 g fat)

The egg-white omelet is a staple breakfast for many healthy eaters, but they're often rubbery and bland. After several trials, I've found that it's easy to make a flavorful omelet that's very low on fat: the secret is to add a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese to the eggs after beating them. You'll find it really improves the texture.

Adding cheese to the eggs leaves plenty of room to fill the omelet with vegetables. I recommend using baby bella or shiitake mushrooms because they have more flavor, but white button mushrooms would work as well—as would any combination of vegetables you prefer (see Awesome Omelets, page 90, for our suggestions). To make the weekday breakfast easy, sauté your vegetables ahead of time, then reheat them slightly in the microwave before adding them to the eggs.

Calories: 90.0

Fat: 2.1 g

Cholesterol: 4.0 mg

Sodium: 283.3 mg

Carbs: 3.2 g

Fiber: 1.2 g

Protein: 19.1 g

Ingredients:

• Canola oil spray to coat the pan
• 1⁄2 cup sliced mushrooms, preferably baby bellas or shiitake
• 1 cup fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
• Pinch black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg (optional)
• 3 egg whites or 1⁄3 cup packaged egg whites
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp butter

Directions:

1. Heat a nonstick sauté pan over moderate heat, and coat it with canola oil. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted. Season with pepper and nutmeg, if using, then remove mixture from the sauté pan and set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until fluffy, then whisk in the Parmesan.
3. Heat the sauté pan over moderate heat again. Add the butter to the pan, taking care to not let it brown. Add the eggs to the pan and swirl them around to coat the bottom. As the egg whites begin to set, lift the sides up with a rubber spatula so they don't overcook.
4. Once the omelet is partially set, add the vegetable mixture to half of the omelet. Cook the omelet until just set, 1 to 2 minutes more. Don't overcook: the egg whites should still be moist.
5. Slide the omelet onto a plate, vegetable side first, folding the other half of the omelet on top.