“Healthy” and “breakfast sandwich” tend to be an oxymoron, especially when you review popular fast-food menu items: 

• Burger King Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit: 420 calories, 25 g fat, 185 mg cholesterol, 1,360 mg sodium
• Sonic Breakfast Toaster Sandwich with Bacon: 532 calories, 32.4 g fat, 323 mg cholesterol, 1,441 mg sodium
• McDonald’s Egg McMuffin: 300 calories, 12 g fat, 260 mg cholesterol, 820 mg sodium 

By comparison, today’s recipe for a Spicy Egg, Turkey Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Muffin contains only 226 calories, 6 g fat, 15 mg cholesterol and 534 mg sodium. The lean protein (17 g), high-fiber carbohydrates and healthy fats—an ideal nutritional trifecta—will leave you feeling satisfied, with fewer cravings throughout the day. 

Substitute turkey bacon for its high-fat pork cousin, says exercise physiologist Bob Greene, Oprah Winfrey’s personal trainer and author of several books, including The Best Life Diet Cookbook. He also forsakes egg yolks and cooks with egg whites, which have no fat or cholesterol and half the calories. 

The recipe’s prep time is 10 minutes, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

Spicy Egg, Turkey Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Muffin

Makes 2 servings

1 cup (8 ounces) egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cayenne hot pepper sauce
1/8 cup (half an ounce) shredded Cheddar cheese
2 slices uncured turkey bacon, cut in half crosswise
2 whole-wheat English muffins, split

1. Spray a 10-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. 
2. Add egg whites, and stir in hot pepper sauce.
3. As eggs start to set, use a spatula to lift edges, letting uncooked whites flow to the bottom of the skillet. Cook until whites are set, but still moist.
4. Sprinkle shredded cheese atop the egg whites. Fold over the omelet so the cheese melts in the middle.
5. Place turkey bacon on a microwave-safe plate, and cover it with a paper towel. Microwave on high for 30 to 40 seconds, or until warmed.
6. Toast each English muffin half. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture atop two toasted muffins.
7. Top each with one piece of cooked turkey bacon and the remaining toasted muffin halves.  

Recipe and photo courtesy of Better’n Eggs/ARA