5 Rules for a Healthier Breakfast Sandwich
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Along with a really good cup of coffee, breakfast sandwiches are one of the few things that can make even a habitual late sleeper reconsider life as an early bird. As far as a.m. meals go, they’re a classic for a reason.
“Breakfast sandwiches are popular because they are easy to eat on the go and are a filling way to start the day,” says Holly Klamer, RDN, a registered dietitian based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. “They are high in protein, so they keep you feeling full for a long time.”
That protein usually comes from eggs, meat (typically sausage or bacon), and cheese, all sandwiched inside a bagel, English muffin, or another bread choice. Delicious as it may be, the typical breakfast sandwich doesn’t exactly scream health food.
“Breakfast sandwiches are notorious for not being a healthy food,” Klamer says. “They tend to be high in calories and saturated fat and low in fiber.”
But there’s no reason to write them off completely. “The good news is they can be made healthier by tweaking some ingredients,” Klamer says.
RELATED: 10 Satisfying High-Protein Breakfasts
Do that and you’ll start your day with a healthier breakfast sandwich that energizes you rather than weighs you down. “The first meal of the day really sets the tone for how the rest of your meals are likely to go,” says Trista Best, RD, MPH, an environmental health specialist and consultant with Balance One Supplements (a company that sells supplements) in Dalton, Georgia.
Here are five expert tips to put a healthy spin on your next breakfast sandwich.
1. Choose Lean Meat
Instead of beef or pork sausage or bacon, opt for turkey bacon or turkey sausage to save fat and calories, Klamer says. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one pork sausage patty has 19 grams (g) of fat and 210 calories. The same serving of turkey sausage, on the other hand, has 6 g of fat and 99 calories, according to USDA data.
You may be tempted to choose a plant-based option, which is served on breakfast sandwiches at Burger King and Starbucks. While there are benefits to eating less meat — it can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and many cancers, according to the American Heart Association — these won’t necessarily save you calories. “Surprisingly, meatless sausage can actually be similar to regular sausage in calories and fat content,” Klamer says. “This ‘meat’ may also be higher in sodium compared with regular sausage.” For example, the meatless sausage breakfast sandwich from Starbucks has 420 calories, 22 g of fat (8 g saturated fat), and 800 milligrams (mg) of sodium, while the regular sausage offering has 480 calories, 29 g of fat (10 g saturated fat), and 890 milligrams (mg) of sodium.
2. Maximize Your Bread’s Nutrition
If you have the option to choose what’s holding the sandwich together, go for a whole-grain English muffin or whole-grain bread rather than croissants, bagels, or white bread. That’ll deliver a fiber boost, Klamer says. Two slices of whole-grain bread have 6 g of fiber, while the same serving of white bread has 1.3 g, according to the USDA. Fiber is important to fill you up, per the Mayo Clinic. A high-fiber diet is associated with weight loss, regardless of macronutrient and caloric intake, according to a study.
RELATED: Do You Really Need to Eat Breakfast?
3. Add Veggies
“Breakfast is often a meal where vegetables are left out, but breakfast sandwiches are a great place to integrate them,” Best says. “Toppings are the best way to make your sandwich nutrient-dense rather than calorie-dense.” She recommends sautéed or grilled vegetables like spinach, peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Avocados are another tasty addition. The good fats in avocados add bulk to your sandwich in a healthier way than extra pieces of meat, Best says. And there are health benefits, too: Avocado has heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, which lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
4. Reconsider Your Cheese
Let’s start with the good news: Cheese doesn’t have to be off-limits. “A slice of cheese can be added to a breakfast sandwich for flavor, texture, and a good source of protein and calcium,” Klamer says. But be careful: It’s easy to go overboard and enter unhealthy territory with those extra slices. Klamer suggests limiting the portion size to 1 ounce (oz) and avoiding American cheese, the most processed type of sliced cheese and the most stripped of nutrients. If you’re vegan or just want to try something other than cheese, add a tablespoon or two of hummus or a few slices of avocado instead, Klamer suggests.
5. Go for Whole Eggs
Eggs are central to the breakfast sandwich and aren’t an ingredient you’ll want to skip. Each egg adds 6.2 g of protein to your morning meal, according to USDA data.
“Eating protein first thing in the morning will help you to have more energy throughout the day and avoid a sugar crash from the typical sugar-laden breakfast foods,” Best says. One small study of 27 men who were obese or overweight found that overweight individuals who followed a high-protein diet (25 percent of energy coming from protein) experienced greater fullness during the day than those on a normal protein diet (14 percent of energy from protein).
Many restaurant menus offer egg whites only; don’t assume that’s a better option. “Unless you’re otherwise directed by your healthcare team, whole eggs can be a healthy choice for a breakfast sandwich,” Klamer says. Eggs have gotten a bad reputation as being bad for heart health, but a meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that eating up to one egg a day is not associated with an increased risk of heart disease and may even reduce the risk of stroke.
RELATED: 10 Healthier Spins on a Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich
The Bottom Line
The breakfast sandwich can be a part of your morning routine! Just consider a few ingredient swaps to make it as nutritious as possible.
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