What to Eat When You’re Eating Brunch
Brunch can be tricky—you may find yourself thinking, “Is this breakfast or is this lunch? Might as well eat both!” With an assortment of goodies available, especially if you are at a buffet, it is easy to fall in the trap of trying a little of this and a little of that. You may think that by combining two meals, you are saving on calories but odds are, that’s not the case. That’s why it is important not to show up too hungry. If you are going to be awake for a few hours before you head to brunch, grab a piece of fruit or a piece of whole wheat toast to hold you over so you don’t show up so famished you eat everything in sight! Instead of having breakfast AND lunch, choose one. Below is a list of popular brunch items, their approximate calorie counts and some suggestions on how you can brunch smarter.
Breakfast of “Champions” |
Calories |
French toast (2 slices) |
344 |
Waffles (2 large) |
290 |
Syrup (1/4 cup) |
210 |
Light syrup (1/4 cup) |
100 |
Biscuit (1) |
190-250 |
Ham and Cheese Omelet |
390 |
Hash browns (1/2 cup) |
163 |
Bacon (3 medium pieces) |
109 |
What to Order :
Save calories by choosing between French toast, pancakes or waffles (not each) since they are all so similar. Make sure to choose a “light” syrup--it can save you about 100 calories per serving! Fresh fruit is always a delicious and calorie-conscious, naturally sweet topper.
When it comes to breakfast meats like bacon and sausage, again, choose one or the other. When deciding how to order your eggs, remember that it is all the additions like ham and cheese that can start to add up. Instead, choose veggies like mushrooms and peppers to add to scrambled eggs or omelets.
Let’s Do Lunch |
Calories |
Sweet potato casserole (1 serving) |
461 |
Tuna casserole (1 serving) |
310 |
Quiche Lorraine (1/8 of pie) |
540 |
Egg salad (1/3 C) |
267 |
Tuna/Chicken salad (3 oz.) |
159 |
Pasta salad with vegetables (3/4 cup) |
140-250 |
Fruit salad (1 cup) |
120 |
Fried chicken (1/2 breast) |
236 |
Roasted Chicken Breast without skin (1/2 breast) |
142 |
Roast Beef (3 oz.) |
189 |
Asparagus (4 spears) |
15 |
Fried Potato wedges (2.5-3.5 oz.) |
225 |
What to Order :
If you decide you are more in the mood for lunch, stick with smaller portions of casseroles and quiches (which can be loaded with calories) and then load up on the fruit and veggie options. If you are at a buffet, there will likely be a wide assortment of fresh and colorful vegetables (think asparagus, peppers, squash) and nutrient-rich fruits like kiwi, oranges, strawberries and cantaloupe. When at the salad bar, choose low fat versions of salad dressings and eat smaller portions of mixed meat salads like egg, tuna and chicken salad (or choose low fat versions). As always, choose roasted or grilled chicken over fried chicken.
You can have your Cake and Eat it too! |
Pecan Pie (4 oz.) |
470 |
Chocolate cake with frosting (4 oz.) |
380 |
Apple Pie (3-4 oz.) |
280-310 |
Ice cream (1/2 C) |
270 |
Frozen yogurt, low-fat (1/2 cup) |
115 |
Flan (1/2 C) |
135 |
Bite-size fruit tarts |
50-60 |
What to Order :
If you decide to “splurge” and order dessert, split something or better yet, nibble on one bite-sized fruit tart, which will still leave you with a sweet taste without all the calories. If you only like your apple pie “a la mode,” get it topped with low-fat frozen yogurt instead of ice cream, which will save you almost 150 calories!
Here is an example of how you can make lower calorie choices when eating brunch, broken into breakfast and lunch items.
Lighter Version (Breakfast) |
Full Calorie Version (Breakfast) |
Waffles |
290 |
French toast |
344 |
Light syrup |
100 |
Syrup |
210 |
Strawberries, 1 C |
45 |
Hash browns |
163 |
Grits |
100 |
Ham and cheese omelet |
390 |
Bacon |
109 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
644 |
|
1107 |
|
|
Lighter Version (Lunch) |
Full Calorie Version (Lunch) |
Roasted Chicken Breast |
142 |
Fried Chicken |
236 |
Fruit Salad |
120 |
Egg salad |
267 |
Pasta Salad 200 |
200 |
Potato wedges |
225 |
Asparagus |
15 |
Chocolate cake |
380 |
Frozen Yogurt |
115 |
|
Fruit Tart |
55 |
|
Total |
587 |
|
1108 |
Eating lower calorie does not necessarily mean eating less food! Notice in the above breakfast and lunch sample menus, you can actually eat slightly more on the calorie-conscious plan and still stay lower in calories by making better choices. The key is to fill up on foods that are high in nutrients and fiber (like fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats), which are lower in calories and fat. Happy and healthy brunching!