Asthma-Friendly Kitchen: Healthy Breakfast

By Lorene Alba, AE-C

2 min read

One of the best ways to prepare for a busy day of work or play is to eat a healthy breakfast, one with lots of protein that will keep you energized all day. An omelet fits the bill. An egg is only 70 calories and packed with high-quality protein that helps you feel full longer and stay energized. When mixed with dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, you have a powerful meal chock-full of iron, vitamins (A, C and K) and minerals that are essential for bone health and a strong immune system.

This power omelet recipe is my go-to recipe for whenever I need a healthy breakfast to help me tackle the day, or an easy dinner when it’s just me and nothing else is defrosted.

Ingredients:

3 eggs – large
1 T half and half
Dash of nutmeg
2 T unsalted butter
1 T extra virgin olive oil
½ Cup diced onion
½ Cup mushrooms, sliced

Big handful of your choice of kale and red heirloom spinach, red cabbage and/or thinly sliced brussel sprouts

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt 1 Tbsp of butter with olive oil in a nonstick pan. Add onions, salt & pepper and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add kale/cruciferous blend, sauté until wilted and the kale turns a bright green.
Add sliced mushrooms and season again with salt & pepper. Sauté for two minutes or so until the mushrooms turn brown. Add spinach and a dash more salt & pepper. Mix and sauté until spinach is wilted, stirring often.
Mix eggs, half and half, salt & pepper and nutmeg until the mixture is incorporated and an even, bright yellow. Add the remaining butter to the pan and melt. Gently poor egg mixture evenly over the vegetables. Move the eggs around as if you were scrambling them to help ensure even cooking for 1 minute. Then spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Once the edges of the omelet have set, gently flip one side of the omelet on top of the other with a spatula, folding it in half and forming a half-moon shape. Let cook for another minute or two until set.
Garnish with fresh fruit or yogurt and granola. Enjoy!

[caption id="attachment_3074" align="alignnone" width="500"] An omelette filled with healthy greens and veggies.[/caption]

TIPS:

Eggs are a protein and should be cooked on low to medium heat. Often omelets are the exception to this rule and cooked on high heat, but I prefer slow and steady to avoid the omelet from browning on the outside while still being raw on the inside.
This is a big omelet, and you will probably need to fold it in half in two to three pieces. This is totally fine, even if it falls apart. Simply press the eggs back into an omelet shape.
I like using whole spinach, but you can also chop the greens into smaller ribbons (chiffonade). Substitute any greens you like!
A dash of nutmeg brings out the flavor of greens and eggs; try adding it to your favorite dishes.
It’s important to add salt & pepper to each ingredient to ensure your omelet is well seasoned.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Asthma.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.

tracylee Member
Thank you for the encouragement to eat healthfully. For me, there is an additional component for an asthma friendly kitchen; avoid cooking techniques that increase fine particulates. It was shortly after I bought a particulate counter to measure air quality outside that I discovered inside, I was often increasing particulates in the kitchen to an unsafe level. This was a surprise, as I had installed what I thought was a powerful exhaust fan and ran an air purifier on the highest level next to the stove. (The purifier consistently measures at zero for its exhaust. ) Instead of browning meat or stir-frying, I now more often choose recipes that poach, simmer, or steam. I wear a mask when I measure dry ingredients or toast bread. I use a nonstick spray on pans only when the air is clean enough for me to step outside.
1. Lorene Alba, AE-C Moderator & Contributor
 You're welcome, TracyLee. These are good tips! I often just throw everything into my InstantPot to avoid some of these triggers. I spend a lot of time in my kitchen and want to be able to breathe! Thanks for sharing. Lorene, moderator
2. tracylee Member
 Yes, the Instant Pot is great because it doesn’t emit steam like my old pressure cooker. (Even plain water steam when boiling pasta or taking a shower eventually makes me cough up mucus.) I wasn’t sure if it was OK to mention the Instant Pot as it is a brand of multicooker and I didn’t want to write an advertisement for it. When the air is clean enough, I open the kitchen window a crack to create a vacuum. I can feel that the air is pulled through the window to the exhaust fan at a faster rate. I do miss hardwood barbecuing, although real liquid smoke is good. If anyone has tips how to barbecue without inhaling smoke, I would love to know how. Instead of nonstick spray that raised the particulates in the kitchen to the “Hazardous” level (using EPA’s metrics) and kept them suspended at the “Unhealthy For All” level for about 10 minutes (too long for holding my breath), I now brush a mixture of oil with a small amount of lecithin in it, rather than hope for the perfect moment when the air is clean enough for me to go outside. (Not often in my neighborhood.) I have a second particulate counter installed on the deck that updates online every few minutes. The oil+lecithin mixture is so slippery I have to be careful to keep my pans level or food will slide right off! Unless it goes rancid, the lecithin I bought online should last me for a good 10 years.