I'm a vegetarian, but I do sometime eat eggs, milk, and seafood. Eggs are a great source of protein, but I don't really like them. The smell of cooking eggs kinds of gross me out, and I'm not a fan of the taste or texture. However, I haven't found a lot of breakfast options that keep me full until lunch, and don't upset my tummy. I was getting a little tired of having my tried and true protein shake for breakfast every day, so I decided to give eggs another shot.

I do like cheesy scrambled eggs--the kind that's mostly cheese, with a little egg thrown in there. It's what I grew up eating as a kid (well, that and scrambled eggs with ketchup, which I ate so often as a kid that I can't even look at it now as a grown-up). But unfortunately, cheesy scrambled eggs are a little high in calories and fat. Was it even possible to revamp the recipe to be low calorie and high protein--and still taste delicious?

It was!!! After a little trial and error, I came up with this recipe... 

Marilyn's Cheesy Low-Cal/High-Protein Scramble
(172 calories, 23 grams of protein)

• 4 egg whites
• 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb Cheese
• 2 tsp Kraft Natural Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese (the powdery kind)
• 1 stick Weight Watchers Smoked Mozzarella String Cheese
• 1 tiny pinch steak seasoning
• 1/2 cup chopped greens (optional)

Heat skillet to med-high. Spray on a little olive oil (I have a Misto that I like for this). Chop up cheeses into smaller pieces. Mix all ingredients in bowl. Pour into skillet and stir occasionally, cooking according to your preferences.

It's not a fancy recipe by any means--but if you're short on time in the morning, you can still have a breakfast that's simple and easy and healthy and TASTY and WARM. AND, this recipe can be adapted to your own tastes and caloric needs--for example you could do 1 entire egg and 3 egg whites, or use egg substitute (about 1/2 cup, which is two servings), or more/less cheese, or use other seasonings (curry, Old Bay, etc). Sometimes I like to round out my breakfast by adding potatoes o'brien (80 calories per cup) and/or a little fruit.

What's your favorite quick and easy breakfast?

My mornings require two things: caffeine, and protein. The caffeine helps get me started, and the protein keeps me going until lunchtime. Without these two, things can get a little dicey. ;) And when I need a mid-day pick-me up, I reach for more caffeine, and more protein.

I was pretty excited to hear about Chike's Iced High Protein Coffee drink. It's got both caffeine and protein, AND it's low in calories! 

Chike Iced Coffee
Single Packet (1 full serving) $2.25

Description: Chike Iced Coffee is officially here! With 2 Espresso Shots, 20 grams of Whey Protein, 23 Vitamins & Minerals & only 2 grams of Sugar - it's the perfect drink to kickstart your day or fight the midday slump! The excuses for skipping breakfast are officially over!

Caffeine: Each serving of Chike Iced Coffee is equivalent to a cup of the leading premium coffee.

Chike Iced Coffee is a protein-packed, low-calorie, caffeinated iced coffee drink that tastes pretty good, is easy to mix, and inexpensive. I really can't ask for much more than that! It's a really great product for my lifestyle, since I don't have time to make myself breakfast every day, and I like to have shelf-stable products in my desk or at home so that they're available when hunger strikes! I've used 1-2 packets as a meal replacement, and it's kept me feeling pretty good til lunchtime. I've also had a Chike Iced Coffee after a workout, and as a midday snack, and it really hits the spot. I'm really pretty impressed with the taste--even when mixed with water, the flavor is tasty for a drink with such high protein content, and so few calories! I also tried mixing it with 40 calorie/serving soy milk, and it was even more delicious.

Chike Blender Bottle
$8.95

Description: The perfect way to mix Chike! These bottles are virtually leak-proof and easy to clean (dishwasher safe). This shaker features the the popular "blender ball" - a wire whisk made of surgical grade stainless steel. Simply drop the blender ball in with your ingredients and shake.  

This BPA-free, 28 oz. bottle is great. It works well with protein powders of all types. It's perfect for on-the-go drinks too--put some protein powder inside, and then add the water when you're ready to drink it. If you don't own a Blender Bottle yet, and you drink protein shakes, you NEED TO BUY ONE! It's definitely one of my favorite products for living a healthy lifestyle.

You can win one of three Chike Iced Coffee and blender bottle sets!

Review of Click Espresso Protein Drink:
$25.95 for 14 servings.
($1.86 per serving)

My nutritionist gave me two free sample packs of Click Espresso Protein Drink. Each sample was 1 serving, and 1 serving contains 120 calories, 15 grams of protein, and a double shot of espresso. It can be consumed hot or cold.

I tried it hot, and it was DELICIOUS. Kind of like a thick, strong latte? I really really liked the flavor.

Overall, it's a fabulous product. While it is a bit more expensive than my current protein powder, I would definitely purchase it to add some variety!

Lipgloss and Spandex rating: