Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your body needs fuel in the morning since it has gone the whole night without food. Spinach and eggs provide many of the nutrients you need, so having this combo for breakfast gives you a nutritious start to your day, and may provide you with several health benefits.
A cup of cooked spinach and a large poached egg contains only 110 calories and provides you with 11 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of fat, of which only 2 grams are saturated. This combination also provides you with 306 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, 74 percent of the DV for folate, 40 percent of the DV for magnesium and riboflavin, 39 percent of the DV for iron, 30 percent of the DV for vitamin C, 27 percent of the DV for calcium, 24 percent of the DV for vitamin B-6, 20 percent of the DV for phosphorus and smaller amounts of vitamin K, niacin, vitamin B-12 and zinc.
Eating a healthy breakfast may help you concentrate better throughout the day, maintain a healthy weight, increase your vitamin and mineral consumption and lower your cholesterol by helping you eat less fat and cholesterol later in the day. Consuming eggs for breakfast may help you consume fewer calories during the day and helps keep your blood sugar levels from spiking compared to consuming a bagel for breakfast, according to a study published in February 2010 in "Nutrition Research." The egg breakfast contained more protein than the bagel breakfast, helping to keep participants full for longer, and also decreased the amount of the hunger hormone ghrelin that was released by the body.
Spinach is a good source of phytochemicals called lutein and zeaxanthin, containing 20.4 milligrams in a 1-cup serving. Egg yolks also contain a small amount of these nutrients, approximately .3 milligrams in two large eggs. These two substances may help to keep your eyes healthy and limit your risk for cataracts and macular degeneration, two eye problems that are relatively common as people get older.
Any breakfast is better than no breakfast at all. However, you can keep your breakfast healthy by limiting the amount of sugar, saturated fat and salt you add. Poach the egg instead of frying it, and use just a small amount of olive oil to cook your spinach. The olive oil contains mainly healthy monounsaturated fats, and this fat will help you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in the spinach.
- MayoClinic.com: Healthy Breakfast: Quick, Flexible Options to Grab at Home
- Nutrient Facts: Spinach, Regular, Cooked
- Nutrient Facts: Egg, Whole, Cooked, Poached
- Nutrition Research: Consuming Eggs for Breakfast Influences Plasma Glucose and Ghrelin, While Reducing Energy Intake During the Next 24 Hours in Adult Men
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The Powerful Punch of Spinach
- All About Vision: Lutein and Zeaxanthin: Eye and Vision Benefits
- Mushrooms And Poached Egg image by Brett Mulcahy from Fotolia.com