10 MINS | 
10 MINS | 
341 KCAL PER SERVING
Thanks to the filling power of oats, blitzed into a fine flour, these pancakes are much more satisfying than traditional ones, yet they are far lighter in calories. Combined with spices and fruit, they are a really indulgent and delicious way to start the day.
V GF
SERVES 1
40g oats
1½ apples, 1 grated, ½ sliced to serve
50ml skimmed milk
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp granulated sweetener, plus an extra pinch
2 medium eggs, beaten
2 tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt
low-calorie cooking spray
fresh berries, to garnish
Blitz the oats in a food processor or blender until finely ground (like a flour). Tip into a bowl and mix in 40g of the grated apple, along with the milk, cinnamon, sweetener and beaten eggs. Set aside.
Mix the yoghurt in a bowl with the remaining grated apple and a pinch of sweetener.
Spray a large frying pan with some low-calorie cooking spray and place it over a medium heat.
Spoon four equal quantities of the pancake batter into the hot pan, making sure they don’t touch each other (you may need to cook them in two batches if your pan isn’t big enough). Cook for 1–2 minutes until the top starts to set and the bottom is a golden brown colour, then carefully flip the pancakes and cook for another few minutes, or until the bottom has coloured and the pancakes are cooked through.
Serve the pancakes with some fresh sliced apple, some fresh berries such as blueberries, and the grated apple and yoghurt mix.
10 MINS | 10 MINS | 220 KCAL PER SERVING
This egg wrap, filled with hearty yet low-fat classic breakfast ingredients, will revolutionize your brunch and, let’s be honest ... your late, post night-out snack meals! It feels like a treat, but you’ll wake up without guilt. Well ... no guilt about what you ate the previous night, at least!
SERVES 1
1 medium egg
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
low-calorie cooking spray
2 mushrooms, sliced
1 bacon medallion, diced
4 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters (or 3 tbsp baked beans)
1 low-fat sausage, cooked and sliced
10g reduced-fat Cheddar, grated
Whisk the egg well and season with some salt and pepper. Set aside.
Spray a frying pan with some low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms, diced bacon and cherry tomatoes (if using) and cook for a few minutes. Just before the bacon is cooked, stir in the cooked sliced sausage and beans (if using beans rather than tomatoes). When the bacon is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Spray a clean, non-stick pan with some low-calorie cooking spray and place over a low heat. Pour in the beaten egg. Turn the heat up to high and cook until the top of the egg has set. Flip the egg wrap over and cook the other side. The wrap will be very thin so it should only take a couple of minutes to cook through.
Remove the wrap from the pan and put it on a plate, then spread the filling on one half. Sprinkle with the cheese, then roll or fold the wrap, cut it in half and serve.
10 MINS | 10–15 MINS | 249 KCAL PER SERVING
The classic flavour combination of bacon, onion and potato works well in this easy and filling Spanish frittata. The potato makes it more substantial, the egg provides a hit of protein to curb hunger and the small amount of cheese makes it super tasty.
F GF
SERVES 4
200g medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
low-calorie cooking spray
1 onion, sliced
6 bacon medallions, diced
6 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
8 medium eggs
4g fresh parsley, chopped
40g reduced-fat Cheddar, grated
Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C/gas mark 7).
Cook the potato chunks in a pan of boiling salted water until soft, then drain and leave to cool.
Spray a large non-stick ovenproof frying pan with some low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for a few minutes until browned, then add the diced bacon and cook for 3 minutes until the bacon is almost cooked. Add the spring onions and cook for another minute.
Meanwhile beat the eggs in a bowl and season with a little salt and pepper.
When the onions and bacon are cooked, stir in the cooked potato and the chopped parsley. Pour in the beaten eggs and cook for 2 minutes, then sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top and place the pan in the oven for 10–15 minutes until the egg is cooked and the cheese has melted. You can pop it under the grill if you want the cheese a bit crispier.
Remove from the oven and serve.
Tip
You can also use 200g skin-on new potatoes, cut into large chunks.
5 MINS | 10 MINS | 164 KCAL PER SERVING
We can’t rave about these enough! One of our quickest and simplest recipes, this bruschetta is a fantastic option for a lazy breakfast, but also dinner parties and gatherings. The dish uses a deceptively small number of ingredients and is fantastically flavoursome.
V GF
SERVES 2
low-calorie cooking spray
250g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 gluten-free ciabattas
25g low-fat cream cheese
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp fresh chives, snipped
Spray a frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a low–medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook gently for a couple of minutes until they start to soften, then add the garlic and cook for another 3–4 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the garlic is soft.
Meanwhile, cut the ciabattas in half lengthways and toast until golden. Place them on two serving plates.
Add the cream cheese to the frying pan and mix it through the mushrooms over a low heat, then add the basil and season with salt and pepper.
Top the toasted ciabatta with the creamy mushroom mix, scatter with the chives and enjoy.
15 MINS | 20 MINS | 66 KCAL PER SERVING
Pinch of Nom staples, these muffins are perfect to make in advance for a packed lunch or a picnic, and the base mix is so versatile. We’ve provided three classic ideas below – each filling variation makes four muffins – but you can really add any vegetables you like.
V F GF
MAKES 12
FOR THE BASIC MIX
low-calorie cooking spray
12 medium eggs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR GARLIC MUSHROOM MUFFINS
6 button mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
good pinch of chopped fresh parsley
FOR SPINACH, RED PEPPER AND PAPRIKA MUFFINS
handful of spinach, chopped
½ red pepper, thinly sliced
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
FOR BROCCOLI, RED ONION AND BLACK PEPPER MUFFINS
handful of cooked broccoli, chopped
½ red onion, thinly sliced
freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C/gas mark 4) and spray a twelve-hole muffin tray with some low-calorie cooking spray.
Whisk the eggs well with some salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.
To make the garlic mushroom muffins, spray a small frying pan with some low-calorie cooking spray, place over a medium heat, then add the sliced mushrooms and garlic and cook for 4 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and any moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated. Divide the mushrooms and garlic equally between four of the muffin holes.
To make the spinach, red pepper and paprika muffins, divide the chopped spinach between four of the muffin holes. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Place the sliced red pepper on top of the spinach.
To make the broccoli, red onion and black pepper muffins, divide the cooked chopped broccoli and sliced red onion between the remaining muffin holes.
Pour the egg mix into each of the muffin cups. Top the mushroom muffins with some chopped parsley, the spinach ones with paprika and the broccoli ones with some pepper.
Bake the muffins in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
5 MINS | 10 MINS | 518 KCAL PER SERVING
French toast is usually considered to be a real treat. It’s hard to believe you can enjoy this while following a slimming diet. However, by using just a hint of maple syrup and some salty, lean bacon, this breakfast is delicious and indulgent, without all the calories of a traditional French toast recipe.
SERVES 1
4 bacon medallions
2 medium eggs, beaten
1 tsp granulated sweetener
1 slice of wholemeal bread, cut into four triangles
low-fat cooking spray
handful of blueberries and any other fruit of choice
1 tbsp maple syrup
Grill or fry the bacon until it’s as crispy as you like it.
Add the sweetener to the beaten eggs in a shallow bowl and stir, then soak each bread triangle in the sweetened egg mixture.
Spray a non-stick frying pan with some low-fat cooking spray and place it over a high heat. Put the bread triangles in the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 2–3 minutes until golden brown, then turn them over carefully. Cook for another 2–3 minutes. When they are golden underneath, remove them from the pan and arrange on a plate with the bacon.
Top with the blueberries and fruit, drizzle with the maple syrup and serve.
10 MINS | 40 MINS | 77 KCAL PER SERVING
These hash browns taste just as good as the classic fry-up ones, but because you fry them in low-calorie cooking spray instead of calorific pools of oil, they are so much lighter. They are perfect for a slimming breakfast of champions! You can even make them in batches, freeze them before baking, then defrost and bake them on another day.
V F GF
SERVES 8
low-calorie cooking spray
4 large baking potatoes, peeled
1 tsp onion granules
1 medium egg
2 tsp xanthan gum
½ tsp salt
fried eggs, to serve (optional)
Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C/gas mark 5), line a baking tray with baking parchment and spray the parchment with low-calorie cooking spray.
Coarsely grate the potatoes into a large bowl and add all the remaining ingredients. Mix together by hand – the mixture should become more starchy and sticky as you mix. Shape the potato mixture into eight flat triangle shapes (or rounds, if you prefer) and spray them with low-calorie cooking spray. (You can freeze them at this point – just pop some baking parchment between each one before freezing so you can easily separate them.)
Place on the lined baking tray and cook in the oven for 25 minutes. Spray the tops with cooking spray again, turn them over, spray the other side, and cook for another 15 minutes.
Serve the hash browns straight from the oven with fried eggs, if you like (but don’t forget to count the calories).
Tip
Xanthan gum acts as an ingenious binding agent. It is a gluten-free substitute so you’ll find it in ‘free-from’ supermarket aisles.
10 MINS | 10 MINS | 234 KCAL PER SERVING
Once you’ve made these egg wraps you’ll wonder how you’ve lived without them! An everyday staple and a great way to enjoy eggs, they are so quick, simple and easily stuffed with a variety of fillings. This version, stuffed with a tasty protein-boosting Mexican filling, is delicious cold, too, making it perfect for a packed lunch.
V
SERVES 1
1 medium egg
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
hot sauce
low-calorie cooking spray
½ small red onion, sliced
½ red pepper, sliced
pinch of garlic granules
200g tinned mixed beans, drained and rinsed
20g reduced-fat Cheddar, grated
pinch of chopped fresh coriander
Whisk the egg well and season with some salt, pepper and a dash of hot sauce. Set aside.
Spray a frying pan with some low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion, pepper, garlic granules, mixed beans and another dash of hot sauce to the pan and cook for 4–5 minutes until the onion and pepper are just cooked. Add the cheese to the pan and stir until melted, then remove from the heat and set aside.
Spray a clean, non-stick frying pan with some low-calorie cooking spray over a high heat. When hot, pour in the beaten egg, swirling the pan so the egg covers the surface evenly and cook until the top of the wrap has set. Flip the wrap over and cook the other side. The wrap should be very thin so it should only take a couple of minutes.
Remove the wrap from the pan, then spread the filling on one half, sprinkle a little chopped coriander over the top. Roll or fold the wrap, cut it in half and serve.
5 MINS | 35–40 MINS | 440 KCAL PER SERVING
Baked oats are a perfect warm and filling breakfast. This is one of the most popular flavour-baked oat recipes we have on the Pinch of Nom website, and it is often also used for a dessert – it feels that special.
V F GF
SERVES 1
40g oats
175g fat-free natural yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ tbsp granulated sweetener
grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
2 medium eggs (or 1 medium egg if you prefer a slightly drier texture)
50g blueberries
Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C/gas mark 6).
Put all of the ingredients into a bowl, keeping back a quarter of the blueberries, and stir until combined. Pour into a small ovenproof dish and place the remaining blueberries on top.
Place on a baking tray, so you don’t end up with a messy oven if it rises a bit too much, and bake for 35–40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Tip
You can cover and freeze the baked oats when they have cooled. Simply reheat from frozen gently in the microwave.
5 MINS | NO COOK | 318 KCAL PER SERVING
Oats have natural filling power, which means they’re perfect for breakfast. This simple recipe is made the night before, so it’s ready to go in the morning and great for a quick and easy start to the day. Beginning your day with a satisfying meal means you’re less likely to reach for the snack drawer for something sweet before lunch. You can also make this gluten-free by using a gluten-free cereal, such as Oatabix.
V
SERVES 1
40g oats or 2 Weetabix, crushed
1 × 175g pot vanilla-flavoured fat-free yoghurt (or 175g fat-free natural yoghurt, ½ tsp vanilla extract and ½–1 tsp granulated sweetener)
1 small carrot, grated
¼ tsp mixed spice
pinch of ground ginger
pinch of ground cinnamon
Put the oats or Weetabix in the bottom of a Kilner jar or a jar with a lid. Spoon the yoghurt and three-quarters of the carrot on top and add the spices. Stir well until completely combined, then cover and chill in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, stir, top with the reserved grated carrot and enjoy.
