thursday is tip day

i have been asked to share some of my tips. (hi leanne!) in light of that, i thought it would be fun to share a tip or two every week. so here goes:

i have two tips this week. the first one is one my mother has been harping on for years; breakfast is the most important meal of the day. it really does help to get you going and as a bonus helps to keep you full until lunch. read: no mid-morning snacking. i try to keep my breakfasts to 5 WW points or less. some of the things i love for breakfast are egg white sandwiches, omelets and vitalicious brand muffins and muffin tops and greek yogurt.

1/4 cup of egg whites is only 1 point, i know that doesnt sound like a lot, but do yourself a favor and measure it out, put it in the pan and see what you think. i find its enough to make a sandwich out of without feeling like i ordered off the kids menu. however, 1/4 cup is not enough to make a good omelet, in my opinion. i am more apt to make an omelet on the weekend and by then i can dip into my extra points for the week if need be, so i dont worry about using 2 or even 3 points on just the egg whites. sometimes i throw a soy based "sausage" patty, like morningstar in there too. i like the morningstar and boca meatless products, as long as you are planning to jazz them up. in otherwords, you are not likely to catch me eating a soy "sausage" patty on its own, but on a sandwich or in an omelet with lots of other stuff it satisfies the craving for sausage. the wholesale stores now sell the egg whites in packages of 6 cartons and with eating eggs 4 or 5 times a week for breakfast i can get through them all before they expire. i also love the vitalicious brand muffins. i save those for a day when i want something sweeter, but pair it with a chiobani champions greek yogurt to ensure that i feel satisfied.

tip number 2, is buy yourself some arnold's sandwich thins. pepperidge farm makes a version as well, not sure what they are called. i use these thins as substitutes for rolls and bread - they are sort of a hybrid. the thins have played a starring role in my weightloss efforts this time around. they are only 1 point! i was already eating whole grain bread, as a lifestyle change made years ago, but depending on the brand, one piece alone can be 1 point. that means before you put anything on your sandwich you are already looking at at least 2 points. no thank you! i have discovered that if you turn the sandwich thins inside out, they made a delicious grilled cheese. the inside, or cut side, is easier to coat with cooking spray or whatever you use for your grilled cheese. plus the whole surface touches the pan, making for an even grill. here is a recipe i developed to satisfy a craving for a swiss patty melt, featuring, you guessed it - arnold's sandwich thins.

swiss patty melt, 3 WW points

ingredients

1 arnold sandwich thin
cooking spray
i cant believe its not butter
1 laughing cow light swiss cheese wedge
1 boca burger (1 point variety)
1/4 onion, sliced thin

directions

warm small non-stick pan over medium heat, spritz with cooking spray. add onions and cook until soft and a golden brown color begins to develop, about 5-6 minutes. once cooked, set onion aside and wipe pan clean. open sandwich thin and spritz the cut side or inside with i cant believe its not butter. spread cheese on outside of thin. press closed, making an inside out sandwich and grill on both sides like a grilled cheese. meanwhile, heat boca burger according to package directions. once the grilled cheese is done, open the sandwich and place burger and onions on one side and replace the top. cut in half and enjoy!