A cute breakfast and thoughts about protein.

This morning, Sam decided to make "Bull's Eye Toast" for breakfast. Usually, he just cuts a circle out of the bread for the egg, but he found one my gingerbread man cookie cutters.

Aren't they cute? They sure tasted good. The fat and protein combined with the fiber in this nine grain bread made for a SUPER filling breakie. Even Sam was stuffed after two pieces, and I could only do one!

They're really easy to make:

Bull's Eye Toast

Whole grain bread (We used Nine Grain Crunch with sunflower seeds, my favorite!)

1 egg per slice of bread (Local and free-range is preferable. These came from my Daddy's chickens)

Butter, Earth Balance, or whatever

Butter both sides of the bread and cut a hole out of the center. Heart-shaped, person-shaped, Christmas tree-shaped, whatever.

Throw on a griddle and crack an egg into the center.

When the egg has set a little, flip and cook until both sides are crispy.

Don't forget to cook the cut-outs too!

Devour. Goes great with orange juice.

Though Sam and I have, um, differing opinions concerning food, he's a very good cook, and not everything he cooks involves a vat of oil (though it would if I let him.) Don't even get me started on the time he tricked me into eating frog legs. Any other girl would have killed him!

Don't let the sheepish look fool you. He's sneaky!

I usually go for sweet, carby things in the morning like oatmeal concoctions or pancakes, but Sam's more a bacon-and-eggs kinda guy because he needs a lot more protein than I do.

While we're on the subject of protein, I know there's a lot of debate about our protein needs. Supposedly, humans only needs 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Supposedly, animal proteins are the highest quality because they are more complete and therefore easier for our bodies to use.

This high-protein craze that's taken the country by storm the past few years says we need lots of protein to lose weight, because carbs get turned straight to sugar and go on to pad our hips for the rest of our lives.

I'm not a nutritionist, but I've tried high protein diets, and I hate them. Some people, like a lot of my extended family do really well with them. I know Sam feels off when he doesn't get a good amount, especially from animal products when I can go days or even weeks without meat or dairy and not even notice. I do like a little fish and eggs in my diet though, but try to go easy on dairy and other meats.

I found this quiz through Averie's blog, and I think it's an interesting way to see how your body might handle protein. I seem to be a normal oxidizer, which means I just need moderate amounts of fat and protein but the bulk of my diet should be complex carbs. I try to eat this way, and it works pretty well for me. Don't take this quiz or anything else as gospel, but it offers some interesting ideas.

As usual, the bottom line is listen to your body. If you feel weak without a little meat or eggs in your diet, eat them. If heavy proteins make you sluggish, avoid them. Do what's right for you.

What do you guys think of the protein hype? Do your body like a lot of protein, just a little, or a more moderate amount?

Hope you all had a great Memorial Day!

Kella