Menu item

Kilojoules

Ordering Tips For a Healthy Brekky

Big breakfast consisting of poached eggs (2), bacon, toast, butter, spinach, tomato, mushrooms, sausage & hash browns

3470

Almost equivalent to half your daily intake, this meal should be eaten only on special occasions i.e. enjoy it on your birthday. You can make it healthier by getting your eggs with a couple of vegetables such as mushrooms and spinach, and asking that they be cooked without butter. Skip the bacon and sausage.

Scrambled eggs (2) and bacon on toast with butter

2190

Chefs can make scrambled eggs with butter or even cream – so check with your waiter. If butter and/or cream are used, order poached eggs and save scrambled eggs for home where you get to choose how they’re made. Order toast without butter and swap the bacon for a vegetable side such as tomato.

Eggs Benedict – 2 eggs, English muffin, ham, spinach and hollandaise sauce

2470

This dish is not only high in kilojoules, but also contains large amounts of fat and sodium. The kilojoule-laden hollandaise sauce contains egg yolks, butter and lemon juice with a bit of salt and pepper. When choosing eggs Benedict, ask for the hollandaise on the side and enjoy sparingly.

Eggs Florentine – 2 eggs, English muffins, smoked salmon, spinach and hollandaise sauce

3000

This breakfast is packed with protein and omega-3, but it’s also loaded with fat. Ask for the hollandaise sauce on the side and your spinach to be cooked without butter or oil. Some varieties of eggs Florentine will come on English muffins, others on toast. If it’s on English muffins, share it with a friend. On toast, ask for one egg instead of two and half the hollandaise.

Omelette (3 eggs) with ham, mushroom and cheese

2130

The number of eggs used to make an omelette will vary depending on café – some will use two, others may use four or more. Too many eggs and too much cheese and ham or bacon will make the omelette very high in total and saturated fat, as well as sodium. Ask for your omelette to be made with two eggs and enjoy a side of spinach or tomatoes instead of a massive omelette.

Egg, bacon and cheese roll

1820

This quick option is high in protein, total fat, saturated fat and sodium. Choose high fibre bread such as wholegrain or wholemeal instead of white and make a choice to have either bacon or cheese instead of both. Enjoy occasionally.

BLT – bacon, lettuce and tomato on sourdough with butter

1240

The bacon, bread and butter make this meal high in sodium. Ask for no butter on the bread and enjoy this option occasionally.

Vego brekky – toast, butter, 2 poached eggs, spinach, tomato, mushroom and oven-baked feta

1740

All the vegetable options are cooked in oil or butter. Ask for minimal oil to be used in the cooking. Ask no butter on the bread. To reduce the kilojoule content, you could skip the feta. A good breakfast when you’re hungry.

Thick crust toast (2 slices)

1530

The kilojoule content will vary depending on the topping. A slice of thick crust toast, which is seen in many cafes today, is the equivalent of two thin slices. Order wholegrain or wholemeal bread, as it’s higher in fibre than white varieties. For variety enjoy sourdough as it has a low GI.

Thick fruit toast (2 slices) with butter

1840

Fruit toast is a high-fibre, low-GI breakfast choice, but today one slice of café-style toast is actually equal to two ordinary slices. When choosing this option, ask for one thick slice or two thin slices.

Muffin – mega muffins of course

2000+

Today, most muffins are huge – they’re two and a half times the size of a standard size muffin. As a general rule, if the muffin is heavy, it contains a lot of butter or oil. If the muffin is sticky, it’s high in sugar. If you buy a mega muffin, just eat the muffin top – it’s the best bit anyway.

Banana bread without topping

1400

Most commercial banana breads are laden with either butter or oil. This is because banana bread is not bread - it’s a cake! If you have banana bread as snack, share it with someone else. Or bake a lower fat version of your own.

Porridge with rhubarb and milk

2570

Excellent source of fibre and contains B vitamins. This recipe of porridge was made with cream, but it can be made with milk or water. Therefore, the kilojoule content of porridge will vary with the method used to make it. You only need to eat about 1 cup of cooked porridge topped with fruit, so take into account the potion size when eating.

Toasted muesli with low-fat milk and fruit

1440

Toasted muesli is likely to contain more kilojoules than natural muesli. Topping your muesli with fresh fruit and milk or yoghurt will make this breakfast high in fibre, protein and calcium. Remember to consider your portion size.

Fruit salad with plain yoghurt

1110

A high fibre option that can also be a good source of calcium if yoghurt is added. Asking for your fruit salad and yoghurt to be topped with nuts or seeds will provide extra protein and fibre.

Bircher muesli

2230

This muesli is high in fibre and deliciously tasty. The recipe of Bircher muesli changes at every café, with some chefs making it with cream and others with yoghurt. Normally served in huge amounts, the good news is you don’t have to eat it all. Bircher muesli is filling so listen to your stomach.

French toast – 2 slices with banana and maple syrup

2710

French toast can come with a range of toppings, all of which vary in kilojoule content. French toast is made with eggs, butter and milk, so it is also a source of fat and protein. You have to be able to enjoy this occasionally.

Pancakes – 3 x 50g pancakes, maple syrup, 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream and berries

1800

The kilojoule content of pancakes varies considerably; some pancakes take up the whole plate in diameter, others are a lot smaller. Toppings and ingredients vary. Pancakes are generally lower in fat than other breakfast options, but contain high amounts of sugar. Use your own judgement here - consider the size you would eat at home.