Healthier Smoked Salmon "Bagel"
Healthier Smoked Salmon “Bagel”
You may have looked at the picture of this meal and noticed that while you see smoked salmon, you don’t exactly see a smoked salmon bagel. This is our healthier take on the traditional smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese breakfast option.
We think that you will find it to be a delicious meal that keeps you full well past lunch!
Why are you messing with my breakfast?
Listen, if your smoked salmon bagel is the special treat that’s getting you through the week, by all means, continue to enjoy it. It’s actually a pretty healthy meal, what with all the omega 3s and protein from the fish.
However, by making a few small tweaks, your traditional salmon bagel can be even healthier—something you could enjoy every single morning and feel awesome eating. (I eat this meal several times per week and LOVE it!)
This recipe is for anyone who loves smoked salmon in the morning and wants to enjoy all the health benefits of a Mediterranean Diet!
Small Tweaks for Huge Gains
Ok, so what little tweaks do we recommend for your smoked salmon breakfast?
Yogurt instead of Cream Cheese
First, we swapped the cream cheese for plain whole milk greek yogurt.
Using yogurt instead of cream cheese gives you the same creaminess without the additives and preservatives that are often found in cream cheese. Plus, you get live and active probiotics from the yogurt that are great for your gut health! This is an especially awesome option for anyone who is lactose intolerant or has trouble digesting dairy. Adding plain yogurt to your diet may actually help rebalance your gut over time. For many people, it's easier to digest too.
(Quick note, there are a few organic cream cheese brands on the market that omit the additives normally found in cream cheese. If you have no problem digesting dairy and want to keep the cream cheese, one brand we recommend is Organic Valley.)
Switching up your Bread
The next tweak we made was to switch the traditional bagel for an Ezekiel English Muffin.
A white flour bagel in the morning is full of refined carbs and virtually zero fiber that will set you up for blood sugar spikes. The Mediterranean Diet recommends swapping whole wheat flour for white flour any time you can to avoid blood sugar spikes. A positive switch you could try would be to swap a white bagel for a whole wheat bagel. Make sure it’s a 100% whole wheat bagel to reap maximum benefits.
While swapping a white bagel for a whole wheat one is a great first step, bagels that you find at the grocery store, even whole wheat ones, generally contain added sugar and preservatives or other stabilizers. In fact, while they may exist, I have not been able to find a bagel at my local grocery store that does not contain added sugar.
Sprouted grain English muffins, on the other hand, have been shown to be high in nutrients like amino acids and B vitamins. They also contain no added sugar and are high in fiber (6 grams or more, depending on the brand).
Sprouted grains do have a somewhat different flavor and consistency than whole wheat or white bread. You could try swapping the white bagel for a whole wheat one first and then making the switching to an Ezekiel English Muffin once your tastes adjust.
Quick note: you will find sprouted grain breads like Ezekiel English Muffins in the freeze section of the grocery store.
By making the small changes we recommended above, your breakfast will become an absolute powerhouse. When I have this meal for breakfast (or sometimes lunch!), it’s easily 5 hours before I’m hungry again.
How smoked salmon is made
While researching for this article, I fell down a rabbit hole of information about how to smoke salmon. Turns out, you can smoke your own salmon, using a hot smoking or cold smoking method! I’ve never ventured that far into the world of smoking, though.
If you are like me, you can find high-quality smoked salmon at your local grocery store. Make sure to keep it refrigerated and use by the date on the package.
Cold smoked salmon is not cooked at a temperature hot enough to cook it or kill bacteria so you must follow good food guidelines when storing and eating it.
Does smoked salmon have omega 3?
Yes, smoked salmon has essentially all of the health benefits of fresh salmon. That means, it’s not only a great source of protein, magnesium, and vitamin D, it’s also full of Omega 3s. Omega 3s are linked to a lower risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
You probably know that the Mediterranean Diet encourage everyone to eat fish two times per week or more. This Smoked Salmon Bagel recipe is a great way to get in a serving!
Interested in the EASY BUTTON for Great Meals?
For really easy meals, try our Mediterranean Diet Meal Plans! Complete with an organized calendar of recipes & grocery lists, our meal plans put great nutrition on auto-pilot.
Swapping out the yogurt for avocado is also delicious! Thank you!
This looks so delicious. I plan on making it today or tomorrow, soon as I feel like going to the grocery store. Anni wi let you know how it