Go To Work On An Egg!

This was the slogan used by the egg board to encourage us all to have an egg for breakfast before setting off to work back in the last century. It’s advice that still holds true for eggs do make a great high protein breakfast dish regardless of whether you’re going off to school, work, an office or juggling umpteen jobs at home.

 

But I got around to thinking about eggs because I also wanted a filling to try out with a new bread that has just hit the supermarkets. It’s a low-carb and high protein offering that just begs to be mixed and matched with another low-carb and high protein main food … egg.

 

Many bariatrics have trouble tolerating bread after surgery, especially the white fluffy and soft variety that seems to chew and stick to a wallpaper-paste-like boulder after eating. I always suggest trying to replace this with a wholemeal and seeded variety that somehow doesn’t seem so indigestible and certainly has more protein and fibre in its makeup instead. I was therefore intrigued with the new LivLife Loaf which has half the carbs of regular bread and is seriously loaded with seeds (like linseed, sunflower and pumpkin) and grains.

I was also intrigued and seduced by the fact that it was also much higher in protein than my regular favourite bread of choice (Wholemeal Warburton Thins for those who’re interested!). Don’t be confused by LivLife’s claims however, this is not a low-calorie bread (I’ve seen countless criticisms moaning about this) but a low-carb and high protein alternative. I checked it out against my favourite and here’s the bottom line:

LivLife is not a calorie-saver…not much between them.

Live Life is substantitally higher in protein….25.9g per 100g compared to 9.9g, a big difference. This is because the manufacturer has replaced wheat flours with natural protein flours (mainly soya).

LivLife is appreciably lower in carbs and also in sugars.

Fat levels are higher in LivLife due to the concentration of grains and seed, but the saturated fat level is low at only 1.2g

Fibre levels are higher in LivLife, but not as high as regular wholemeal bread.

 

So pretty impressive if you’re looking for a high protein, high fibre and low-carb and sugar alternative for your toast or sandwich making. But what does it look and taste like?

Well it looks pretty much like any other small wholemeal seeded loaf. It comes ready sliced and the loaf size is small so you get about 4 slices for 100g which equates to 69 calories per slice with 6.7g protein; 3.8g carbs; 0.8g sugars; 2.4g fat and 2.1g fibre. I think 2 slices make a good sandwich size for bariatrics, although some early post-ops might struggle with the final quarter. On tasting it has a nutty flavour and no noticeable soy after taste but does have a slightly rubbery texture…not unpleasant but just a bit more elastic than regular bread. It toasts fantastically well and crisps very nicely. It also keeps well in a bread bin and freezes well (I have frozen one just for toasting and remove a single slice easily for popping in the toaster).

 

I tried filling some slices with a bariatric-friendly egg mayonnaise and chive mixture for a packed lunch and it held up well. I simply hard-boiled/hard-cooked 1 egg then chopped and mixed it with 1 tbsp. low-fat mayonnaise, 2 tsp snipped fresh chives (optional) with salt and pepper to taste. It tasted a treat in the LivLife sandwich, held up well even though I didn’t butter the bread first to prevent it from going soggy, and would also taste delicious if a bit of chopped ham, diced tomato were added or the chives were replaced with 1/4 tsp curry powder to make a devilled egg mixture. This quantity is sufficient for 1 generously filled LivLife sandwich or Warburton’s Thin.

Nutritional Stats are:

Calories per LivLife Sandwich: 230

Protein: 20.7g

Carbs: 9.1g

Fat: 11.2g

 

I packed mine up in my Bariatric Bento Box (just the right size for a bariatric-sized sandwich, with a few vegetable sticks and a piece of fruit) and took it to the park. The bag that comes with the box made a perfect mat for sitting on but I have also used it desk side when a working lunch is the order of the day. Check out the box, bag, chiller pack and recipe leaflet details on the shop page. It is a great lunch box container for those going back to work after the summer break or for older children (who are perhaps watching portion sizes) heading back to school.  Bon Appetit!