Not always healthy, quiche could be a diet downfall! Prepared with heavy cream and cheeses and baked in a piecrust, there can be excessive calories and fat. With the University of Illinois Extension Nutrition and Wellness Program, it is easy to adapt quiche to a healthy and delicious dish to share with family and friends!
Primarily made of eggs, quiche is a one-dish meal made of protein, calcium, essential vitamins, and minerals. Quiche can be a healthy dish when prepared with a few ingredient swaps. Susan Glassman, Nutrition & Wellness Educator with University of Illinois Extension suggests, "cut calories and fat in quiche by choosing low-fat cheese and replacing heavy cream with fat-free evaporated milk." Adding extra vegetables to quiche is an additional suggestion; enjoy the flavors of the season. The dietary guidelines recommend eating more vegetables! For adults, try to eat between two and three cups of vegetables a day; a serving is one cup of raw or cooked or 2 cups of raw leafy greens. Vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. A cholesterol-free food, vegetables offer many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Glassman emphasized, "adding extra vegetables to recipes, like quiche, helps to reduce the risk for heart disease, certain types of cancers, obesity, and type 2 diabetes." Along with more vegetables, try fresh chopped herbs and spices for flavor, like fresh dill and cracked black pepper, instead of salt. Glassman suggests, "decreasing salt provides health benefits like a reduced risk for heart disease. Salt remains a leading risk factor for high blood pressure, which can cause heart disease, heart attack, and stroke according to the American Heart Association." For an even lighter dish, go crustless! Serve quiche with a crisp green salad or sliced cucumbers and fresh fruit for dessert.
Can you freeze quiche? Glassman discussed how to freeze quiche to preserve leftovers. "To freeze, wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil and slide it into a freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze up to two months. Bake or microwave until heated through, the quiche is cooked to safe temperature when a food thermometer reads 165 degrees."
Enjoy quiche anytime! Be creative; the combinations are endless. The Crustless Spinach Quiche from University of Illinois Extension Recipes for Diabetes website is a delicious addition to a recipe box. Capture the taste of summer by adding fresh slices of garden tomatoes and chopped basil for a savory new twist on a delicious dish.
Enjoy a healthy and delicious meal, try making quiche tonight!
Recipes for Diabetes, Crustless Spinach Quiche
Serves 8
Ingredients
5 large eggs, beaten
6 ounces low-fat (1%) cottage cheese
4 ounces feta cheese
½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons margarine
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 box (10-ounce) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Cooking spray
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Spray a quiche or 10-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except spinach.
- Stir in spinach. Pour into a pie pan.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until slightly browned on top.
Nutrition Facts per serving, serves 8; calories 146, total fat 10g, cholesterol 149mg, sodium 382mg, carbohydrate 3g, dietary fiber 1g, protein 11g
Total time: 50 minutes. Prep time: 10 minutes
This and other recipes available at http://urbanext.illinois.edu/diabetesrecipes
FAQs
Is quiche healthy? Quiche is bad news when it comes to a healthy diet. It's usually made with cheese and cream in the filling as well as butter in the pastry case, so it's often high in saturated fat and calories. Ingredients like bacon will add salt and more saturated fat.
Can you eat quiche on a diet? ›
Crustless quiches are a good way to control fat and calorie intake. If you don't want to skip the crust, make your own rather than buying one because this allows you to control ingredients. Using mostly egg whites and just a couple of yolks is a good way to keep your quiche healthy.
Is quiche good for elderly? ›
Quiche has been a popular brunch food for decades and was seen as a luxury for many seniors growing up. This is a fairly inexpensive, easy meal idea for elderly adults that includes leafy greens rich in magnesium, iron, manganese, and vitamins A, C, and K.
Is quiche good for high blood pressure? ›
However, the sodium content in ham quiche may cause you to reconsider adding it to your eating plan. A 100-g slice of quiche contains 250 to 794 mg of sodium. The American Heart Association suggests consuming no more than 1,500 mg each day to avoid developing blood-pressure problems.
Can you eat quiche if you have diabetes? ›
Quiche is a delicious and affordable meal. This one is crustless, which makes it lower-carb, well suited to a diabetic diet. It is great served alongside a lettuce or a fruit salad.
Is quiche OK for dinner? ›
However, while there is no denying a quiche, or a squiche, can be gobbled down at any time of day as a snack, if you want to serve it as a main meal or dress it up a little, then it's absolutely delicious warmed through and accompanied by a favourite side dish.
Is quiche full of carbs? ›
Quiche (1 piece (1/8 of 9 in. dia)) contains 26.7g total carbs, 26g net carbs, 44g fat, 16.6g protein, and 566 calories.
Is quiche a breakfast or dinner food? ›
With a savory, custardy filling — often speckled with all types of cheeses, veggies, and meats — and a buttery-rich crust, quiche is downright showstopping. It's the dreamiest dish to dig into for a special family breakfast, a weekend brunch, or simple lunch or dinner.
Are eggs healthy? ›
Eggs are a 'source of' pantothenic acid, phosphorus, vitamin A and folate. In addition, eggs are 'high in' protein, monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin D, vitamin B12, biotin, riboflavin, selenium and iodine.
What can a 70 year old eat? ›
Wholegrain cereals, wholemeal bread, fruit, dried fruit, dried peas, beans and lentils are all excellent sources. Make sure you drink enough water to prevent constipation. Remember, most older people need 6–8 cups of fluid each day.
What to eat
- fruit and vegetables.
- potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy foods.
- dairy and alternatives.
- beans, pulses, fish, eggs and other proteins.
- oils and spreads.
Allman also has a few go-to meals that typically meet nutritional needs for seniors:
- Citrus salmon with baked sweet potato and steamed broccoli.
- Hummus veggie wrap.
- Chicken and veggies with whole grain pasta and pesto. ...
- Roasted Veggie Couscous.
- Curry Egg Salad lettuce wraps.
In summary, eggs, when consumed in moderation, appear to be safe for most individuals with high blood pressure. Recent research has shifted the focus away from dietary cholesterol, emphasizing the importance of overall diet quality and the types of fats consumed.
What is the best breakfast for high blood pressure? ›
Hypertension: Breakfast options for high blood pressure
- Oats. Advertisem*nt. ...
- Yogurt with fruits. Yogurt is another healthy option that is good for high blood pressure. ...
- Egg. When it comes to breakfast eggs might be the first thing that comes up. ...
- Nuts, seeds and low-fat dairy. ...
- Banana and berries.
The Texture of a Perfect Quiche
Perfect quiche is creamy and soft with textural contrast from ham, crispy bacon, or sautéed vegetables. Each forkful is undeniably rich, but has a light and delicate mouthfeel. Think of the main ingredient being milk/cream, not eggs. Quiche is not a frittata with crust.
Is quiche high in calories? ›
Ready made quiches can be high in calories and often contain a lot of fat – make sure you check the labels and make the healthiest choice. You can also buy crustless versions which often have fewer calories than regular versions.
What are the benefits of making quiche? ›
When you use whole eggs to prepare quiche, you also benefit from the calcium, iron, and zinc-rich nutrients present in the egg yolk. The nutritional value of your food is further increased by include vegetables in your quiche. To maximise your consumption of a variety of vitamins and minerals, combine several veggies.
What is the healthiest thing from a fish and chip shop? ›
There are lots of ways of making your trip to the chippy a healthier one. Have a portion of baked beans or mushy peas with your fish and chips. Watch out for other foods that are high in fat, such as pies and sausages. The thicker the chips the better because they absorb less fat.
