If you're wondering about the calories in French toast, then it could mean that you're trying to maintain a healthy weight through dieting. French toast is an American delicacy made of bread soaked in a dairy and egg mixture with spices.
You can cook french toast using different methods, including grilling, frying, or baking, depending on the kitchen appliances you have in hand. French toast ranks high up in the list of comfort foods, but comfort food really pushes the boundaries of what we consider healthy food.
Calories have been demonized, especially among some nutritionists and dieticians, but calories are a necessary part of how our body produces energy. The secret is finding a good balance between a delicious, healthy diet and eating enough calories to provide you with enough energy to tide you over during your day.
French Toast Nutrition Facts
Nutritionists don't recommend french toast because of how it is cooked traditionally.
Brioche is the most commonly used bread to make french toast, and this bread is dipped in an egg and milk mixture which can have a lot of cholesterol. When eating french toast, you're essentially eating a double intake of these ingredients which can be quite unhealthy.
These ingredients aren't the only things that can go on someone’s french toast. Some people add sugar to the milk mixture and then add toppings like maple syrup, fresh berries, honey, and more butter to their French toast.
How Many Calories Are There in Traditional French Toast?
Traditional French toast uses whole milk, butter, and eggs. Each piece of french toast contains 150 calories, 7.1 g of carbs, 3.1 g fat, and 2.2 g protein.
Each piece of toast also contains different quantities of saturated and unsaturated fats and a whopping 33 mg of cholesterol. The average person takes at least two slices of French toast which means that these numbers are doubled.
French toast can also nourish you with the nutrients from its ingredients. Milk and eggs, for instance, are both rich in calcium and iron. You'll also get nutrients like Vitamin A, several variants of Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and D. You can also get potassium, zinc, and copper.
How Many Calories Are There in French Toast with Maple Syrup?
Some people prefer to drizzle their French toast in either maple syrup or honey, which adds to their daily sugar intake and their calorie intake. On average, you will be consuming 550 calories when you eat French toast with maple syrup.
How Long Would It Take You to Burn 150 Calories?
On average, it would take a middle-aged adult approximately 15 minutes to burn 150 calories from one slice when swimming or jogging. It would take you around 25 minutes of cycling and 41 minutes of walking.
How Many Calories Should I Take in a Day?
According to the UK's National Health Service (NHS), your calorie intake depends on your age and physical health. On average, women should eat around 2000 calories a day, and men should consume about 2500 calories.
The US Department of Health and Human Service recommends that women take between 1600 and 2400 calories and men somewhere between 2000 and 3000 calories in their daily diet.
Calories are not the enemy. Maintaining a healthy diet is the best way to manage your weight and a healthy body. Generally, your calorie intake is also affected by your hormones and the medications you take.
Making Low-Calorie French Toast
Are you trying out a low-calorie diet but don’t want to give up this tasty meal? You can make low-calorie French toast without compromising on the taste.
First, brioche is white bread which contains a lot of sugar and calories. We can go with whole-wheat bread which has fewer calories per slice. Wheat bread also contains a higher fiber content.
Whole wheat bread is also a great choice because it's usually already dry making it easy for them to absorb the milk-egg mixture. Brioche has to be dried a bit before making French toast, and fresh bread doesn't mix well with the egg mixture because it's already moist.
We can also substitute the butter used to fry the toast with a little bit of vegetable oil spray, or better yet, bake the French toast instead of frying.
The next step would be to substitute whole milk with either skim milk or milk with 2% reduced fat. You can also use plant-based milk as a substitute like oat milk or almond milk.
Chicken eggs are a rich source of protein, but they are also high in cholesterol. The good thing is that most of the cholesterol is concentrated in the egg yolk, so we can still use the egg whites to make the dairy and egg soaking mixture.
Low-calorie French Toast Recipe
You will need:
- Egg whites from 3 eggs or egg substitute
- 1 cup milk (of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- A pinch of salt
- 4 slices of whole wheat bread
- Fresh berries
- 1 banana, sliced
- 4 teaspoons Powdered sugar
- Honey (optional)
Directions
- Mix your eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and leave to rest.
- Dip your bread slices alternating between the two sides, and then let soak for about 5 minutes.
- Spray your skillet with cooking spray and place it over medium heat and place your bread slices for about 3 minutes on both sides.
- Top with fresh berries and banana slices sprinkled with powdered sugar. You can also use dehydrated fruit pieces drizzled with honey.
Nutrition facts (per serving):
- 75 calories
- 5.4 g protein
- 24 g sugar
- 10 g carbohydrates
- 1.5 g fat
- 2 mg cholesterol
- 150 mg sodium
- 5 g fiber
Conclusion
The number of calories in french toast will depend on how you make it and what you put on it. On average, French toast can contain 150 to 600 calories depending on the ingredients you use and the toppings you choose.
Because eating french toast often can lead to a high-calorie diet, finding a recipe that works for your diet is important. Hopefully the recipe we provided above helps you lower the calorie content without sacrificing the taste of your favorite breakfast treat!
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