Recipe: Healthy Vegetable Frittata

Breakfast Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

By: Deborah Murphy, MS, RD, LDN


Although eggs are a great option for adding more protein to your breakfast, scrambled eggs can get boring fast. We love whipping up this healthy vegetable frittata made with egg whites, parmesan, and veggies – it’s delicious, quick and easy!

This healthy vegetable frittata recipe is a perfect filling and low carb dish that allows you to feed the whole family a healthy breakfast with only one pan. You can use the combo of veggies listed in this recipe or choose one of the combinations provided in the variations section below. 

Healthy vegetable frittatas are a great way to get leafy greens, broccoli, peppers, and other anti-inflammatory foods into your diet!

Parmesan cheese is used in this healthy egg frittata because the intense flavor allows you to use less cheese (which equals less calories and fat) than you would if using more mild choices like cheddar or monterey jack. The harder and more aged the parmesan is, the more flavor it will pack, so grabbing a decent brand will definitely pay off.

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    Table of contents

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    • Egg whites: buy egg whites in a carton to make the prep for this healthy frittata recipe even easier. If using whole eggs, you’ll need the whites of 10 eggs. 
    • Parmesan cheese: choose a higher quality parmesan at the store since it will pack in more flavor to this simple healthy breakfast recipe.
    • Veggies (onion, red bell pepper, spinach): we love this combo of veggies for this easy breakfast recipe, but you can really use any veggies you might have on hand. Some good options include: mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, corn, and zucchini.
    • Baking powder: our secret ingredient for a fluffier frittata is just a little bit of baking powder.

    Tools For This Recipe

    Variations

    • Asparagus, Peas, and Goat Cheese: use asparagus and peas instead of red bell pepper for this frittata variation. You can use parmesan or swap it for crumbled goat cheese. 
    • Zucchini, Corn, and Tomatoes: Instead of red pepper, add some chopped zucchini, corn, and halved cherry tomatoes; this is a great option for summer when these vegetables are at their peak. 
    • Broccoli and Cheddar: chop about 1 cup broccoli into small pieces and saute with the onion before adding to egg whites. Swap the parmesan for shredded cheddar cheese.
    • Dairy Free: to make a dairy free frittata, omit the parmesan cheese and replace with a dairy free option like a vegan parmesan cheese or dairy free shredded mozzarella cheese.

    How to Make a Healthy Vegetable Frittata

    top view of 4 steps for making healthy vegetable frittata on white countertop
    • Saute the Veggies: add the olive oil, onion, and red bell pepper to a cast-iron skillet or oven safe non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute veggies until the red onion and pepper has softened, about 3-5 minutes. 
    • Whisk the Egg Whites: whisk the egg whites together in a large bowl with the parmesan, garlic powder, baking powder, salt, and pepper. 
    • Bake: spread the vegetables evenly on the bottom of the skillet. Pour the whisked eggs over top. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the stovetop until the bottom has started to firm up. Transfer to the oven and bake for another 5-8 minutes or until the top of the frittata has set. Top with fresh parsley, green onions, and additional parmesan cheese to serve.

    Frittata Tips

    • Customize: frittata is such a versatile dish; we love whipping them up when you need to clean out the fridge before heading to the grocery store for your weekly shop. Almost any combination of leftover veggies, cheese, and/or meat can be used. You can even toss any cooked vegetables you have in the fridge.
    • Use an oven-safe skillet: use a cast iron skillet or an oven safe non-stick skillet for frittata so that you can easily transfer the frittata from the stovetop to the oven.
    • Even Out The Filling: make sure to spread the vegetables evenly over the bottom of the skillet before pouring in the egg whites to cook. You don’t want to stir the egg/veggie mixture too much in the pan or else you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.

    Are Frittatas Healthy?

    Yes, frittatas are a great option for a high protein breakfast. Making an egg white frittata like this one will be lower in calories and fat since we are skipping the yolks. In addition to packing in the protein, adding chopped veggies to the frittata provides some fiber as well as antioxidants.

    How to Make a Frittata Fluffy

    Our secret to making an extra fluffy and delicious frittata is to add a little bit of baking powder. All you need is ⅛ teaspoon of baking powder to add some bubbles and lift to your frittata.

    top view of single serving of healthy vegetable frittata on white plate with fork

    Can You Freeze Frittata?

    Yes! This easy vegetable frittata recipe freezes well so it makes for a great meal prep option. To freeze, allow the frittata to cool to room temperature then transfer individual slices to an airtight container for up to 3 months.

    If you need to layer the slices to fit in the container, put parchment paper between layers so they don’t freeze together. You can also individually wrap each piece in plastic wrap to ensure there is no freezer burn.  

    Allow frittata to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on a sheet pan in the oven or for a few minutes in the microwave.

    If you love great meal prep ideas for breakfasts, check out our healthy breakfast burrito!

    What to Serve with Healthy Frittata

    We love serving this healthy breakfast frittata with some whole wheat toast and fresh fruit or fruit salad. You can also pair this frittata with a homemade muffin like our gluten free zucchini bread muffins or healthy carrot cake muffins. Instead of traditional toast, you could also serve this frittata with a slice of sweet potato toast
    If you are looking for holiday breakfast ideas, we love serving this frittata to balance out all the other sweet treats on the menu at Christmas time. This delicious vegetable frittata is also a great recipe for any brunch menu for family gatherings or parties.



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      Total Time: 25 minutes

      Yield: 6 serving(s)

      Ingredients

      • 1 tablespoon olive oil
      • 1/4 cup diced red onion
      • 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
      • 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
      • 1 carton egg whites (10 egg whites)
      • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
      • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
      • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
      • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
      • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
      • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

      Directions

      1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
      2. Add olive oil, onion and red bell pepper to an oven safe skillet. Saute 3-5 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the spinach and saute another 1-2 minutes until wilted.
      3. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until starting to get frothy. Stir in Parmesan cheese, baking powder, salt, and pepper
      4. Pour the egg mixture over vegetables in the skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes on the stovetop or until the bottom starts to set.
      5. Transfer to the oven and bake for another 5-8 minutes or until the top of the frittata is set. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with chopped parsley and more parmesan (if desired). Cut into 6 equal pieces to serve.

      Nutrition Information Per Serving

      Calories: 64

      Protein: 7 gram(s)

      Fat: 3 gram(s)

      Carbohydrates: 3 gram(s)

      Fiber: 0.5 gram(s)

      Sugar: 1 gram(s)

      From the kitchen of:

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