Vegetable and feta omelette

This vegetable and feta omelette has a Greek feel: 25 g of protein for 369 kcal. Three whole eggs for complete protein and micronutrients, pepper and spinach for volume and vitamins, feta for the salty flavour touch. Quick (15 minutes), tasty and versatile, it suits breakfast or dinner.

With 27 g of fat, this omelette is the fattiest of the egg recipes — because of the yolks, feta and oil. They are not bad fats, but for strict cutting, replace a yolk with whites and reduce the feta (its strong flavour means a little goes far). For balance, keep it as is: whole eggs and feta bring nutritional density and satiety.

First sauté the pepper and wilt the spinach to drive off their water, or the omelette turns runny. Pour in the beaten eggs over medium heat, add the crumbled feta, and fold the omelette as soon as it is set but still soft in the centre. A non-stick pan limits the oil. Serve with whole-grain bread or a salad for a complete meal.

This omelette's great strength is its versatility. At breakfast, it starts the day on a high protein intake that curbs mid-morning cravings. At lunch, with a salad or whole-grain bread, it makes a light, quick meal. At dinner, it is perfect on evenings when you want to eat well without spending time cooking.

It is the ultimate 'safety net' meal: a few eggs and some vegetables are enough, you almost always have them in the fridge, and it is ready in a quarter of an hour. When inspiration or time runs short, a well-filled omelette remains one of the simplest ways to put together a balanced, protein-rich meal, at any hour.

This omelette is an easy canvas to adapt to whatever is in the fridge. On the vegetable side, the pepper and spinach can make way for grated courgette, pan-fried mushrooms, halved cherry tomatoes, spring onions or a few pitted black olives to stay in the Greek spirit. The wettest vegetables (courgette, tomato, mushroom) need slightly longer cooking before the eggs go in, to evaporate their water. A pinch of dried oregano, a few fresh mint leaves or some chives are enough to completely change the flavour profile of the dish without adding calories.

You can also change how you serve it. For a lighter, airier omelette, separate the whites and yolks, whisk the whites to soft peaks and fold them in gently: you get a soufflé-style omelette, taller and lighter in the mouth. For a frittata version, let everything cook over low heat in an oven-safe pan, then finish under the grill for two minutes to brown the top without having to flip anything. And if you want more protein without more fat, add two egg whites to your three whole eggs: the volume goes up, the texture stays soft and the fat barely moves.

The omelette is best fresh, but it prepares very well in advance when the week is busy. Cooked then left to cool, it keeps one to two days in the fridge in an airtight box, and is just as good eaten cold, cut into wedges in a lunchbox with a salad, as gently reheated in a pan or at low power in the microwave. Avoid overcooking it when reheating: the eggs turn rubbery. If you are preparing several portions, you can also pour the mixture into a muffin tin: these little bites bake in fifteen minutes, travel easily and work as a protein snack.

For organisation, think about preparing the vegetables ahead: sliced pepper and washed spinach keep two or three days in the fridge, and the omelette then comes together in ten real minutes. On quantities, one portion of three eggs already covers a good protein intake; if you have a bigger appetite or a heavy session behind you, add a slice of whole-grain bread or a portion of fruit rather than a fourth egg, to balance carbs and fat. The whole thing remains a simple, inexpensive and quick meal, with no special equipment.