Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Easter Breakfast Casserole with Asparagus and Artichoke Hearts Low Carb Gluten Free
This Breakfast Casserole with Asparagus and Artichoke Hearts is perfect for Easter brunch.
Easter is so late this year that some people might think I'm jumping the gun with a recipe called Easter Breakfast Casserole with Asparagus and Artichoke Hearts. But every store I visit lately seems to have asparagus on sale, and you really don't have to wait until it's Easter to make this, I promise. Besides the lovely combination of asparagus and artichoke hearts, this breakfast casserole also has crumbled goat cheese and low-fat Mozzarella. I loved everything about this; hope you enjoy!
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Easter is so late this year that some people might think I'm jumping the gun with a recipe called Easter Breakfast Casserole with Asparagus and Artichoke Hearts. But every store I visit lately seems to have asparagus on sale, and you really don't have to wait until it's Easter to make this, I promise. Besides the lovely combination of asparagus and artichoke hearts, this breakfast casserole also has crumbled goat cheese and low-fat Mozzarella. I loved everything about this; hope you enjoy!
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Monday, March 9, 2015
The Importance of Breakfast
We have all been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You have probably heard it from your coach, parents, teachers, nurses, doctors and other family members. But have they ever told you why? Although every meal is important, let me tell you why breakfast is:
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- Breakfast means break the fast (fast during sleep). Breakfast kick starts our bodys metabolism. More so if we eat good nutrients to start the day. Its like starting a car that has a full tank of gas versus just half a tank.
- Studies show that students that eat breakfast are able to concentrate better and perform better academically.
- Athletes that need to consume a large amount of calories will have a hard time reaching their calorie goals if they skip breakfast. This in turn will hurt performance and could cause undesired weight loss.
- Breakfast has been shown to help people maintain body weight.
- Skipping breakfast may cause overeating later on, which in turn can cause weight gain.
- If you skip breakfast, by the time lunch arrives you are so hungry you eat everything in sight. Research shows that most probably you will reach for the calorie dense, nutrient poor foods such as: fast food and concentrated sweets.
- Skipping breakfast will probably prevent most people from meeting the daily requirement for the different vitamins and minerals that help us heal and recover post exercise.
- People that eat breakfast tend to be more alert throughout the day without having a mid-morning crash.
Now that you know why its so important here are some tips for how to build a good breakfast:
- Try to have at least 3 food groups, for example: fruits, grains, dairy or protein, grains, vegetables.
- Focus on whole grains such as oats and whole wheat bread/cereal.
- Always have a fruit or a vegetable.
- Try to get 15-30 grams protein. Having a good amount of protein for breakfast helps you feel fuller for longer and prevent over eating as well as help sustain energy.
- Drink at least 16-20 oz of fluids, preferably water. Fluids can also be milk, tea, coffee and juice.
- Prefer eating fruit/vegetables versus juicing as that way you can get the fiber and some nutrients that are lost with juicing.
- Not all breakfasts can be a sit down breakfast. Nonetheless, grab something for the road such as: apple and cheese stick, granola bar and a cup of milk, smoothie, oats on the go, etc.
Here are some ideas for a healthy breakfast:
- Whole wheat cereal (Kashi is a great choice) with 1% milk and strawberries
- Oatmeal with pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and blueberries
- Scrambled eggs with whole wheat bread and watermelon
- Smoothie made with: Greek yogurt, strawberries, pineapple, spinach, kiwi, chia seeds and kale
- Toast with peanut butter and jelly and a cup of milk
- Sandwich with cheese and avocado and 100% orange juice
- Yogurt with granola and fruit
- Leftovers from dinner :)
- Spinach and feta cheese omelet with toast
- Muffin with egg, ham, cheese and spinach and a cup of 100% orange juice
- Be creative and make sure your plate is colorful!
Make no excuses and start the day right with a good breakfast!
Friday, March 6, 2015
Mango Breakfast Pudding with Chia Seeds Walnuts and Hemp Milk Loaded with Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acid
An easy way to cut a mango.
Yesterdays Wall Street Journal
There was an article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday about the promising studies on the health benefits of omega 3. As I have pointed out many times, this fatty acid has been associated with reducing the risk of heart disease, which has been well publicized.This article also confirmed that there are studies considering the usage of omega 3 to treat or prevent Alzheimers, epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis and other serious conditions. Although the journal pointed out sources like salmon, mackerel, sardines, flax and walnuts, they neglected to point out some of the best vegetarian sources of omega 3 such as hemp and chia seeds (see my article on Best Fish and Vegetarian Sources of Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids). All in all, Im glad that public awareness is increasing on the many benefits of this nutrient.
Its a Mango Morning
Ive come across some wonderful, giant California mangos lately which Ive been enjoying in salads and desserts. They are packed with vitamin A and vitamin C. They are also a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin B6. Heres a breakfast idea that takes advantage of the many benefits of raw mangos and also provides a large dose of omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids. Each serving provides over 4 grams of omega 3 and over 5 grams of omega 6. With only around 200 calories a bowl, it also provides over 8 grams of fiber per serving. Try this healthy breakfast pudding and make it a mango morning!
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Mango Breakfast Pudding with Chia Seeds, Walnuts and Hemp Milk
[serves 4]
2 cups Living Harvest vanilla hemp milk
5 tablespoons chia seeds
2 cups diced mango (1 huge or 2 medium mangos)
1/4 cup raw walnuts
The night before, combine chia seeds with hemp milk and stir vigorously with a fork for a minute or so. Let sit for 15 minutes and stir again until the chia seeds are well blended and separated. Let the mixture sit out for an hour, stir one more time and refrigerate overnight until thickened and firm.
In the morning, holding the mango so that the seed is vertical to the cutting surface, slice off half the mango. Turn the half over and, with the tip of the knife, score it into little squares being careful not to penetrate the skin. Then turn it inside out and cut away the squares. Do this to the other side. There will be some extra mango around the edges after doing both sides so just trim around and salvage what you can.
Stir the mango into the vanilla chia pudding. Divide into 4 bowls, top with walnuts and serve.
Per serving: 206.3 calories, 12.8 g fat, 1.9 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 5.1 g protein, 31.3 g carbohydrates, 8.3 g fiber, 4.3 g omega 3 and 5.6 g omega 6 fatty acids.
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