5 Nutritious Breakfasts and 2 Tasty Omelets To Start Your Day!

Have you ever heard the saying, "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper?"

I've heard it many a time and always wonder, "ok, right, how do I eat breakfast like a king when I barely even have enough time in the morning to grab my Mona Vie shot and run, let alone the fact that 90% of the time I dont feel like eating a full size meal first thing when I wake up."  I thought I would entertain the idea of a full, complete breakfast and dig a little deeper into what benefits it really holds and ways to get all that you need in a speedy and efficient way.

The thing that really got me thinking about this topic was an article I saw in Self magazine that was discussing how eating eggs in the morning can help you consume less calories throughout the day, feel less hungry, and more satisfied.  And then I remembered how I had actually eaten a real breakfast this morning, an omelet.  I tried to evaluate how I felt different today than other days when I will just grab a piece of fruit and eat it on my way to work or school.  The omelet gave me energy and healthy calories to fuel my body during the day.  I felt like I was satisfied and wasnt already thinking about lunch an hour later.  So...I asked around and found that most people who had eaten a well-balanced, more filling breakfast felt more energy and less cravings throughout the day than the people who had eaten nothing, a very minimal amount food, or something filled with bad calories like a donut or pastry.  There must be something to this whole breakfast thing...right?

Yes!  The first research I found had a caption of "The right breakfast foods can help you concentrate, give you strength-and even help you maintain a healthy weight."  Ding-Ding-Ding.  Tell me more PLEASE!  One study explained how "breakfast eaters" are generally at a healthier weight than "breakfast skippers."  It explains that eating a healthy breakfast can help reduce hunger and cravings, thus helping make better food decisions throughout the day.  So what is a healthy breakfast?  A meal that is loaded with protein and whole grains, not fat, sugar, and empty calories.  Now, back to the eggs; eating healthy protein for breakfast is the best way to go.  My very nutritionally knowledgeable friend, JR, can perfectly explain how the right protein intake can fuel your body for better workouts, a more sustained energy, and increased fat loss.  I could try to relay the message to you but I know I would butcher it, so sometimes you just have to trust me...protein in the a.m. is the best way to start your day.  Adding fruit to that protein (it doesnt have to actually be the in the same dish-trust me strawberries with eggs tastes a little funky) can also provide you with energy from the healthy sugars fruit contains.  The sugars in fruit are the low-glycemic sort that your body needs to function and run successfully.

So, now that I understand that breakfast really is important, how do I fit it in and what can I make?  Well, on days that you have time I highly recommend an omelet, they are super yummy and you can make them with anything you want (check below for some of my favs Ive been experimenting with lately).  On those other days there are solutions.  An easy way to get eggs in the morning is to make a batch of hard-boiled eggs that are ready to go when you are short on time.  You can also cut up fruit the night before and bring it with you for the drive (I realize eating while driving isnt recommended as the top way to ingest but hey its a stepping stone in the right direction).  Cottage cheese is a great source of the proper  protein to give you that long lasting energy.  V8 or another vegetable juice can give you nutrients of fresh veggies on the go.  Oatmeal is a great morning muncher; it packs tons of fiber!  But, a lot of these delish options should be pared together so you are getting a balanced, fulfilling meal-think dinner in the morning.  Some quick ideas are:

1. Whole wheat english muffin or toast with a scrambled egg and piece of lean ham, tomato, or avocado.

2. A smoothie with fruit, an all natural peanut butter (no sugar added), and possibly spinach or pure carrot juice - just make sure when you make your smoothie your source of liquid is 100% fruit juice (I always squeeze an orange into mine) or some milk or soy milk-some like to add protein powder.

3. Make a breakfast burrito with a whole wheat tortilla, eggs, beans, and fresh salsa.

4. A wrap with whole wheat tortilla, eggs, spinach, tomatoes, and if you want a lean ham.

5. For those egg haters-trade the eggs for some tofu.

Remember to be careful with cereals and yogurts, they can be masked carriers of large amounts or sugar and empty calories.

Another thing that can help is to prepare the night before or at the beginning of the week.  Also, if you can leave yourself just 15 extra minutes in the morning you can actually sit while eating and not have to feel like your scarfing it down like a cartoon character.  I am going to set a goal of leaving myself 15 extra minutes each morning to eat a healthy, well-balanced breakfast for at least one week and compare how my body feels and my energy levels to mornings when I dont eat breakfast.  Who wants to experiment to improve your health with me?  We can all share feedback of breakfast food ideas and how we are feeling right here on my blog.

Now for two of my current most fav omelets:

You use the same prep and cook method for both - just different filling.

Veggie Fold-over
-Start by sauteing your favorite veggies- I like bell pepper, broccli, mushroom, and onion -in a little bit of olive oil
-once they are cooked and soft to preference set aside
-Scramble 5 eggs together and cover the bottom of the pan with a tbsp of olive oil or less
-pour the eggs into the pan and let set-once they are starting to cook through top one half of the eggs with the veggie mix, fresh tomatoes, and cottage cheese
-let the egg sit a little longer and when the side that is plain is almost cooked through flip it onto the other and cook a little longer until heated through

Mexican Morning
-Start by sauteing some bell pepper, yellow onion, and soy chorizo-when cooked set aside
-Cook the eggs the same way as above
-When eggs are ready put the chorizo mix on one half of the eggs, top with tomato, cottage cheese, and black olives
-When ready fold over and let heat through
-right before serving top with avocado

ENJOY!
LJ

Taco Salad Tuesday

Tofu: Compromise, Culinary Experimentation, and Nutrition

Today I feel the need to talk a little about compromise, a little about culinary experimentation, and lot about nutrition.


The big issue is TOFU...I used to hate tofu, but in all fairness I never really gave it an honest try. Then I was pressured into eating it and actually enjoyed it. So, every time after we would cook it the same way we first tried it (p.s. the recipe is on my blog about quinoa)-it was delicious so why change a good thing, right? No, because I dont know about you but when I find a food I like, I eat it to death until I am sick of it and no longer enjoy that once delicious eat. Inevitably, the tofu stir-fry got old too. My solution-stop eating it for a while. Well, apparently Nick (the person I eat dinner with most often) felt differently and was still digging and craving tofu. This is where the compromise comes in: finding a way to cook tofu so I can enjoy it and he can get his fix. Thus, the research begins...

Through my research I found some very interesting recipes. The one that struck a cord was tofu burgers. All the ingredients were pretty healthy ingredients and they are on a very opposite side of the spectrum from a stir-fry. I hadn't ever tried them before so I was pretty excited, Nick on the other hand was a little nervous. But, I threw a little of my own flair in there and performed some "culinary experimentation," and not to toot my own horn but they were the BOMB! The recipe is at the bottom of this blog. I recommend culinary experimentation to all of you as well. Look up recipes for your favorite foods that you are bored with (or not bored with) and have some fun! Try adding things that fit your taste and maybe even mixing some recipes together. The best way to enjoy food is to have fun with it, cooking is one of my therapies, along with a LOT of yoga!

Well, for me and as Im sure for most of you, researching only leads to more curiosity and questions. This now brings us to the nutrition part of this blog. I've always heard that soy is good for you but that its bad if you eat too much at a time. So through my exploring I decided to search the nutritional breakdown of tofu and actually try to get some of my questions answered and then share it with all of you.

Good News...Tofu is extremely good for you. But first a little history, I found interesting: Tofu is created by soaking soybeans in water and creating soy milk. The milk is curdled using lemon juice or calcium sulfate and those curdles are separated from the whey and most often put into block form, thus, creating tofu.

Tofu is most commonly known for its high protein content. But what most don't know is that this stud of a plant is different from its fellow plant-based food neighbors, soy (which is what tofu is made of-see history above) is a complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids. A 3oz. piece of firm-tofu contains about 13g of protein.

But wait, there is so much more to this mighty food than just protein. Tofu contains no cholesterol and is very low in saturated fat. Even better, tofu can help reduce the risk of heart disease (just like my favorite purple beverage does), osteoporosis, and some types of cancer through the phytoestrogens it contains. Let me map it out for you: tofu contains about 25-30mg isoflavones in every 3oz. serving, isoflavones are phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens can reduce your risk of all the bad things mentioned above.

Short on calcium in your diet? Eat Tofu! Tofu made with calcium sulfate as the curdling agent is listed as a good source of calcium for vegetarians and vegans (or those of us who just hate milk). A few ounces of tofu contains more calcium than a cup of regular milk. So, you see why even if you are scared of tofu, it is worth a try.

Tofu Burgers

1 14 oz. package firm tofu
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
2/3 c. cooked quinoa
1 tsp. each: dried basil, dried parsley, dried thyme
a dash of seasoning salt and a dash of garlic salt (my fav is Johnnys Garlic Seasoning)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 c. lowfat cottage cheese
Whatever fix-ins you dig with your burgers. We used whole wheat buns, mustard, tomato, and avocado.

Cut drained tofu into cubes and mash with potato ricer. If you have a food processor that works as well. Add in all other ingredients except cottage cheese and quinoa. Mix with hands until well blended. At this point I like to test the mixture and make sure the flavor is good and add any other herbs, seasonings, etc. that are needed. Then add in cottage cheese and quinoa and mix with hands until well blended. Heat 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil in a pan. Pack tofu mix into patties about 4 in. wide and 1 in. thick. Cook for about 6 min. on each side until brown and crispy on outside. Construct your healthy burger.
*Be careful when handling patties, they are a bit fragile. I found the thicker in height, smaller in diameter, and browner you make them the better they stick together and hold shape.

*Some of the nutrition info was found on LiveStrong.com. Awesome website I recommend checking out.
*The original recipe was obtained from SavvyVegetarian.com

Enjoy,
LJ

Healthy Whole Wheat Pizza