Tag Archives: breakfast

Make breakfast count! Egg sandwich with veggies.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  It literally does what is says…breaks your fast after a night of good sleep.  You need to wake up your metabolism and get your blood sugar stabilized each morning, and the best way to do that is drink a large glass of fresh clean water and eat a breakfast that contains protein, carbohydrates (preferably complex CHO with a significant amount of fiber) and a small amount of fat.image

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Here’s a pretty quick and healthy breakfast idea if you have a busy day or heavy workout ahead of you.
One whole bagel (I had an Einstein bros onion bagel on hand)
Two egg whites cooked in a non-stick skillet
Tomato slices
Spinach leaves
Reduced fat cheddar cheese slice-1oz.

Filling, good source of protein, low fat, and a half a vegetable serving…all for around 350 calories.  Add a half a grapefruit for additional vitamin C and one fruit serving!
Bon appetit!

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Juicer vs. Blender Experiment #1 Oranges and Spinach

My lovely friend Cat let me borrow her amazing Breville Juicer so I could conduct a little in-home experiment comparing the same ingredients in a Juicer VS a Blender to see what my family prefers.  First on the menu today was oranges and spinach!

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The plan was to use 3 oranges and one cup spinach for each device and compare the results.  As you can see, my oranges were pretty small, so in order to make enough juice for all 4 of us to taste test I had to add a total of 5 oranges to this one large cup of loosely packed spinach for the Juicer.  I prepared the ingredients exactly the same way for each device:  peeled and seeded the oranges, washed and  dried the spinach in a salad spinner.  Below is one large glass of GREEN ORANGE JUICE with a few ice cubes to keep it cold.  This glass holds 16 ounces of liquid.

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Next up was the Blender with 3 oranges and one cup spinach.  My blender is not a super-duper blender, but it can handle most items.  It is a Waring Pro with hi and lo speeds.  Same size glass. So the blender produced more final product from only 3 oranges because there is no waste from what you put in the blender.

Now, on to the taste testing!  The juicer definitely won in the taste testing reviews as the blended version still has plenty of orange pulp and an occasional small piece of orange skin from the middle or between sections (all of which you would probably eat had you peeled and eaten an orange alone).  Flavor was about the same, the spinach was not any stronger in the blender version even though it had 2 fewer oranges in it.

Everyone was fascinated watching the juicer do it’s work, and my kids left for school talking about what they wanted to try next!  Of course, they are mostly interested in all-fruit combinations (they had to try an orange, apple and grapefruit before we left for school…that received a thumbs up from them both). So we will try a few  more recipes over the next couple days, and if I can continue to snap up pictures before they drink it up I will post!

As an added bonus to this experiment….my composting worms will have a blast with all this fruit pulp and skins!

Please share your experiences with juicers or blender smoothies and which you prefer.

Mmmm, power breakfast!

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Here’s a pretty quick and healthy breakfast idea if you have a busy day or heavy workout ahead of you.
One whole bagel (I had an Einstein bros onion bagel on hand)
Two egg whites cooked in a non-stick skillet
Tomato slices
Spinach leaves
Reduced fat cheddar cheese slice-1oz.

Filling, good source of protein, low fat, and a half a vegetable serving…all for around 350 calories.  Add a half a grapefruit for additional vitamin C and one fruit serving!
Bon appetit!

Hearty Oatmeal

warm and hearty breakfast!

Thought I would share my favorite winter breakfast food with you today.  This warm and satisfying bowl of oatmeal helps me get through a morning workout and starts me off on the right foot towards reaching my calcium needs each day.  Being a non-milk drinker, I have to work harder at meeting my calcium needs.  Aside from yogurt, cheese and calcium fortified orange juice, my new favorite product is the Silk line of almond milks (they have everything from unsweetened plain to the sweetened vanilla).   Calcium and Vitamin D are not only important for strong bones, but have also been shown to protect against high blood pressure, diabetes and weight gain.

Making oatmeal (any variety from instant to stove top cooked) with milk instead of water is a good way to boost your calcium intake.  If you are not using cow’s milk, be sure your milk alternative is fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

 

 

Andrea’s hearty Oatmeal

½ cup Quaker quick 1-minute oats

1 cup Silk Pure vanilla flavored Almond milk (calcium fortified)

1 tbsp slivered almonds

1 tbsp dried cranberries

Mix oatmeal and milk and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes, stir and top with almonds and cranberries.  Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts: 1 Serving  Calories 332.2 Total Fat 10.5 g  Saturated Fat 0.9 g  Polyunsaturated Fat 2.2 g Monounsaturated Fat 4.1 g  Cholesterol 0.0 mg  Sodium 150.5 mg  Potassium 254.0 mg Total Carbohydrate 54.9 g  Dietary Fiber 6.8 g  Sugars 24.3 g  Protein 8.0 g  Vitamin D 25.0 %  Vitamin E 62.4 %  Calcium 45 %  Iron 14.6 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Food groups included: Whole grain, dairy, nuts and fruit.

To boost your vitamin C and make this a complete meal, add a piece of citrus fruit or 6 oz juice.  Rio Red grapefruits are in season and delicious!