10 Ingredients for a Healthy Breakfast!
You have heard it your entire adult life: "Start your day off with a healthy breakfast, because it's the most important meal of the day!" I do admit that this holds true for me and always has. I've never intentionally skipped breakfast, but when it happens, it's because I was up too late the night before and slept right past my meal time! However, the older I get the earlier my bedtime is so this rarely ever happens! :) One thing to keep in mind is that there is no set time you have to break the fast! There is no right or wrong here, just make sure you include whole foods in your first meal and you will feel amazing!
People always ask me what foods they should eat in their diet. This question is hard to answer, because everyone is different and their food preferences vary, but at the end of the day, the foods that make you feel good and have steady energy are always the best foods you should eat. That being said, I have done all the experimentation with foods for you! I have been at the eating healthier game since I was 16 (that's 18 years ago!) so I have the top 10 foods that power me through my morning and I'm excited to share them with you! Keep in mind, that these are very versatile ingredients and you can make so many different kinds of meals with them and that's why I always have these 10 ingredients readily available in my kitchen!
1. Eggs- Eggs are rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. You can scramble them in a veggie omelette or do a quick saute sunny side up and put over some toast or potatoes! So good!
2. Oats- Oats are rich in carbs and fiber, but also higher in protein and fat than most other grains. They are very high in many vitamins and minerals which I won't list here, because I don't want to bore you with them all, but look it up to help educate yourself! With oats you can do overnight oats or simply eat them alone by using boiling water and letting them sit for a couple minutes to thicken up. Oats keep me full and doesn't cause my energy to crash after I eat, which helps me power through my morning and early afternoon!
3. Sugar free syrup- Have syrup without all the extra carbs and sugar. Use a sugar free syrup just like you would over any of your favorite foods! I buy Mrs. Butterworth's or Smucker's Sugar Free Maple Syrup as it tastes the best!
4. Stevia- Sweeten up any of your breakfast foods with stevia! Stevia is a natural sweetener linked to numerous benefits, including lower blood sugar levels. I mostly add it to my yogurt and coffee!
5. Bread- My favorite bread right now is Nature's Own Lite Life bread with only 40 calories per piece. I love making french toast with it as it helps keep my calories low and fiber high!
6. Unsweetened Almond Milk- I try to limit my dairy. There's no need for cow's milk. It's meant for cows not humans. I haven't drank cow's milk in about 10 years and I have never had issues with my calcium levels, because I keep my meal plan mainly whole food based. My favorite flavor of almond milk is unsweetened vanilla and if you miss the sweeter taste of cow's milk just add a dash of stevia or splenda, especially if you are adding to whole grain cereal.
7. Greek Yogurt- Like I said above, I try to limit my dairy, but I do keep a few greek yogurts on hand to add to my protein smoothies. I buy the zero fat plain or vanilla 5.3 oz containers as they are already portioned and one less thing I have to measure. Greek Yogurt also adds a great texture to my protein smoothies and helps me up my protein intake.
8. Fruit- BERRIES! Eat up all the berries! My favorite is blueberries! Berries are a great source of antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and resveratrol. In addition to protecting your cells, these plant compounds may reduce disease risk, but be careful when you eat blueberries for breakfast, because they will stay stuck in your teeth! Make sure you bring floss! :)
9. Vegetables- High in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, any vegetable that you have on hand will aide in helping you have a healthy start to your day! Spinach is the winner for my breakfasts! I can toss a handful in my egg omelette or throw some in my protein smoothie! Starting your day off with fruits and vegetables will take away the brain fog and give you a boost of energy that cannot compare with coffee! Try it out! Literally, on your way home today, stop by the grocery store and get some veggies for your breakfast tomorrow!
10. Protein Powder- Protein powder is a popular nutritional supplement. Protein is an essential macronutrient that helps build muscle, repair tissue, and make enzymes and hormones. Today, there are dozens of flavors to chose from that will give a delightful surprise of flavor to your taste buds and also help keep you full and satisfied.
Tip: do not buy protein powder from pharmacies or grocery stores. They contain non quality fillers that up their protein content. Most of the cheap stuff use low quality protein sources too and offer less servings per container. You are not doing yourself a favor by buying these powders. Stick to a reputable seller and read the reviews.
So you made it to the end!Thanks for reading my blog as I hope you got some good and useful info! To help you with your first meal to break the fast, here are 3 recipes that you can start using today! Enjoy!
Energy Boosting Banana Smootie
1-2 cups ice
1 cup mixed berries frozen
1 cup water or unsweetened almond milk
1 cup spinach
1 scoop protein powder
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 dash cinnamon
12g pb2 powder
Stevia or splenda to taste
Blend in the order listed and enjoy! Tip: blend longer for smoother texture. May need to add more water /milk depending on preference in thickness of shake. FYI: Casein protein powder makes the best shakes as it's thicker than whey. My fave brand is ON, Chocolate Peanut Butter!
Fit Feta and Veggie Omelette
1 egg
1/2 cup egg whites
2 oz Fat free Feta Cheese crumbled
28g sugar free syrup
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup onion chopped
1/2 cup butternut or yellow squash chopped
1/2 cup Chicken or Veggie broth
Sea salt or Himalayan Salt and pepper
Spray pan with Pam. Saute onions and veggies in broth on low-medium heat for 3-5 minutes. (make sure veggies are thawed if bought frozen). Then, scramble egg and whites in separate bowl add to veggies in pan on low heat. Do not cook on high heat as egg mix will burn. Once eggs are flip-able, flip one side over to form omelette. (Note: do not add too much veggies as omelette will fall apart.) Toss on feta cheese and salt/pepper to your liking. Drizzle with s/f syrup.
Protein French Toast
1 whole egg
1/2 cup egg whites
2 pieces lite bread
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
Stevia or sugar substitute sweetener (to your preferred sweetness level)
1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
Mix egg and egg whites together. Add in vanilla, cinnamon and sugar substitute and mix together. Soak bread in deep dish container that is large enough to soak in egg mixture evenly for at least 20 minutes. (Longer time is best as bread will be more flavorful and moist after cooking. After soaking, place bread in pan on low-medium heat until bread is light brown about 3-5 mins and flip and cook other side. Drizzle with syrup while toast is still hot from pan. Let cool and enjoy!
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