My favorite meal of the day (Breakfast!!)~
Happy Monday and good morning, Drizzle Chicks and Drizzle Dudes! I am so excited to share today’s post with you. Why? Because today we have a special treat. A guest post from a fantastic dietitian I became friends with over the past year who wrote a cookbook, along with another lovely woman Tiffani Bachus, and it just came out! I’ve been instagraming some of the recipes I’ve been making from the book and know you are all SO excited to read Erin’s recipe below and all the delightful bites of information she has to share about my favorite meal of the day. The book is a super approachable guide to simple, nutritious and oh-so-tasty breakfasts for everyone. Fifty recipes, including everything from the delicious berrylicious smoothie to chocolate chip pancakes. All family tested, all delicious, packed with nutrition and simple to prepare. So stop making excuses and go buy the book. Your body and belly will thank you! (to buy the book, head here).
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
Erin Macdonald, RDN
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” How many times have you heard that? And do you know why? Let’s take a look at the word breakfast and split it into its two components: break and fast. It’s the meal in which you are breaking your overnight fast that has lasted anywhere between 8 and 12 hours. During the time you spend sleeping, your body is getting some much-needed rest and repairing itself from any damage done during the day. Your muscles have time to heal from your workout. Your brain is assimilating new material learned during the waking hours. Your immune system has a chance to re-boot. That’s why sleep is so important.
When you wake up in the morning, hopefully feeling refreshed, your blood sugar is likely at the lowest point of the day, meaning your fuel tank is on empty. Imagine your body is like a car. If you want it to drive well and travel far distances, then you need to have a full tank of high-octane gas in it. Fueling up with breakfast does just that. And breakfast isn’t just important for energy. Research shows that breakfast eaters perform better on cognitive tasks in school and work and have improved memory.
What to Eat
What you eat for breakfast is just as important as the meal itself. A bagel and cream cheese and a cup of coffee aren’t exactly a prize-winning breakfast combination. Neither is the Denny’s Grand Slam. These foods are high in refined carbohydrates and saturated fat and low in fiber, smart carbs, and clean protein. So, what should the ideal breakfast look like?
§ Smart Carbs: pick one whole grain item (oatmeal, quinoa, sprouted grain bread, corn tortilla, high-fiber/low-sugar cereal, sweet potato); if choosing a gluten-free grain, make sure it’s a whole grain (high in fiber)
§ Clean Protein: eggs (whole or whites), beans, nonfat or 1% milk, nonfat plain Greek Yogurt, nonfat or 1% cottage cheese, turkey or chicken sausage
§ Fruits & Veggies: 1 piece or 1 cup fruit (organic if on the “dirty dozen” list), 1/2-1 cup cooked veggies (in an omelet), or salsa (great on eggs or in a breakfast burrito)
§ Healthy fats: almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, avocado, virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil
§ Hydrate: water, green tea, herbal tea, black tea, coffee (yes, it’s OK). Drink at least 8-16 oz. water first thing in the morning to wake up your body and brain.
Breakfast Ideas
Drizzle Kitchen’s Favorite Smoothie!
§ Berrylicious Smoothie: Combine 6 oz. tart cherry juice, 3/4 cup frozen organic mixed berries, 1 tbs. chia seed, and 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, ice if necessary. Blend until smooth (gluten-free)
A few other breakfast ideas~
§ Breakfast taco: cook 1 egg or 4 egg whites with chopped turkey sausage, 1 tsp. Parmesan cheese and place in a corn tortilla and top with salsa (red or green) and 1/4 of an avocado or 2 tbs. guacamole (gluten-free)
§ Yogurt parfait: Mix 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt with 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. raw honey, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1/2 tbs. chia or flax seeds. Layer 1/2 yogurt in a glass, top with 1/2 cup organic berries and 1/4 cup gluten-free granola; repeat layers.
§ South of the border omelet: In a little coconut or olive oil, sauté chopped onion, Ortega chiles, tomato, and mushrooms until soft; add 4 egg whites and cook until bottom is set. Flip and cook 1 minute longer. Serve with 1 slice sprouted grain toast.
Erin Macdonald, RDN is co-founder of U Rock Girl! a nutrition, fitness and wellness website and co-author of the new breakfast cookbook, “No Excuses! 50 Healthy Ways to ROCK Breakfast!”
Follow U Rock Girl on twitter @urockgirl
Facebook www.facebook.com/urcokgirl.URG
Instagram @u_rock_girl
