Tag Archives: breakfast

July 28, 2020 · 5:35 pm

Orange Power Smoothie

We officially hit summer here. And by that, I mean it is HOT! Thankfully, a couple splash pads and our HOA pool have opened. But I still feel hot most of the day. I try to exercise first thing in the morning. First, it just gets it out of the way and starts my day off with accomplishing something. Second, workout endorphins can’t be beat to get your moving through the day. Third, at least it is the coolest part of the day. But after I workout, I’m still hot and struggle to cool down.

Enter smoothies for breakfast. After a good workout, it is so refreshing to get a nice cold drink. Water on an empty stomach isn’t my favorite. I love to make a big glass of a cold, filling smoothie. This orange power smoothie is so colorful and mild tasting, it’ll be a hit with your kiddos too. Enjoy!

Orange Power Smoothie (Serves about 2)

Orange Power Smoothie<

3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 ½ cups ice cubes
½-1 cup water (as needed)
2 cups frozen mango pieces
1 banana, peeled
½ cup plain low fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon grated ginger (can use ground ginger)

1. In blender, process carrots, ice, and ½ cup of water on high until mostly smooth (this could take a couple minutes). Scrape down the sides of blender.

2. Add remaining ingredients to blender. Continue to process on high until smooth, adding more water as needed to obtain desired consistency. Serve cold.

Nutritional Information (amount per serving):

Calories: 271
Protein: 12 g
Fat: 1 g
Saturated fat: less than 1 g
Cholesterol: 4 mg
Carbohydrates: 59 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sodium: 96 mg

Recipe notes: You may need to adjust the honey if it isn't sweet enough for you. Also be sure to use a different sweetener if feeding this to a child under 1.

Source: slightly adapted from America's Test Kitchen

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February 13, 2020 · 2:54 pm

Apple Almond Butter French Toast

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, a day full of romance. Valentine’s Day food is generally fairly decadent – chocolate, candlelit steak dinners, cheesy pastas, etc. But you can always show someone you love them with a healthier option. Homemade breakfast feels fancy for a weekday, especially breakfast in bed.

This apple almond butter French toast is quick to put together but looks and tastes fancy. I love making sandwich French toasts with different flavors. The tart apple and creamy nut butter work really well together. Make it for someone you love soon, if not for Valentine’s Day!

Apple Almond Butter French Toast (Serves 2)

Apple Almond Butter French Toast

4 slices whole wheat bread
4 tablespoons almond butter
1 apple, sliced thin
1 egg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup skim milk
¼ cup syrup

1. Heat a nonstick griddle over medium-high heat, about 350 degrees F.
2. Spread almond butter evenly over slices of bread. Place 1/2 apple slices on two slices of the bread. Top with other slices to make sandwiches.
3. Whisk egg, cinnamon, and milk together in a shallow bowl or dish. Carefully dip sandwiches in egg mixture.
4. Spray griddle with cooking spray. Place sandwiches on griddle. Cook on each side until lightly browned and egg is cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side.
5. Serve warm with syrup.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 562
Protein: 19 g
Fat: 23 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 94 mg
Carbohydrates: 76 g
Fiber: 10 g
Sodium: 418 mg

Recipe notes: I prefer almond butter to peanut butter in general. I especially like it here because of it’s cinnamony taste. Peanut butter also works if that is your preference or what you have available. I like a tart apple here, like a Granny Smith. The tartness works well with the sweetness of the syrup and nut butter. You also don’t need a ton of syrup for this – the nut butter really combines everything well on it’s own. If you can’t fit all of the apple slices in the sandwich, just serve it on the side.

Source: original recipe

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February 5, 2020 · 3:38 pm

Shakshuka

Happy Hump Day! Wednesday at our house is breakfast for dinner night. I love this tradition for several reasons. First, I don’t have to think about it too much when I’m meal planning. It’s set. Second, most of the time we use staples I already buy or leftovers to supplement our meal here, so I don’t have to allot grocery budget for it. Third, breakfast is fast to cook and quick to clean up. What’s not to love?

Setting aside nights as a specific meal or type of cuisine is a great idea for meal planning. Some people go further than I do, with each night of the week assigned. I’ve even recently seen someone who has the same seven meals every week. That isn’t my cup of tea, but I understand the appeal of routine and simplicity at dinnertime.

To continue our African Heritage Week and Black History Month theme from yesterday, I’m reposting an older recipe today – Shakshuka. It fits with breakfast for dinner at my house. It’s a surprisingly easy dish that is different enough to make breakfast for dinner night feel special. The dish is of North African or Middle Eastern origin.

Shakshuka (Serves 3-4)

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1 tablespoon olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced (preferably 2 different colors)
1 jalapeño chile, sliced into thin strips
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon paprika
1 (14-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes, crushed through your fingers a bit
6-8 eggs (depending on how many eggs each person wants)
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
6 small or 4 large whole-wheat pitas or flatbreads (optional)

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until beginning to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic; cook one minute more. Add all the peppers; sauté until they soften, about 5 minutes more. Add cumin, oregano, marjoram, and paprika. Cook one minute more.

2. Pour in the tomatoes plus half a can of water. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionaly.

3. Warm pitas or flatbreads, if using.

4. Make indentations in the sauce for each egg. Crack an egg into each indentation. Put lid on the pot. Cook the eggs to your desired level of firmness, keeping sauce at a simmer. Scoop eggs and sauce into pitas or onto flatbreads, if using, or just onto a plate. Garnish with feta. Eat immediately.

Nutritional Information (Amount per Serving):

Calories: 443
Protein: 23 g
Fat: 19 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 389 mg
Carbohydrates: 44 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sodium: 606 mg

Source: adapted very slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Low iodine adjustment: Skip the feta and pita.

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March 20, 2019 · 2:42 pm

Pear Cinnamon Smoothie

Starting about a year ago, I finally joined the breakfast smoothie band wagon. I would make them off and on before that. But I wasn’t a huge fan. I always felt hungry soon after or wanted more food. Something finally clicked with me though, and I’ve loved them. I think it helps that I can drink it as part of my cool down from exercising. And I can sip as I go about my morning mom duties – grabbing breakfast for kids, cleaning up, making beds, etc. It feels less time consuming.

I’ll admit that the a berry-banana-chocolate protein powder smoothie is my go to, since I always keep the ingredients around. But it is nice to liven things up sometimes. This pear cinnamon smoothie is really easy to throw together and is yummy and satisfying. Enjoy!

Pear Cinnamon Smoothie (Makes 2 servings)

Pear Cinnamon Smoothie

2 pears
1 cup vanila nonfat greek ygourt
1 banana
¼ – ½ teaspoon cinnamon, to taste
ice, as needed for desired consistency

1. Blend ingredients until smooth.

Nutritional Information (Amount per serving):

Calories: 272
Protein: 14 g
Fat: 1 g
Saturated fat: less than 1 g
Cholesterol: 4 mg
Carbohydrates: 57 g
Fiber: 8 g
Sodium: 54 mg

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August 30, 2018 · 4:04 pm

Product Review: Quaker Overnight Oats

Hi friends!

With back to school time, we are all trying to get into good routines in the morning. There’s plenty of information out there showing that a good breakfast helps kids at school. But getting that good breakfast in before school can be tricky.

Recently, I heard about these Quaker Overnight Oats cups. They were on sale so I gave a couple flavors a try. This review is unsponsored. I bought these on my own. Quaker has no idea I exist.

We tried two flavors: Toasted Coconut and Almond Crunch; Blueberry Banana and Vanilla.

Overnight Oats

The instructions are very straightforward. Fill to the line in the cup with milk (or non-dairy milk substitute). Close the lid. Let steep in your fridge overnight. In the morning, you get this:

Steeped Overnight Oats

You can eat them cold or the package has instructions for how to heat it up.

Our rating (mine and my husband)? Neither of us were very fond of them cold. I liked the blueberry one cold more than the coconut. Warmed up, they were pretty good. These were very easy and made for a fast morning.

I think overall I give them a 3 out of 5 stars. Maybe I would have liked a different flavor cold more (it does come in 6 total flavors). The biggest downside is I don’t really see the purpose or cost effectiveness. It is very easy to make your own cup of cold overnight oatmeal like this. I have recipes here for that. But even on the webpage for this product, Quaker gives directions of how to make your own.

As for cost, each of these cups cost me $1.50 on sale. Normally they are $1.79. A big container of oats is less than $5 and will give you 15+ servings of oatmeal. You save a little time on measuring the oats themselves. They have thought out the fruit for you.

So in the end, I’m not going to judge you if you like these and use them. You are getting a healthy breakfast. And they are tasty (although in our family’s opinion more tasty if warm). But if you like the idea, you can make them pretty easily on your own for much cheaper.

Cold oatmeal not your thing? Oatmeal in the crockpot is also super easy and makes your house smell delicious when you wake up: Slow Cooker Overnight Oatmeal

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April 4, 2018 · 8:27 pm

Salsa and Egg Avocado Toast

What is your opinion on hard-boiled eggs? Growing up, I never cared for them much. In college, I rediscovered them somehow and was hooked. My husband won’t touch them. My kids were mildly interested when we were dyeing our Easter eggs, but quickly lost interest.

If you are in the positive camp but are looking for some more “creative” ideas, look no further. I love this avocado toast. It is great for a quick breakfast or lunch. Go peel some colorful eggs and enjoy!

Salsa and Egg Avocado Toast (Serves 1*)

Salsa and Egg Avocado Toast

2 slices whole wheat bread
1 avocado, smashed
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 ounce cheddar cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons salsa

1. Toast bread to desired degree of doneness.
2. Spread avocado over toast. Top with egg, cheese, and salsa.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 755
Protein: 32 gm
Fat: 52 gm
Saturated Fat: 13 gm
Cholesterol: 401 gm
Carbohydrates: 47 gm
Fiber: 18 gm
Sodium: 861 mg

Recipe Notes: This makes a BIG serving. I would likely recommend starting with just one toast. But I HATE recipes that use up half of something (like an avocado) that doesn’t save particularly well. And the size of cheese is really easy to use up pre-sliced sandwich cheese. So I know the nutrition looks a bit crazy – mostly due to the avocado. Just take a deep breath and remember avocados have healthy fats.

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January 26, 2018 · 4:46 pm

Apple Tahini Toast

Eating breakfast is a common resolution people make when trying to eat healthier. For most of us, it is a good idea. Skipping breakfast can lead to overeating later in the day as we get overly hungry. It helps wake us up and give us energy we need for the day to get going.

The big problem most people have is having time. This Mediterranean diet inspired breakfast is super fast but still delicious. Tahini is a paste made out of sesame seeds (think peanut butter to peanuts). It’s really delicious and is a major ingredient in hummus. Try it and you will be surprised at how good it is. If you can’t find it, you could substitute your favorite nut butter here.

Enjoy!

Apple Tahini Toast (Serves 1, easy to make more)

Apple Tahini Toast

1 slice whole wheat bread or 1 whole wheat English muffin
1 ½ tablespoons tahini
½ apple, sliced
1 teaspoon honey

1. Lightly toast bread or English muffin.
2. Spread tahini over bread. Top with apple slices.
3. Drizzle with honey. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information: (toast)

Calories: 278
Protein: 8 g
Fat: 13 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrates: 36 g
Fiber: 6 g
Sodium: 168 mg

Nutritional Information: (muffin)

Calories: 337
Protein: 10 g
Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrates: 50 g
Fiber: 9 g
Sodium: 269 mg

Low iodine adjustment: Use homemade bread and unsalted tahini.

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January 12, 2018 · 3:11 pm

Slow Cooker Overnight Oatmeal

How are your health resolutions going? Are you going strong or have you fallen off the bandwagon already? No shame either way. I’ve met some of my goals, slipped at others. Here’s the thing I think most people forget: it is a goal for ALL of 2018. So if it takes until December 31 to do it, that is 100% ok.

My #1 advice I can give you if things aren’t going so well is to TRY AGAIN! But before trying again, think about what went wrong. For me, I often make really good goals then don’t set myself up for success. For example, I wanted to eat more vegetables at lunch. But then didn’t buy anything. Oops! So now I bought a bunch of salad stuff that is really easy to throw together at lunch or into my smoothie at breakfast. Magic! I’m eating more vegetables.

Another tip to succeeding is to move decisions from a hard time to an easy time. For example, if you made a resolution to eat breakfast, help yourself out and make things ahead of time. Then, when it is morning and you are rushed and busy it is easy to eat rather than easy to skip it.

This overnight oatmeal is great for that. You mix it and put it in the slow cooker before you go to bed. Then you have warm, healthy breakfast waiting when you get up. This is great for families with a variety of schedules because everyone can just grab some when it is convenient. Just don’t forget to plug in the slow cooker like I did once. That leads to frowns in the morning.

Slow Cooker Overnight Oatmeal (Serves 4-6)

(Sorry no pic right now. Life happens a lot in the morning at my house.)

¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups skim milk
1 cup water

1. In a glass bowl, mix ingredients.
2. Place bowl inside slow cooker. Pour enough water around bowl up as high as the oatmeal mixture.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
4. Stir and serve.

Nutrient Analysis (amount per serving):

Calories: 198
Protein: 6 gm
Fat: 1 gm
Saturated Fat: less than 1 gm
Cholesterol: 3 mg
Carbohydrates: 43 gm
Fiber: 2 gm
Sodium: 60 mg

Recipe Notes: It does HAVE to be steel cut oats. I have used the Coach’s oats from Costco, which work well. You could mix everything straight in the slow cooker. However, it is likely to burn/stick to the sides and bottom and be somewhat difficult to clean. Putting it in the bowl keeps that mess from happening. Also, I think it is a gentler cook in the bowl. So I have cooked mine for longer than 8 hours and it is fine.

Variation: Peach Oatmeal

Add in 2 large peaches, sliced (about 2 cups) or 28-ounce can sliced peaches in juice, drained; 1 teaspoon ginger; 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg; and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Nutrient Analysis (amount per serving):

Calories: 222
Protein: 6 gm
Fat: 1 gm
Saturated Fat: less than 1 gm
Cholesterol: 3 mg
Carbohydrates: 48 gm
Fiber: 2 gm
Sodium: 60 mg

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September 12, 2017 · 2:12 pm

Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie

Who has eaten dessert for breakfast? Cake, cookies, pie? I certainly have. Apple crisp is my personal favorite, because it is the easiest to “justify” – it’s just fruit with “granola” on top, right. We’ve all been there (I think). It reminds me of this Bill Cosby skit about chocolate cake.

Well, this smoothie is as close to a healthy dessert as I’ve found for breakfast. It is my new go-to. With the end of summer heat sticking around, I find myself wanting something cold after my morning workouts. This is good for you and SUPER delicious. I really feel like I’m drinking a milkshake. Enjoy!

(Sorry for my continued lack of pictures. Life and my desire to eat seem to be getting the better of me lately.)

Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie (Serves 2)

3 pitted dates
1 cup skim milk
½ cup raspberries, chilled/frzoen
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 cup vanilla fat free greek yogurt
1 banana, sliced, chilled/frozen
1 cup ice (preferably crushed)

1. Place fruit in freezer for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Can use fresh raspberries that you chill/freeze or storebought frozen raspberries.

2. Soak dates in hot water (enough to cover the dates) for 5-10 minutes. Drain water.

3. Blend dates and milk until dates are broken up. Add in remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Nutritional Information (Amount per serving):

Calories: 312
Protein: 17 gm
Fat: 2 gm
Saturated Fat: 1 gm
Cholesterol: 6 mg
Carbohydrates: 67 gm
Fiber: 10 gm
Sodium: 90 mg

Recipe notes: I have had success making this without the soaked dates as well. I sub in a a teaspoon or two of honey for sweetener. That brings down the fiber quite a bit. Just for mornings when I forget to soak some dates.

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June 22, 2017 · 3:26 pm

Asparagus, Red Pepper, and Goat Cheese Frittata

Sorry I’ve been MIA for a couple months. I’ve had several projects taking up my time, including a nutrition project I’m hoping to share with you all very soon.

Whenever I think about frittatas, I picture Harrison Ford in the movie Morning Glory. If you haven’t seen it, he plays a crusty old man who drives a young TV producer crazy with several antics, including making a frittata.

Making this frittata shouldn’t drive you crazy. Frittata are actually quite easy. And it’s a one pan dinner. Cook up your veggies in a skillet, add you eggs, then slide that same skillet into the oven. So make sure your skillet is oven safe before you start, or you might be very sad. And as Harrison tells us in the movie, you can eat frittata warm or cold.

You can mix up any assortment of vegetables, meat, and/or cheeses. I liked these spring inspired flavors. Enjoy!

Asparagus, Red Pepper, and Goat Cheese Frittata (Serves 4-6)

Asparagus, Red Pepper, and Goat Cheese Frittata

1 bunch asparagus, chopped (12-16 oz)
¼ onion, chopped
2 roasted red peppers, chopped
2 ounces ham, diced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped spinach
6 eggs
2 tbsp skim milk
⅛ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1-2 oz goat cheese, crumbled

1. Coat a large oven safe skillet (cast iron works well here) with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Heat skillet over medium high heat. When hot, saute aspragus, onion and ham until vegetables begin to get tender (about 3-5 minutes). Add in garlic and spinach. Saute, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until spinach starts to wilt.

3. In a bowl, whisk together, eggs milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture into skillet with vegetable mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until edges of eggs begin to set.

4. Sprinkle goat chese over top of eggs. Put skillet in oven for 8-10 minutes, or until eggs are set. Let cool slightly before serving.

Nutritional Information (Amount per serving):

Calories: 186
Protein: 16 g
Fat: 11 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 289 mg
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 566 mg

Source: Adapted from The Kitchn

Recipe notes: The best part of frittata is you can throw in whatever you have on hand. This is a great way to use up any leftover meat, veggies, and cheese you may have floating around your fridge. And if they are leftovers, you won’t need to “cook” them, just reheat as you cook the eggs.

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