Start with a plan... Breakfast Maker

Breakfast Maker

Morning times can be hectic.  Everyone is on a different schedule and we often fend for ourselves when it comes to eating breakfast.  I was feeling like something needed to be done to help increase the likelihood of everyone in our family eating a good breakfast each morning.

At first, I had visions of preparing a breakfast which we all sit down to eat at some point before heading off to work or school.  Not realistic. Instead, I developed the "Breakfast Maker".  (No, it is not a magic genie who instantly makes breakfast appear on the table each morning -  wishful thinking).  Rather, it is a tool we all can use to help us choose a healthy breakfast.

This is how the Breakfast Maker works.  Make your own breakfast by following these steps:
1. choose a protein source
2. add carbohydrate source(s)

3. choose a healthy fat source

Breakfast Maker

1. Begin with a protein source

• Beef/pork/chicken/fish (3oz=20 gm pro)
• Protein powder (1 scoop=18 gm pro)
• Cottage cheese (1/2 cup=16 gm pro)
• Greek yogurt (8 oz =11 gm pro)
• High protein cereal such as Kashi (1/5 c=10 gm pro)
• Cow's Milk (1 c=8 gm pro)
• Beans/legumes (1/2 c = 7 gm pro)
• Cheese (1 oz=7 gm pro)
• Eggs- hard boiled, scrambled, fried, poached, omelet, frittata (1 egg=6 gm pro)
• Nut butter (1 Tb = 3 gm pro)

 

  2.  Add carbohydrate source

• Fruit
• Grain (cold cereal, oatmeal, whole grain toast, tortilla, quinoa)
• Vegetable (celery, carrots, red bell pepper, sweet potato, etc)
• Milk or milk sub (almond, coconut, soy)
• Yogurt

3. Choose a healthy fat source

• Walnuts or almonds
• Hummus
• Olives
• Avocado
• Chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp
• Olive or coconut oil
• Fish oil supplement

The following are some examples of a healthy breakfast using the Breakfast Maker:

-  Scrambled eggs, whole grain toast, orange slices, fish oil supplement
-  Yogurt parfait (Greek yogurt, fresh/frozen fruit, flax seeds)
-  Cottage cheese with pear slices, almonds/walnuts
-  Tortilla with black beans (or leftover taco meat) & cheese, sliced avocado/guacamole or black olives
-  Smoothie:  David's favorite is 8 oz. milk, 1/2 frozen banana, 5 ice cubes, 1 scoop of chocolate flavored protein powder
-  Steel cut oats, frozen blueberries & strawberries, banana slices, walnuts, flax seeds (I make the steel cut oats in the rice cooker and store leftovers in frig)
-  Hard cooked egg, muffin, fresh fruit

Advertisers lead us to think that breakfast cereals are the only breakfast option.  It may be helpful to think outside of the (breakfast cereal) box.

The key ingredient in building a healthy breakfast is protein.  Protein plays a role in "time releasing" the carbohydrates we eat.  If you eat protein and carbs together, the protein dramatically slows the carbohydrate digestion.  The result? Greater satiety, improved energy levels, and a feeling of well-being.  Here's a good description of the physiology behind the complaint, "If I eat breakfast, I'm hungry all morning".  http://inthezonefitness.com/Bodyfat.htm   A mostly carb breakfast can have that effect. 

How much protein is necessary for breakfast?  Recommendations vary.  Research from a recent presentation I heard suggests that the optimal distribution of protein throughout the day for adults to prevent loss of muscle as we age is 30 gm at breakfast, 30 gm at lunch, and 30 gm at dinner.  This is in contrast to the typical Western diet of ~10 gm at breakfast, ~15 gm at lunch, and ~ 65 gm at dinner.  Because there is a ceiling of ~30 gm of usable protein at any one time, any amount beyond that does not help our body in building/repairing muscle as we age, exercise, or attempt to lose weight.

 "Advances in Successful Aging Strategies: Smart Nutrition, Effective Exercise"

Today I taped the "Breakfast Maker" to the cupboard to help steer each of us in making a healthy breakfast choice.  We'll see what tomorrow will bring.

 

 

One of my friends asked how I will use the vegetables in the photo on my previous post.  Great question!

Carrots, sweet potatoes, onion- in a stew

Sweet potatoes- sliced into rounds and roasted

Spinach & arugula - in salads

Cherry tomatoes- in salad, as garnish for various meals

Beets- roasted

Cucumber- sliced

Cauliflower- steamed, then topped with grated cheese

Kale- kale chips  (This is my third attempt at kale chips.  We're so-so on them.  Next time I will likely use the fresh kale in a salad.)

Parsnips, carrots, radishes - I tried a new recipe with roasted parsnips & carrots, a lemon/herb vinaigrette, and radish garnish, which isn't worth passing along.  Rather than mess with recipes with a million ingredients, I think I may transition to simply using flavored olive oils and vinegars for cooking veggies. 

Tonight I needed a quick meal, and to use up two chicken breasts.  I chose to stir fry an assortment of veggies (carrots, onions, radishes, celery), and garlic.  I didn't even follow a recipe (hooray!), and everyone really loved it!  Here is what I did:

1. Marinate cut-up chicken breasts in Soy Vay Island Teriyaki sauce for 30 minutes.

2. Stir-fry chicken in coconut oil; remove chicken from pan.
3. Stir-fry veggies.
4. Place chicken back in pan.
5. Serve over rice.

Begin with a plan: breakfast & lunch

A menu of breakfast options

I blinked, and here it is mid April already.  We enjoyed a spring break trip to visit Kristen at pilot training in Oklahoma, and grandparents in Arkansas.  We were blessed with being present with Granddad Connell before and as he passed.  The dear man lived to age 77 after having Type 1 diabetes since his early 20's, with little to no complications evident until the past year.  Rest in peace, sweet Granddad.

The passing of loved ones helps you gain perspective on what's important in life.   Lessons learned for me on our trip and the events of the past two weeks include:  have the courage to be vulnerable, for it transforms the way we live and love.  Laugh often, be present in the moment, and have the confidence to be wholly, completely myself. 

"While in Rome, do as the Romans do."  So while in Oklahoma, we ate some traditional southern fare including fried pickles and homemade biscuits & gravy.  I was pleasantly surprised with the most delicious homemade carrot cake ever, to celebrate my birthday.   What a gift it was to be with family and to forge new friendships.

Back home now, I stocked up on a colorful bounty of fruits & veggies. 

Wednesday night I attended the Camas & Washougal on a Diet community event.  We watched a segment from the HBO "The Weight of the Nation" documentary on childhood obesity.   My take-away message:  the most important determinant of a child's weight and health is the home environment.  Unfortunately, parents have a tough battle against the forces of advertising.  Dr. Kelly Brownell says, "Food marketing for children is powerful, pernicious, and predatory."  And, "We need to change what 'good' looks like".  The role that parents play in shopping, cooking, and eating is crucial in developing healthy habits among our children. 

That's a good segue into The Eating Well Project April topic: Begin with a plan: breakfast & lunch.  Let's just say that skipping breakfast simply cannot be an option.  Our metabolism is like a fire, and it must be stoked at the beginning of the day and throughout the day so we can keep our energy up.  Additionally, eating a good breakfast and lunch helps prevent becoming over-hungry which often triggers overeating later in the day.

Question for reflection - what qualifies as a "good" breakfast in my home?  Ideally, for me a good breakfast provides adequate protein for satiety until the next "stoking of the fire", along with carbohydrate and healthy fat from whole foods.  And it is consumed sitting at a table.

Since everyone in our home is on a different schedule in the morning, we all pretty much fend for ourselves when it comes to eating breakfast.  For the kids, precious morning time is often wasted trying to decide what to eat for breakfast. I recall David saying once that it would be easier to figure out what to eat if he had some ideas/options listed for him.

Here is my experiment for this week:  to develop a menu of options for quick, healthy, & tasty breakfasts.  I will share that plan next time, along with the results of using it.  My hope is that this experiment to put more intention into providing a healthy breakfast will make for more productive use of time in the morning, and reduce the occasions of eating a poor quality breakfast in a scramble, on the way out the door, or (worse case scenario) not at all.

 

A memory just popped into my head.  I recall as a child, my mom setting the breakfast table the night before.  Hmm, that gives me an idea.

 

Fruits & Veggies... Summing up F&V

Summing up F&V

At the outset of The Eating Well Project, I established "My Plan for the Year" - a curriculum of monthly topics to help us eat well.  As I introduce a topic each month, I want to make sure the new habits developed from the previous month keep their momentum. 

It is easy to slip back into old habits if one is not being mindful.  As a nutrition coach, I have my clients track the progress of any new behavior we are working on to improve nutrition/health.  Clearly, measuring one's progress helps yield results. The F&V tracker helped our family increase our intake simply because tracking puts it on the mental radar.

However, the F&V trackers are presently laying idle in a kitchen drawer. I am OK with that for now because using the tracker for a few weeks delivered results.  Specifically, I now buy a greater variety of veggies to pack in lunches.  Having more F&V available means we will likely eat more.  We more often reach first for fruit as a snack when hungry.  I make a weekly plan for serving a different vegetable each day.  Lastly, I experimented with different ways to prepare vegetables.

To catch any back-sliding that might subtly creep in, I will add a reminder on my calendar to use our F&V trackers once a week.  You get what you measure.

My biggest "ah-ha" from our F&V month is realizing how junk food is the equivalent of tossing a grenade onto a F&V effort.  It literally kills the appetite for F&V.   Not only does it fill the tummy, but researchers say it may affect our food preferences.  For us, a plate of celery did not hold a candle to a basket of Easter candy.  Note to self: make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Brief update on my mission last week to plan a different vegetable each night for dinner, and to learn a new preparation technique (glazing): 

What a difference it makes to have a plan for a nightly veggie!  The veggies were in the house, ready to prepare.  We were able to enjoy a different one each night instead of the ol' pull-the-cellophane-bag-of-spinach-out-of-the-frig-and-onto-the-serving-island and call it good.  I was relieved to have a plan B (canned green beans) on the day that beef/vegetable stew didn't make it into the croc pot for dinner that night.  My experiment with trying to make the Ramen Salad more healthy by not using the MSG-filled flavor packet flopped.  It just was not tasty.

The glazed beets were killer good!  Even the kids liked them (note: I omitted the chives and served the walnuts as a side option). Dinner was late because of interruptions while trying to get started on preparing the beets, but still worth it.  Peeling & slicing raw beets must be done with great caution (I cut my finger on the veggie peeler).  A must - wear dark clothes and an apron when working with beets.   Roasting beets is an alternative preparation method which is simple yet tasty. After baking the whole beets in foil, skins slip off the cooked beets.

The glazed carrots were fabulous!  With a touch of chopped fresh tarragon, I felt as though I were eating a gourmet meal.  The children, on the other hand, prefer no green flecks in their carrots.  Jennifer commented that the bunch of fresh tarragon smelled like Honey Bucket (i.e., porta potty), which did not help her acceptance of the carrots.  Next time I may leave out the tarragon (or whatever fresh herb I may try) from a portion of the carrots.

After visiting the specialty oil & vinegar store today (http://navidioils.com/), I am reminded of the myriad ways that I can begin to use various oils and vinegars for enhancing vegetables  -- in roasting, vinaigrettes, or as a finishing touch to drizzle over a vegetable dish.

Any attempt to increase fruit & vegetables might be best summed up as this:  plan, experiment, adjust, track, do our best, and remember the reason why we are even bothering to make the effort:  for health of mind & body.  Happy F&V eating!