I’m a firm believer in the benefits of breakfast, but not just any breakfast. I advocate and eat what my friend Heather Crimson, also a blogger, calls, "a good strong breakfast." This is a substantial meals comprised of a complete protein, a generous serving of fresh vegetables and fruit, and some friendly fat. It beaks my overnight fast of 12 or more hours, fuels my morning activities, keeps hunger at bay for four to five hours, and provides 3 to 5 USDA servings of produce. All that and it tastes great!
My typical breakfast
It usually consists of eggs, leftover fish, poultry, or meat, or a combination of the two, with cooked leafy green vegetables, a starchy or dense vegetable or whole grain, a fresh raw or cooked fruit, and 1 or 2 condiments.
Recently I’ve been making gluten-free breakfast roll ups
I start with a brown rice tortilla. You can buy these at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods Markets. I steam it to warm it and make it more pliable (see the previous posts for how-to's), then I add the following
1) a thin spread of Grapeseed Vegenaise: This is best tasting commercial mayo I have found (it contains trace amounts of soy protein, but not enough to add even 1 gram of soy protein to a serving; it contains higher quality oil than other brands I’ve tried)
2) a thin spread of prepared mustard: I usually use True Natural Taste Creamy White, Honey Mustard, or Jalapeno flavor (this brand contains simple and pure ingredients, it’s gluten free, and packaged in a glass bottle)
3) 2 to 3 soft boiled, poached, or scrambled omega-3 eggs or 2 eggs + 1/4 cup liquid egg whites:
If I scramble the eggs I add herbs or spices to flavor them and add antioxidants
4) 1 heaping cup of cooked leafy greens: kale, collards, mustard or turnip greens, Brussels sprouts, or bok choy, usually cooked with onions and herbs, or blanched broccoli or broccoli and cauliflower
Sometimes I add the greens to the tortilla wrap with the eggs, which makes for a very fat wrap. Sometimes I serve the greens on the side. I find the brown rice tortillas thinner and harder to pick up and eat with my hands when they’re stuffed with a lot of filling and I like to eat a bite of the cooked greens with the egg and tortilla mixture, so I eat this with a knife and fork. If you make a smaller burrito wrap to envelop the filling you can pick it up and eat it with your hands. I’ll show you how to do that in a future post.
About those greens
Vegetables for breakfast might sound strange if you're not used to eating them, but I guarantee that you can get used to it and even enjoy eating them first thing in the morning. It’s great way to get more green foods into your diet and get a jump on
meeting your daily vegetable requirements. Many of my students have
started eating greens for breakfast and within a couple of weeks they
often tell me they crave greens and enjoy them more than ever before.
You’ve probably eating vegetables for breakfast in a quiche, vegetable omelet, or frittata. Dark leafy greens are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants found in primitive diets but lacking in most modern diets. They add a refreshing taste, texture, and color to meals. Eating greens for breakfast is habit work cultivating. I’ve been doing it for at least 20 years. It would feel odd to me not to eat them.
5) I serve fresh fruit on the side: a sliced fresh fruit, a cup of berries or cubed melon, or sometimes a poached or baked fruit, served solo or sprinkled with flaked, unsweetened coconut or chopped toasted nuts
SOURCE: Chef Rachel, The Healthy Cooking Coach © Copyright 2008
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