Clearly I’m on some kind of a breakfast kick lately. Which is odd because I’m really picky about breakfasts. For awhile, all I ate was porridge made from quinoa or millet or teff – all of which make a fantastic meal – but we need variety, right? Read on for one of my cereal picks and a chance to win your own box.
Heck yeah, free breakfast doesn’t have to mean doughnuts!
I often mention Uncle Sam’s cereal as one of the few brands of boxed cereal I ever buy. Have you tried it? I like it because whole wheat kernels are the first ingredient, followed by flaxseed, salt, barley malt, and a handful of B vitamins.
Weekends are getting interesting around here. We started with Newborn Essentials – a class to teach us how to swaddle and take rectal temperatures. Oy. Next up is Breastfeeding Basics. And Hypnobirthing. And Stroller School. I suppose it might be overkill, but it really does make me feel calmer to learn from an expert. Anyway, to keep the weekend fun and relish our quiet time while we have it, I whipped up some delicious and filling pancakes that are way, way better than anything out of a box.
The win for me? Whole grains and no added sugar! Otherwise, pancakes put me directly into a sugar coma and I’d be starving an hour later.
The win for my husband? They’re so good he doesn’t even bother adding maple syrup. I couldn’t believe it, but it happened. (This is a man who adds maple syrup to a glass of milk to drink with dinner. What the…?)
I will not eat blueberry pie for breakfast. I will not eat blueberry pie for breakfast.
See, this is what happens if I buy something like blueberry pie. It’s sitting there on the counter, calling my name at all sorts of inappropriate hours of the day! How rude.
Breakfast is probably the most problematic meal of the day for most of us. You’ve got nutrient-poor Dunkin Donuts egg white sandwiches. Or some kind of danish. A refined flour bagel. Maybe you’ve gone the “healthy” route and bought some cereal with claims of Omega-3′s and whatnot.
This summer I’m facilitating a wellness program at Equinox gym in downtown Boston. It’s remarkable how many people from so many walks of life have similar confusion about what to eat. Last week, there was a lot of talk about carbs. I realized, huh, it’s been awhile since I talked about this!
A quickie refresher:
A whole grain has 3 parts:
1. Bran (fiber, vitamins)
2. Germ (vitamins, antioxidants)
3. Endosperm (carbohydrates)
A refined grain is a whole grain that has been polished down to remove the bran and germ, leaving behind just the carbs. This, my friends, is one small step away from being sugar. And eating refined grains acts quite a big like sugar – they give you initial energy, you end up hungry soon after, and they can be quite addictive! Think white bread, bagels, white rice.
This isn’t the first time I’ve discussed having a recipe formula instead of an actual recipe. If you can take the backbone of a recipe and manipulate the ingredients you are going to have many, many more meals at your fingertips. Exciting stuff.
But, a warning: this is not Julia Child level cooking by any means. Nor should it be. This is “I’m tired just got home and want to watch Lost while paying bills online but need something good to eat” kind of food. Choosing good, real, simple food instead of the allure of chinese takeout or McD’s is a gigantic step towards feeling your best. Good, real food keeps your body clean and your mind happy. That’s right – good food is the answer for a clean body and happy mind, not expensive detox kits or prescriptions.
Alright kids, I’m blogging from Hawaii today. What can I say, I miss you guys!
It’s totally amazing here. It’s warm and breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful and quiet (we’re on the Big Island) and I love every second. Today I did yoga on the beach and we’re going to go snorkeling and to see the volcano and…
Moving on. We must! This isn’t a travel blog!
Traveling makes eating healthy harder, I think. Don’t you? When I’m confronted with restaurant menus meal after meal my stomach starts rebelling big time. So when I travel, I’m pretty hard core about finding food that’s going to make me feel good. Sometimes that means driving to a natural food store and stocking my room with fresh fruit, Ezekial cereal and Lara Bars or whatever I can find.
Sometimes, it means tapping into my inner menu when the waitress comes by.
Because I don’t want to eat another hamburger! And I can’t stand the thought of a Cobb Salad covered in cheese right now. A hummus plate sounds good but those white flour pitas won’t do me any favors.
It’s a blessing to be reminded of why I choose to eat the way I do. One day of white bread and meat at every meal is a big reminder that my body (though perhaps not yours) does better with fewer animal products and more whole grains and leafy greens.
So it’s lunch. I look at the menu and put it down. Look again, put it down. Finally I ask the server for some hummus…with brown rice and steamed broccoli. Is that possible I ask? She seems relieved I didn’t ask for Kobe beef or truffle oil or something like that. Brown rice? Broccoli? Simple enough. Sure.
Ahhhh. I feel better already. Real, simple, whole food. Now I can enjoy myself on vacation without painful stomachaches or low energy.
Do you know what foods make you feel your best? How do you handle traveling and eating out?
On this vacation I’ve also enjoyed shrimp tempura, king crab legs and plenty of dessert. So I’m no purist. Just gotta get back to basics every 2 or 3 meals to keep myself functioning properly.
Aloha!
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It was a pretty major moment in my life when I realized that a quick breakfast doesn’t have to come out of a box. Or from Dunkin Donuts.
For years I had coffee with a bagel and cream cheese in the mornings. You know what I was feeding myself? Empty calories, a blood sugar spike, increased mucus production, and a hard punch to my adrenal glands. Sometimes I ate a bowl of cold cereal, but even the healthy ones are often loaded with sugar. Seriously. Check out those ingredient labels.
Yikes. No wonder I felt crappy.
But no worries! I have a suggestion for a hot, healthy breakfast you can make in just 3 or 4 minutes in the morning. It all starts with a big pot of pre-cooked quinoa, or oats, or brown rice, or wheat berries, or millet, or… you get the idea. Some kind of whole grain.
When cooking whole grains, it’s a good idea to soak them overnight in water and a splash of lemon juice or vinegar. This deactivates nutrient blockers and make the grain easier to digest. (You don’t have to do this step, whole grains are always better for you than Cap’n Crunch!)
In the case of quinoa, no need to soak. Just rinse those suckers off and you’re good to go. That’s what I did this week. On Sunday I made dinner and simultaneously cooked up a few cups of quinoa. We ate dinner and the quinoa went in the fridge.
In the video above, I show you how I make an awesome breakfast out of that leftover quinoa! See? Now I’m feeding myself fiber, vitamins, nutrients and protein (quinoa is high in protein) without any garbage or empty calories.
This is good, whole, real food. Try it! You will feel better. And if you really love cold cereal, find one without sugar and try making banana milk.
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Let me introduce you to my little friend, millet. Millet is a whole grain – and one whole helluva grain if you ask me. He’s (She’s?) been around since prehistoric times and is mentioned in the Bible. As with all whole grains, millet is a super source of fiber. It’s also a good source of magnesium and phosphorus.
But who cares about that – how does it taste??
On it’s own, it’s not great. I’m honest! I mean, it’s fine. Nothing to write home about. Like plain rice. You gotta doctor it up! You gotta turn it into something amazing!
Millet is different than its whole grain cousins – it’s super fluffy. That makes it wonderful as a morning porridge or a creamy mash. And, because it sticks together when it cools, millet is great for making patties or crusts, as seen here.
So have you tried mashing your millet? I’m not a huge fan of substitutes at the holiday table, but if you are thinking of skipping the mashed potatoes this is surprisingly delicious stand-in.
Creamy Tahini Millet Mash Adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
1 cup millet
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
3 cups water
1/4 cup tahini
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
S+P, generously to taste
Optional: Soaking grains is always a good idea. The night before, soak millet in water and a splash of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice. This will begin to break down the grains and aid digestion. When cooked, they’ll be fluffier and lighter. You’ll also deactivate phytic acid, which blocks nutrient absorbtion. Drain and rinse before using.
1. In a large pot, combine millet, water and cauliflower with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer until the water is absorbed, stirring intermittently.
2. When the water is absorbed, turn off heat. With an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender, carefully puree.
3. Mix in tahini, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
I found this recipe to be extremely easy and versatile. It works as a side dish, a base for veggies to sit on, or as shown above, stuffing for a squash! Go ahead and double the recipe – leftovers were even great reheated for breakfast porridge.
Corn has a bad reputation lately. Go ahead, say it with me:
High Fructose Corn Syrup. Corn subsidizes. Corn fed cattle. King Corn.
It’s a darn shame because corn played a happy role in my childhood summers. And you know what else? Corn is a whole grain! Yes sir.
Can we agree that corn syrup/corn-derivates and corn fed to cattle may be questionable…but corn, plain ol’ non-GMO corn is pretty darn good?
There’s even nutritional info to back that up. For instance, corn is good source of thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese, according to Whfoods.com.
So when you’re looking for a snack, look no further then everyone’s favorite kernel. Popcorn is cheap, easy to make at home, and a blank canvas for an infinite number of seasonings.
Remember, I’m not talking about microwave popcorn here. I’m talking about popcorn kernels, preferably organic so you know you aren’t eating a genetically modified snack. I buy mine in the bulk section at Whole Foods or the local co-op. You can make 3 or 4 big bags of popped popcorn for, oh, $1.50.
Having grown up in the era of JiffyPop and Orville Redenbacher, I was surprised to learn that all you need in a pan and a bit of oil to make popcorn on the stovetop. Seriously, was I the last person in America to know this? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?
It’s easy. Put a tablespoon or so of oil in a pan with 1 kernel, over medium-high heat and cover. Wait until it pops. Add more kernels just to cover the bottom of the pan in one layer. Wait. They’ll start popping…
Don’t take off the lid because they’ll pop up and out of the pan. Also, because it’s the steam that makes ‘em pop! When the popping sound slows considerably, turn off heat and let sit for about 30 seconds as the last kernels explode happily into your new favorite snack.
Now comes the fun part. Seasoning! I’m deliberately vague with amounts here because it’s so totally up to you how you want your popcorn to taste. There’s no wrong way to do it, except to add too much liquid. Add slowly, mix thoroughly, be creative and taste often to adjust.
The classic
Melt some (organic) butter. Dribble slowly over popcorn while mixing continuously in a large bowl. Add salt.
The dieter
Forgo the butter, just add salt and your favorite spices like coriander or garam masala. Then realize you’re going to kick yourself for not adding butter so add a little bit. It’s good for you.
The adventurous (shown above, left)
Melt some butter. Juice and zest a lime. Combine and slowly mix into popcorn. Add salt and cayenne pepper, mix until well distributed. I don’t mind eating like this, but you could also spread the popcorn out on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F for about 5 minutes, until dry.
The chocolate lover (shown above, right)
Same as above, except use coconut oil instead of butter, cocoa powder, pure maple syrup, toasted shredded coconut and salt. Holy heavenly whole grain snack!
This weekend I held a workshop called The Yoga of Food. We were discussing the energy of certain foods and a woman in the group asked about healthy alternatives to eating her favorite comfort food: pasta.
Well, we all love pasta, don’t we? I grew up eating a lot of it in my Italian home. But one of the blessings of my journey to good health was learning how to cook different styles of food. Today I’d like to share with you one of the most comforting dishes I’ve ever made – and possibly one of the healthiest. Chock full of vitamins, protein and fiber, this colorful meal is perfect on a chilly winter day.
As you might recall, I first had this dish at Candle Cafe in NYC. My friend Laura went home and reconstructed the recipe, to which I added my own personal touches. Oh, and did I mention, it’s vegan? Sure is. It’s also incredibly cheap to make – I’m guessing about $7 for the whole thing.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!
Southern Style Millet Bake
Serves 6. You’ll need a baking dish or casserole dish and a food processor (or a very willing, strong arm and a masher).
For the crust:
2 1/2 cups millet (optional: soak overnight with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar)
5 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Bring water to a boil. Add millet and cook for about 15 minutes, until water is absorbed. Stir salt and pepper. Keep stirring the millet somewhat vigorously for at a few minutes. This works the starch out and makes it sticky. Now spoon the millet into the baking dish and smooth it out to create the bottom layer.
For the beans:
4 cups cooked black beans (you can use canned if you want)
4 small cloves of garlic
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Spoon on top of the millet and smooth into second layer.
For the sweet potatoes:
4 sweet potatoes
3/4 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. salt
Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Steam until fork tender. Combine everything in food processor and blend until smooth. Spoon over black beans and smooth into top layer.
Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. While it cooks, chiffonade and saute collard greens in a bit of olive oil. Serve sliced and carefully transferred millet bake to a bed of collards and serve. Mmmmmm.
What’s your favorite healthy comfort food for this time of year?
I help busy people find balance in their over-worked, over-stressed lives. Trust me, it's not an all-or-nothing situation! A few shifts in diet and lifestyle can rock your world like they did mine. (And if you're a health coach, I can help you do the same for your own clients.) Read on
