I know — we’re all busy in the morning! For most people, full breakfasts of omlettes, whole-grain pancakes, etc. are for days off or leisurely weekends. But that doesn’t mean you need to skip THE most important meal of the day. If you don’t have a well-balanced meal in the morning, you’re setting yourself up for sluggish metabolism, sugar imbalances, and cravings that will make it impossible for you to stick to your eating plan.

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This moist, delicious, and easy to prepare bread, which can be transformed into a healthy cake with the addition of some naturally-sweetened cream cheese frosting, is wheat and sugar-free and can be made dairy-free with the use of an alternative milk (nut, seed, or soy)

Ingredients:

1 & 1/3 cup almond flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 cup honey

1 jumbo egg

1 Tablespoon milk of your choice

1 banana (not too ripe)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

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In my experience, adding whole grains to a diet, particularly when they are replacing any kind of refined version, can have a significantly positive effect on energy, mood, and one’s ability to maintain a healthy weight. For busy cooks, grains lend themselves well to cooking in batches and providing multiple meals with less effort. Furthermore, they are a great bargain relative to their nutritional value, especially if you purchase them in bulk.

The basic steps to preparing grains are:

1) measure and check for unwanted material and rinse in cold water using a fine mesh strainer

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If the idea of a liquid cleanse or more extreme plan for detoxifying has you avoiding the whole idea, know that there are many ways to promote cleansing and give your body a rest from overindulging in foods that may be difficult to digest or contain toxins you don’t need. To whatever degree you focus on whole, natural, unprocessed foods, you are doing something good for yourself.

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This is an easy to prepare and really delicious plant-protein (tofu) and leafy greens (chard) dish. As the tofu is already baked  and usually seasoned (you can buy these packages in most health food stores) and the greens are raw, it’s a no-cook option for when you’re pressed for time or don’t want to heat up your kitchen (the walnuts can be toasted, but don’t need to be).

Ingredients:

Salad-

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This is a super easy way to satisfy a craving for sweet and cold without all the added sugar and fat of ice cream. All the ingredients can be kept on hand and ready to go anytime (so you don’t even need to run out for the fresh fruit, as you’re using frozen).  Any “creamy”  frozen fruit can be substituted for the banana (mango or peach would work well), and the cherries could be replaced with your favorite berry. If you use the highest quality, most natural maple syrup for your sorbet you’ll be assured the best taste and most nutrition (a good maple syrup is high in minerals). Regarding the frozen bananas, you can prepare these ahead and store them in your freezer (already peeled, in an airtight container).

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A simple method for getting a little “exotic” flavor that’s subtle enough to be enjoyed by even the more traditional eaters in your household

Ingredients:

1 cup dry roasted quinoa*
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
½ cup red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon of sesame oil
Pinch of salt

Instructions:

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1. Rinse quinoa in fine mesh strainer. Bring water & coconut milk to a boil. Add quinoa, garlic, salt & chili flakes.
2. Bring back to boil & reduce heat. Cook for 12-15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, stir in red pepper, sesame oil, and salt.

For the meat lovers in your life. A little proscuitto never hurt anyone (as my Italian grandmother used to say, emphasis on “little” is mine)

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 oz sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
3 dried Calmyrna figs, stems removed and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

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1. Rinse the quinoa under cold water in a fine strainer to remove any bitter residue. Combine the quinoa and water in a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil.

Here’s another twist on the classic winter-time breakfast. Finding multiple ways to eat oats that you enjoy will do good things for your heart, blood-sugar, and weight-management efforts.

Ingredients:

3 green tea bags
1 cup whole oats
1/8 tsp. sea salt (optional)
1 cup diced organic apples
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2 Tbs. finely chopped crystallized ginger
4 tsp. organic agave nectar

Instructions:

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1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in medium saucepan. Add tea bags, turn off heat, and let steep 4 minutes. Squeeze bags into water to get maximum antioxidant benefit, before discarding.

This is a very easy substitute for cooked oatmeal at breakfast. It is especially nice in the warmer weather when hot cereal may not be as appealing. Children may enjoy being involved in putting their own bowls together the night before and are more likely to be open to something new if they have participated and selected their own toppings. Of course if many people will be eating it, it may be more convenient to make one bigger batch and let everyone choose their own ingredients as they make their bowls in the morning. And if you don’t have all the ingredients on hand, don’t let that stop you — improvise and use what’s on hand.

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Ingredients:

4 cups cooked chickpeas/garbanzos (3 15-oz cans drained or 2 cups dried, to be soaked and cooked as instructed)
½ cup sesame tahini
2 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas, if using canned.
2. Combine chickpeas with remaining ingredients (except olive oil) in a food processor or blender container. Blend to a rough puree texture adding a little more water if necessary. The mixture should not be totally smooth.
3. Scrape the mixture into a bowl. Stir in the olive oil.

Ingredients:

2 cups white cannelini or great northern beans (1 cup dried or 2 15-ounce cans)
3 cups water
2 bay leaves (for cooking beans)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
½ head escarole, cleaned and chopped
½ cup water
½ cube vegetable bouillon or other vegetable seasoning (such as A. Vogel organic herb seasoning salt, used to taste)

Instruction:

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1. Prepare beans according to bean chart directions (using bay leaves and adding ½ teaspoon salt to beans at end of cooking and cook for additional 5 minutes) or drain canned beans.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups kale
2 cups water
1 15-ounce can or approximately 1 cup fresh cannelini beans
¾ cup chicken stock

Instructions:

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1. Wash kale and strip the leaves off the stalks. Discard stalks and roughly chop kale.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a 10-12 inch skillet that has a tight-fitting lid.
3. Add the kale and cook, covered, over high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Remove and drain, saving the cooking liquid to drink (for a really healthy, vitamin and mineral rich green cocktail known as “pot likker”).

I love to hear that people are thinking about whole grains and want to know how to use them. In my experience, adding these foods to a diet, particularly when they are replacing any kind of refined grain product, can have a significantly positive effect on energy, mood, and one’s ability to maintain a healthy weight. Grains also lend themselves well to cooking in batches and providing multiple meals. Furthermore, they are a great bargain relative to their nutritional value, especially if you purchase them in bulk.

 Read more... (Estimated reading time: 2:22 mins)

Soy is an inexpensive, high-quality, vitamin- and mineral-rich plant protein with lots of soluble fiber and plant-based omega-3 fatty acids. It is also the richest known dietary source of powerful health-promoting phyto-estrogens, which are natural plant protectants that can have a range of positive effects on the body.

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