FOODS LIST: Breakfast

It's Thursday and my blogging has been a work in progress. Thank goodness I'm figuring out how to design the page. I'm certainly not a computer genius so I'm very  grateful for youtube. Stay with me ladies,  I'm working on some good stuff.

I want to dig a little more into WHAT foods to eat. I know many of you have asked for specific lists, menus, recipes, etc., So we will begin with the Food List: Breakfast~eat within and hour of waking.

Breakfast~The most important meal of the day. If you don't start off with a well rounded breakfast, then you are setting yourself up on the wrong foot for the rest of the day. There are so many choices for breakfast that take only minutes to prepare:

EGGS~Scrambled, healthy "fried:, boiled, poached (they taste different when prepared differently so you don't feel like you are eating the same thing over and over. I keep 2x 18 count cartons on hand at ALL times.  I only use 1 whole egg and use 4-5 whites which is very filling and high in protein.

WRAPS: Whole grain wraps, tortillas are ideal. Ezekiel makes wraps. Rudi's Organic Spelt wraps are my personal favorite and can be eaten for any meal. The mexican style tortillas are not what you are looking for. They've been overly processed.

BREAD: Ezekiel is best as it is a sprouted grain , won't spike your blood sugar, and has a reasonable amount of calories in there. There are some other brands out there so look around and read your labels.  Never any breads that have "enriched, bleached" on the ingredients label. It's trickery. Whole wheat is ok but whole grain or sprouted grain is BEST.  Look at the calorie count. Usually, what's on the label is for 1 slice of bread...:-)

OATS: Steel cut oats are the best. Don't be intimidated by the cooking time. Here's a little secret: Boil for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and cover w/ a lid. They'll be ready in 10.  If you get regular oats, make sure they aren't the "quick" cook.  You can always microwave to cut down on time.

WHEY: Mix into your oatmeal to make sure you get your protein. Always, always, have a carb AND protein. You need the carb to effectively deliver the protein to the muscles and it will keep you full longer. Make a smoothie~if you are having a smoothie as a meal~put your cooked oatmeal in there to "fill you up"

GREENS: Who says you can't have your veggies for breakfast? I eat them daily with my eggs. Spinach, kale & broccoli are my go to fillers for my breakfast. As Dr. Seuss says, I do like Green Eggs, I do like them, Sam I am!!

FRUIT: While we are trying to be mindful of our sugar content, Fruit is great for you and should be consumed during your early meals. I try not to have fruit the last few meals of the day because sugar is sugar, but we must have our fruit ladies~be creative and try fruits you haven't ever had. Eat seasonal. It's gets us out of our boxes and we actually discover many things we wouldn't have known before.

CEREAL: This is a tough one as most are sugary deserts. Ezekiel, Cascadia Farms, or Kashi would be the only ones I recommend. Be aware of the sugar content. If it has "berries,vanilla flavor, etc" is loaded with sugar. Get the plain ones and add your own berries.

PANCAKES/FRENCH TOAST:  Yep, we can have these yummy foods. Make your own though. I have some wonderful recipes I'll be sharing. The pancakes can be made in batches and frozen, topped with almond butter & berries, and are absolutely delish. The possibilities are endless. Add protein powder during the mixing and poof~everything you need is in there!! French toast with Ezekiel bread is fantastic especially when made with almond or coconut milk.

MILK: Fat Free dairy is ok. Unsweetened almond, Rice, Hemp, Soy, &  Coconut milks are fine. No sweetened versions~they are loaded with sugar.

COFFEE: I don't add creamers b/c of the calorie content. I do not drink my calories. It's a huge no~no. Add Stevia and learn to like it black. It's the best way once you get used to it. I'm fortunate to shop and Whole Foods where the flavored coffee is plentiful so that's where I get my flavor from.

WATER: Down as much as possible first thing. Remember ~2-3 liters a day is a lot so drink up first thing to get started!

Creativity is KEY here folks. I personally, enjoy eggs daily but not everyone loves them as much as I do. I'm always coming up with new ideas to try. . Try new things~I eat things now that I never thought I would even taste.

I will be posting specific recipes along with pics under the Breakfast tabs so stay tuned! Next will be lunch ideas! Have a great day and stay on track!

Food for thought:
Once you know what to eat then you can come up with your own crazy concoctions. Maybe the whole wheat bagel thins, toasted, with a teaspoon of almond butter, cottage or ricotta cheese, berries, and a drizzle of honey. How does that sound