Morning people swear by it. Dawn delivers enlivening energy, and great satisfaction abounds when we use that energy to accomplish everything from jogging around the lake to doing all the laundry.
Why then, is our culture so steeped in first-thing-in-the-morning foods that not only slow us down, but also weigh us down and set us up to have sugar cravings and mood swings for the rest of the day?
Take, for example, cold cereal and milk with banana and dried blueberries. Sure these components of a traditional breakfast can come from wholesome, organic sources. But the meal is also relatively high in simple carbohydrates, so unless we are hiking Mount Washington that day, we are delivering way too much fuel to our cells.
When we deliver more fuel to our cells than they need, it’s a little like pumping gas into a gas tank that’s already full. Our body has to figure out what to do with all that excess fuel, and the answer is to store it as fat. So, even though the cereal with fruit is technically a low-fat meal, it may lead to increased fat pounds on our body.
Also, the spike in blood sugar that usually occurs when we consume a significant amount of simple carbohydrate inevitably leads to a subsequent plummet in blood sugar. When our blood sugar is low, we feel lethargic and crave food that will get it back up quickly, usually reaching for foods containing sugar and/or white flour to get the job done. This, of course, leads to another blood sugar spike, fat storage, blood sugar plummet, craving…and the vicious “cookie cycle” continues.
Now don’t get me wrong; whole grain cereal with banana and dried fruit is a massive improvement over a cheese omelet or bagel with cream cheese, especially because the former isloaded with disease-preventing fiber and antioxidants. But you can get fiber and antioxidants without excessive simple carbs – and without the disease-promoting saturated fat and cholesterol found in animal-based foods. It’s all about starting the day with complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and legumes for a long, slow release of fuel to our cells.
If you’re ready to take morning nourishment to the next level, here are ways to start the day with satisfying fullness without heaviness, while preventing the blood sugar blues and enjoying fabulous flavor to make you crave nothing but more of your newfound energy.
Breakfast Burrito
4 servings
4 (6-inch) whole grain soft flour tortillas
1 can (15-ounces) vegetarian refried beans
2 cups bite-sized sautéed vegetables (e.g. zucchini, mushroom, onion, spinach)
1/4 cup salsa
Arrange the tortillas on a flat surface. Evenly distribute the refried beans in the middle of each tortilla and shape into oval mounds, leaving at least 2 inches from the edge of the wrap. Evenly distribute the sautéed vegetables, salsa and optional ingredients over the beans. Fold the short ends over the filling, and roll the burritos until closed. Tightly wrap each burrito in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving. Serve cold or heated.
Breakfast Salad
1 serving
1 1/2 cups raw greens
1/3 cup finely chopped raw cauliflower and/or chopped raw cabbage
1/3 cup chopped other vegetables
1/3 cup rinsed, drained beans
2 tablespoons dressing of choice (see below)
Optional ingredients: 1 sheet toasted nori, crumbled, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes,
1 tablespoon flaxmeal
Place everything in a bowl and toss well.
Note: Recommended dressings are free of dairy, corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners. Examples include vinaigrettes and sesame goddess.
Green Smoothie
3 servings
3 ½ cups water
3 cups raw greens
1 apple, unpeeled, cored
1 cup other fresh or frozen fruit
Optional ingredients: 1-inch chunk of lemon (including the skin), ½-inch chunk of peeled ginger
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Drink all three glasses in the morning, or refrigerate leftovers in a tightly sealed jar to finish in the mid-afternoon.
Nutritional Yeast What?
You are missing out on some seriously fabulous flavor if you’ve yet to try nutritional yeast flakes or toasted nori, two ingredients mentioned in the breakfast salad.
Sold in bulk bins at natural food stores, nutritional yeast flakes are loaded with B vitamins and impart a cheesy flavor. Once you sprinkle them on salad, pasta dishes, cooked veggies or chili, you’ll be hooked on the deliciousness. Store nutritional yeast flakes in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid in the cupboard.
Nori sheets are best known for their sushi-wrapping quality but they also add excellent flavor and anti-oxidants to soups, stews, pasta dishes and salads. Just crumble up a sheet of nori over your meal and enjoy. Nori is sold in the sea vegetable section in natural food stores and in the Asian section of well-stocked grocery stores.
It’s all about starting the day with complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and legumes for a long, slow release of fuel to our cells.