Breakfast Ideas For Spring

It's Spring! :D
I know you all know that, but I just wanted to remind you guys to feast on colorful and fresh spring veggies and fruits, because why limit the splash of colors to your wardrobe when you can reap their benefits in your diet and moreover, yummy looking food! Now who doesn't like that!?! :D

So here's a breakfast and a smoothie idea fully adapted to your inner Spring-iness and apt for a lovely Spring morning.



I cannot stress enough on the importance of breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day because it provides the necessary jolt of energy to keep us from dozing in the morning and also gives us the energy necessary to sustain ourselves throughout the day and make the most of it. It also keeps us from being cranky, take it from me, a healthy breakfast does wonders to uplift your mood and keep it elevated through the day. yes, even on the dreaded Mondays.
Most of you can probably boast of eating a hearty breakfast in the morning, but are you eating the right kind of breakfast? If you're dealing with a hectic school/college/office schedule or you're in that stage of your life when your mom can no longer make you clean your breakfast plate off in the morning, then let me give you some simple pointers which really helped me get my blood sugar levels right with the suitable meal plans.

• Try to fix a time for your breakfast and just see to it that it doesn't edge towards being a brunch. The longer your stomach is empty, the brain would think you're in a starvation mode and it'll store up energy in fats (which BTW is the opposite of what you want)
• Have a meal 3 hours apart. It keeps you feeling full and results in less/no cravings (which have been regarded as meal ruiners since age immemorial). It doesn't have to be anything heavy, it could be a few chunks of fruit of your liking, half a granola bar, handful of trail mix and so on.
• Try not to snack on bagel with cream cheese and call it a complete breakfast. Also burger and fries DO NOT count as breakfast.
   
• There are these three simple words you need to remember while making breakfast:
  Protein - a protein element in the form of eggs(water poached or boiled), protein cereals with a sprinkling of flax seeds, greek yogurt etc.
  Sugar - Instead of piling up on the artificial sucrose products invest in fruits, the natural sugar in them helps to keep things sweet and way less harmful, it provides the kick of sweetness without bogging you down for the whole day. Also honey used in moderate quantity helps sweeten food without piling the guilt and weight.
  Dietary fibres - come in the form of steel cut oats and multigrain cereals, fibre rich fruits like apples, brown bread, multigrain bread etc. With options galore all you need to do is check the nutritional information when you buy your food.
• Also a good thumb rule is to check for ingredients on the back of packets and cartons which are known to your grandma, believe it or not they used to have more wholesome food than we do. try and keep away from processed food, which is easier said than done when you live in an era of processed food, so we'll try to keep its usage to a minimum. Yet again don't buy a product if you simply cannot utter the name of the listed ingredient, while it pays to have a chemistry graduate as your best friend but don't sweat it if you don't have one. Just make it a point to stay away from all the chemicals than you cannot pronounce in one go. 

 
Now enough with all the advice, let's get to a breakfast recipe. All you need is some patience and some last night prep.

Healthy Spring Breakfast Wrap

This recipe is taken from Omnivore’s Cookbook
http://omnivorescookbook.com/recipes/healthy-colorful-breakfast-wrap/

Preparation and Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 small tomatoes, diced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 8 boiled shrimps, peeled or one chicken breast grilled and cut into strips
• 1/4 lime wedge
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Slightly toast tortillas in a non-sticky skillet or oven, place each one on separate plate. Add mozzarella on each of tortilla.
2. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Heat olive oil in the same skillet, stir fry eggs, then divide the eggs and place on each tortilla, let the heat of egg melt the cheese. Then top with tomato, avocado and shrimp. Drizzle with lime juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
3. This also serves as a vegetarian wrap if you forego the meat and eggs and replace them with grilled eggplant.
   
   With a side of organic juice, you're good to go with this recipe!

  For those who have very little time in the morning, fret not, for a breakfast smoothie is your best friend!

Breakfast Smoothies

Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

• 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

• 1 banana, cut into thirds (chill in the fridge overnight)

• 1/2 cup fat-free milk

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a blender, combine oats, yogurt, banana, fat-free milk, honey, and cinnamon; puree until smooth. Serve immediately.

Spiced Apple and Oatmeal Smoothie 

  1/4 cup rolled oats
  1/4 cup water

  1/2 cup milk
  1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting
  Pinch of turmeric
  1 apple, cored and roughly chopped
  1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or honey
  A small squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  1 fresh date, pitted and chopped (optional)
  Ice cubes

Combine oats and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.
To a blender add milk, yogurt, cinnamon, turmeric, apple, vanilla, maple syrup, lemon juice, date (if using), ice cubes (the more you use the thicker it'll be) and cooked oats. Blend until smooth.
Pour into a glass. Finish with a light dusting of cinnamon on top

And what's even more fun is you can carry them around and sip on these smoothies anytime. But consumption within the hour makes sure you get the freshest serving.

Hope your tummy has a good morning!
Take care n keep smiling,
Tina :-)