Nutrition – Start Your Day Out Right

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

What do you have for breakfast? We’ve all had those days where breakfast might be a cup of coffee and a bagel or donut. Many of us have grown up with the standard bowl of cereal & milk. Yet, this is not the way to eat healthy, to loose weight, or keep the weight off.

So, when you’re planning your breakfast menu, ask yourself, “Where’s the protein & healthy fats?”. The typical breakfast fare of cereal, fruit, toast, pastries, and juice – provide you with a large load of carbohydrates, often in the form of sugar. And the result of this is, you get a blast of morning energy (thanks to the carbohydrates / sugars), which spikes your insulin level. Your body processes this quickly, resulting in a quick energy drop and feeling of hunger – plus, if your body can’t burn this sugar quickly enough, it stores it as…fat.

Yet, by adding high-quality protein, such as the protein found in meat, eggs, and dairy – and combining it with a little healthy fat, helps slow the absorption of carbohydrates into your bloodstream. Now, you have a more energy, you avoid the “after breakfast sugar crash”, and you also get one other important benefit.

That’s right – FAT LOSS!!! By keeping you full longer, the protein / fat combination means your body has time to process your meal and burn it for immediate energy, rather than storing it. In a recent study, Louisiana State University found that those people that ate eggs for breakfast, ate 250 fewer calories during the day than if they had just had bagels for breakfast.

So, add that egg to your breakfast, a scoop of cottage cheese, or some Canadian Bacon. (Sausage has a bit too much saturated fat, so avoid it). Or, add a scoop of protein powder to your morning yogurt. Even try a can of tuna mixed with a little (low-fat) mayo & balsamic vinegar on some whole-grain toast! And, you can even add some protein to your pancakes! Try this recipe for Protein Pancakes – nice and fluffy!

Protein Pancakes
¾ cup Quaker Oatmeal or Spelt Flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
1 cup cottage cheese
2 eggs
½ stick butter, melted
½ cup milk
In a blender, mix the dry ingredients together, and run on High until not only well blended, but if using oatmeal, that the final mix has a dry, powder-like finish. In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs, cottage cheese, butter and milk together, and add the dry ingredients – blending until just mixed. Grease griddle with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Put a large scoop of batter on the griddle, and use the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly. When you see small bubbles form, in about 3-4 minutes, flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Makes about 12 4 inch pancakes

Nutritional Info (estimated)
Per Pancake: 97 Calories, 5g Protein, 8g Carbohydrates, (1g fiber, 2g sugar), 5g fat (3g saturated)