Breakfast Ideas - simple foods - natural lifestyle

Psalm 90:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

These breakfast ideas come from either South Beach Diet or Six Week Body Make Over. I personally don't think that we have to follow a strict plan as long as we eat healthy, watch the calories and exercise. I have heard that to stimulate a sluggish metabolism, you must eat breakfast.

South Beach suggestions:
Option 1) - 6 oz. vegetable juice cocktail (buy the low sodium for extra advantage), Ham and Cheese Omelet with chives*, Coffee or tea with 1% or fat-free milk and sugar substitute**.

Option 2) - 6 oz. vegetable juice cocktail, Vegetable Quiche Cups (recipe following), Coffee or tea

Option 3) - 6 oz. vegetable juice cocktail, 2 eggs scrambled with chopped onion and roasted red peppers (from a jar), turkey bacon, coffee or tea

Option 4) - 6 oz. vegetable juice cocktail, Asparagus and onion omelet (cook asparagus and onion in olive oil before filling), coffee or tea.

Option 5) - 6 oz. vegetable juice cocktail, Portobello breakfast stack (top a portobello mushroom with a slice of tomato and broil 3 minutes; top mushroom with scrambled eggs and chopped chives), coffee or tea

Option 6) - 6 oz. vegetable juice cocktail, Chunky Vegetable Hash (recipe below), 2 scrambled eggs, coffee or tea
If you are preparing this for one, it really can be used two days in a row.

Option 7) - Wake Up Energy Shake (blend 1/2 cup low-fat, low sugar artificially sweetened vanilla soymilk, 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt, 3 ounces firm silken tofu, and 1/4 cup dry-roasted almonds until frothy), coffee or tea

Option 8) - Morning Mocha Smoothie - (blend 1/2 cup fat-free milk, 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, instant coffee powder to taste, 2 tablespoons sugar free chocolate syrup and 6 ice cubes until frothy), coffee or tea

BELOW ARE FROM SIX WEEK MAKEOVER -

Option 9) - 1/2 cup Oatmeal, 6 slivered almonds, 2 tablespoons raisins, 1% milk, coffee or tea

Option 10) - 1 sunny side up egg (use olive oil cooking spray), 1 slice light whole wheat bread (ever check out all the chemicals that they put in bread, even the ones that seem so healthy? I have a great, EASY recipe for bread for the bread machine I'll post in a later post), 1 tsp. butter, 1% milk, 1 small orange

Option 11) - Puffed Rice Cereal 1.1/2 cups, 1% milk, 2 Tablespoons raisins, 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp. sunflower seeds***

Option 12) - 1/2 cup oatmeal (add cinnamon, tastes great), 3 scrambled egg whites.


VEGETABLE QUICHE CUPS - I'm not sure how I feel about this recipe. I like that you can make it and freeze it but I made it with the egg substitute that it calls for and I did not like the taste so if your going to make it, figure out a way to substitute real eggs for the amount of egg substitute if you agree with me.
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach (I use fresh, just microwave or steam it first)
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar or Jack cheese
3/4 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup diced green pepper (you could use another color pepper I'm sure)
1/4 cup finely diced onion
3 drops hot pepper sauce (optional)
Heat over to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray (I always use olive oil including in the spray version unless I absolutely have to use another type). Cook spinach and drain/squeeze out excess liquid. In large bowl combine spinach, cheese, egg substitute, bell pepper, onion and pepper sauce. Mix well. Divide evenly in muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Freeze extra.

CHUNKY VEGETABLE HASH -
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion chopped
Pinch dried thyme
Pinch paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 small red bell pepper, diced
4 large button mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 small zucchini, diced
1 small garlic clove, minced
In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, thyme, and paprika, reduce heat to medium-low and cook stirring occasionally, 7 minutes or until onion is softened. Stir in salt, bell pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat and serve hash by itself or with a poached or scrambled egg.

* Chives/Herbs - GROWN YOUR OWN! I'm going to post later how I have been very successful in having fresh herbs on hand.
**Sugar Substitute - Don't use artificial sweeteners if you can avoid them. That is for another post though. I don't really have a problem with this because I do not drink soda's and never diet sodas and I drink my coffee and tea unsweetened. I use honey in the bread I make. But my husband drinks his coffee sweetened and he uses Stevia. Stevia is a plant and you can buy the powdered version in packets at health food stores - Wal Mart sells it on the bottom shelf in the vitamin section, at least that is where it is here in Gulf Breeze. I have no idea about all the variations in packaging and what one company might add to it that another does not but to be on the safe side, I usually by it at Everman's, our local health food store.
***Buy raw sunflower seeds. Our health food store sells in bulk. I use the larger size Mason jars to store items like this so I can see them and remember I have them!