Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and supper like a pauper.
The old proverb still holds true. Breakfast presents the best opportunity to have whole grains, omega 3 fatty acids and vitamins.
Research shows that people are skipping breakfast less often but 80 percent of all breakfasts are made in five minutes or less.
The most common breakfast food is still ready-to-eat cereal, followed by toast, fruit and hot cereal. Young adults between the age of 18 and 24 skip breakfast twice as often as the average.
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Three of the four food groups should be eaten at breakfast. After a night of fasting, the body needs carbohydrates for energy.
Low blood sugar has been proven to shorten a person’s attention span and productivity. Protein at every meal keeps you satisfied longer, is vital for growth and is a significant source of energy.
Make a fruit smoothie or have a bowl of homemade granola for a quick wholesome breakfast. If you are not hungry, pack a simple breakfast to eat mid-morning.
Pan Roasted Grapefruit
- 1 grapefruit
- 2 tbsp. raw sugar 30 mL
- 2 tsp. finely chopped mint 10 mL
Cut the grapefruit in half and thoroughly loosen all sections with a knife. Dry the cut surface with a paper towel.
Put the sugar in a 10-inch (25 cm) heavy skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons (30 mL) water to the pan and swirl it into the sugar.
Continue swirling until the sugar melts and darkens slightly, approximately three minutes. Do not let it burn. Add the grapefruit halves, cut sides down and turn off the heat.
Move the grapefruit in the pan to coat the surface. Using tongs or two spoons, transfer to serving dishes, cut sides up.
Sprinkle with mint and serve immediately.
Upside Down Sour Cherry Muffins
They are also great with apples or peaches.
- 1/2 c. sugar 125 mL
- 1 tbsp. butter 15 mL
- 1/2 c. frozen sour 125 mL
- cherries, thawed and drained (reserve juice)
- 1/4 c. reserved sour cherry juice 60 mL
- 1 c. all purpose flour 250 mL
- 1 c. whole wheat flour 250 mL
- 1/4 c. brown sugar 60 mL
- 1 tbsp. baking powder 15 mL
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 2 mL
- 1/4 tsp. salt 1 mL
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted 125 mL
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 c. thick yogurt 175 mL
- 1 tsp. vanilla 5 mL
Heat oven to 375 F (190 C). Gen-erously grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a saute pan over medium-high heat, stir together 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar and two tablespoons (30 mL) water.
Cook until the sugar is carmelized and dark, then add butter and swirl to melt. Add cherry juice and sour cherries, heat to bubbling, then set aside to cool slightly.
To make the muffins, in a large bowl, whisk together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together until smooth. Distribute the batter on top of the cherry sauce.
Bake until the muffins are done and spring back when lightly touched, about 20 to 22 minutes.
Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for five minutes and then invert onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Shakshouka
This staple in African Mediterranean countries is served for breakfast but also for the evening meal. Although eggs dominate as the breakfast protein, this recipe also includes chickpeas, which are high in protein and dietary fibre.
- 1/4 c. olive oil 60 mL
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 jalapenos, seeded, finely chopped
- 1 can chickpeas, drained 445 mL
- 2 tsp. Hungarian sweet paprika 10 mL
- 1 tsp. ground cumin 5 mL
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, juice reserved 830 mL
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 c. coarsely crumbled feta or ricotta 250 mL
- 8 large eggs
- 1 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley 15 mL
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro 15 mL
Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapenos. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about eight minutes. Add chickpeas, paprika and cumin and cook for two minutes longer.
Crack eggs one at a time and place over sauce, spacing evenly apart. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, five to eight minutes.
Garnish with parsley and cilantro.
Homemade Granola
This is a quick nutritious breakfast that can be served with fruit and plain yogurt.
Assembling it on the baking sheet makes cleanup easier. Feel free to make substitutions such as coconut or canola oil for the butter or maple syrup for the honey.
Dried fruits can include apricots, apples, raisins, cranberries and coconut.
Add cocoa nibs or any other splurge to personalize your recipe.
- 1 1/4 c. walnuts, natural almonds or any nuts of your choice or any combination 310 mL
- 4 c. old-fashioned rolled oats 1 L
- 1/4 c. sesame seeds 60 mL
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter 125 mL
- 1/3 c. honey, at room temperature 75 mL
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 2 mL
- 1 tsp. vanilla 5 mL
- 1/4 tsp. fine salt 1 mL
- 1 1/4 c. chopped dried fruits or raisins in any combination 310 mL
Preheat the oven to 325 F (180 C).
Coarsely chop the nuts.
Place the oats, nuts, sesame seeds and salt in a mound on the baking sheet and stir to mix. Melt the butter and honey over medium low heat, then add vanilla and cinnamon and pour over the oats. Mix well with a rubber spatula or your hands and then spread out in an even layer. Pack down gently.
Bake for 30 minutes until the oats are lightly colored, stirring once halfway through. Let cool. The mixture will crisp as it cools.
Add the chopped dried fruits. Store in an airtight container for up to three weeks. It can also be frozen. Yields about seven cups.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and farmers’ market vendor at Swift Current, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. She writes a blog at allourfingersinthepie.blogspot.ca. Contact: team@producer.com.
