Breakfast

I have a confession to make…

I love cookies. I have a soft spot for cookies!

I truly love a good hard cookie with a solid crunch! Secretly I would like to love to eat cookies for breakfast! I do not eat cookies all of the time. They are not calorie free! I choose very deliberately the time to indulge. I plan for it and I factor it in. This is important to me as I “cheat” with intention and it’s enjoyable.

The other day I was speaking to a friend and he sounded rather grumpy. I asked him what was wrong and he said he was starving for lunch (on my watch it was rather early for lunch), and so I asked him what he had for breakfast. He said he had a chocolate chip cookie. So, that was the reason for his grumpy mood. He hadn’t started his day off on the right track- he hadn’t eaten a proper breakfast. The cookie for breakfast wasn’t breakfast at all.

Striving to save calories, I notice that many people will tend to skip breakfast. Studies have shown that eating a real breakfast can decrease hunger and cravings, improve cognition and reduce your risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome.

After all, eating breakfast is more than just “breaking” your overnight “fast.” It also sets the tone for a day of making wise, healthy food choices. Not eating a morning meal means you actually eat more throughout the day. And one study among healthy, lean women found that skipping breakfast can impair insulin sensitivity and lead to weight gain. It turns out that while the type of calories you eat determines losing weight and maintaining weight loss, so does the time of day that you eat.

Bottom line: Breakfast is that important. So eat breakfast, but do it correctly. Bypass the cereal aisle and all the manufactured concoctions that carry a healthy halo, trying to pass off as a smart breakfast. Instead, pack in protein-rich foods like eggs, nut butters, a protein shake, or whole grains with nuts. They’ll steady your blood sugar and reduce metabolic fluctuations later in the day. Moreover, breakfasts rich in protein can make you feel more full and even reduce snacking later on in the day. A protein-rich breakfast can help reduce your hunger hormone ghrelin and increase cholecystokinin (CCK), which signals our brain to stop eating.

Ok, I know we are all busy in the morning, with the countless duties that confront us and many people struggle to have time for breakfast. I have to say that you can make a healthy omelet with plenty of colorful vegetables in just minutes. Or a bowl of oatmeal with berries takes minutes. You can even make a protein rich “breakfast cookie” (but that takes planning ahead to make a batch).

But if eggs or oatmeal all seem too much, or you’re simply not that hungry in the morning, try a breakfast smoothie instead. You can even pre-prep it the night before to save time.

I have included a great smoothie recipe that provides protein, healthy fats, antioxidants and major flavor in less time than it takes to order a designer coffee. And it’s a pretty delicious way to start your day, too. I have even included a breakfast cookie that I am sure you will enjoy and won’t leave you hungry.

Just a disclaimer- neither recipe is low calorie. But, it’s far better than skipping breakfast. Want more ideas to start your day? Contact me at Rachel@livehealthynyc.com

Peanut butter banana smoothie:

2 tbsp-creamy peanut butter

1 banana-frozen
1 tbsp-honey
1 cup- 1% milk or soy or almond or coconut milk ( more or less for thickness)
1 cup-vanilla lowfat yogurt

Blend and enjoy!

Banana-Oatmeal Protein Cookies:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup white chocolate whey protein*
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup coconut oil
2 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas (4-6 bananas, depending on size)
1/4 cup molasses
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups almond slices
1 cup miniature chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together the first group of ingredients (everything from the all-purpose flour to the ginger) and incorporate with a fork to make sure you’ve gotten out any lumps. Add the second group of ingredients (coconut oil through vanilla extract) and beat with a hand mixer until blended. At this point you’ll want to set the mixer aside and fold in the final ingredients by hand with a wooden spoon or similar implement—this will minimize breakage—to finish the batter.

Scoop by quarter-cupfuls onto your baking sheets, doing your best to keep the dough in mounds (it will spread out while baking). Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cookies are done when the edges start to brown. Cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to cooling racks. This recipe yields 24 giant cookies.