Breakfast Brain Food

It’s that time of year again! School time! I hope that everyone’s year gets off to an exciting start. Being sure to take time to enjoy a nutritional breakfast is one of the ways that children and parents alike can keep that high level of enthusiasm throughout the school year or even just a regular work week.

When we don’t supply our brains with enough energy for the day we tend to become irritable, lethargic, and even develop headaches. The best solution to avoid these things is to make sure our body is taking in the calories and nutrients it needs to help us think clearly the whole day. The best place to start is with breakfast.

Breakfast literally means “to break the fast.” When we wake up in the morning it has been about eight hours or more since the last time we’ve eaten any food. A healthy breakfast can improve our attention and concentration on our morning tasks. Teachers often report that children who don’t eat breakfast become restless and inattentive by late morning. Breakfast is also important because it provides about ¼ our daily calories and nutrients. A nutritious breakfast is exactly what a growing child or teenager needs, without it they are unlikely to make up this nutritional loss through other meals/snacks during the day.

Now that we know the importance of breakfast, let’s consider what a healthy breakfast looks like. A healthy breakfast usually contains three components: whole grain, protein and fruit. Whole grains give you energy and fiber, protein helps keep you full and fruit gives you vitamins, antioxidants and more fiber. With this combination of food groups you are sure to stay satisfied and be energized. Here are some examples of nutritious breakfast ideas: a whole wheat muffin, peanut butter and mandarin oranges; or a banana apple muffin (recipe below courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife’s Dinner Tonight program); cheese and grapes.                                                                                                                                              

And finally, be sure that as the parent you set a good example for your children. Parents serve as role models for healthy eating behaviors to their children. It is vitally important to make breakfast a part of your family’s daily routine.

Banana Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour

1  teaspoon baking powder

½  teaspoon baking soda

¼  teaspoon salt

½  cup unsweetened applesauce

¼  cup skim milk

¼  cup granulated white sugar

½  teaspoon vanilla extract

1  large egg

2  medium ripe bananas peeled and mashed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash your hands and clean your cooking area.
3. Combine white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. Whisk applesauce, milk, sugar, vanilla, and egg until well combined. Gently add bananas to wet ingredients.
5. Fold flour mixture into wet ingredients, just until combined.
6. Divide muffin batter among 12 lined muffin tins.
7. Bake 18-20 minutes, until cooked through.

Nutrient information per serving: 12 servings per recipe. Calories-110; Total fat-.5g; Sodium-110mg; total Carbohydrate-22g; Dietary fiber- 3g; Sugars- 8g and Protein- 3g

To learn more about healthy breakfast options, contact Wise County’s Texas AgriLife Extension office at 940/627-3341.

Breakfast Matters

It’s that time of year again! School time! I hope that everyone’s year got off to an exciting start. Being sure to take time to enjoy a nutritional breakfast is one of the ways that children and parents alike can keep that high level of enthusiasm throughout the school year.

Breakfast has been dubbed the “most important meal of the day”.  However, breakfast is the most commonly missed meal of the day. Recent research suggests that children who eat breakfast are more likely to have healthful nutrition behaviors and make healthy food choices such as eating more fruits and vegetables than those who do not eat breakfast. Breakfast is also important for academic performance and may help with maintenance of a healthy weight, fewer United States youth are eating breakfast.  Here are a few ways you can make breakfast a part of your family’s daily routine.

First, be sure that as the parent you set a good example and eat a healthy breakfast every day.  Parents serve as role models for healthy eating behaviors to their children.  

Like any meal, breakfast takes planning. Prepare for breakfast as much as you can the night before. This might include slicing fruit, mixing frozen juice, or packing lunches for the next day at night so that you have time to prepare breakfast in the morning. Also include breakfast foods on your grocery list. Stock your kitchen with healthy breakfast options such as milk, juice, yogurt, fruit, or whole grain cereals.

Your children may also need a few minutes after waking up before they are ready to eat breakfast. Even though this means you are up earlier, you and your children will feel better. 

Some ideas for a healthy breakfast include peanut butter on whole wheat toast, low-fat yogurt with granola, toasted waffles with fruit, bagels with cheese, grits, hard boiled eggs, or oatmeal with dried fruit or nuts. 

To learn more about healthy breakfast options, contact Wise County’s Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office at 940/627-3341.

Take these egg cups on the run when you don't have time for a sit-down breakfast. This recipe is from our Dinner Tonight! program and can be frozen for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator the night before and heat in the microwave when ready to serve. Substitutions are encouraged to fit your family’s taste and appetite. 

Southwestern Egg Cups

Yields six servings.

• 1 1/4cup shredded hash brown potatoes thawed
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 tsp garlic minced
• 2Tbsp green onion chopped
• 1/4cup red bell pepper chopped
• 2 fully cooked turkey or chicken sausage patties thawed and diced
• 1Tbsp fat free Greek yogurt plain
• 1 cup liquid egg product
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4tsp pepper
• 2Tbsp turkey bacon pieces
• 2 Tbsp. cheddar jack cheese shredded

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Coat a six-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Evenly divide the hash browns among the muffin cups and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of each cup.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and bell pepper until tender. Add the garlic and sausage; cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add yogurt.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the egg product with the salt and pepper Add the sausage mixture to the eggs then pour it evenly into the potato-lined muffin cups. Top with cheese.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Strategies for Weight Management

It’s easy to become overweight in America. Every day we are confronted with an abundance of delicious food that is easily accessible not only in restaurants and gas stations, but also via drive-thru and home delivery.  That’s one reason why the average American gains one to two pounds a year, the equivalent of eating only 100 to 200 extra daily calories, such as a few extra cookies, a second handful of chips or an extra helping at lunch.

Following are three weight management strategies from the American College of Sports Medicine that can help minimize fat gain and optimize desired fat loss without feeling denied or deprived of enjoyable food.

·      Strategy #1- Boost your calcium intake. Eating three to four servings of calcium-rich low fat dairy foods per day contributes to loss of more fat and less muscle compared to dieters who ate less dairy.

·     Strategy #2- Eat Breakfast. Although skipping breakfast may seem a good way to eliminate calories, breakfast skippers tend to be fatter than breakfast eaters. When people eat a larger-than-normal breakfast, they end up eating almost 100 fewer calories by the end of the day, an amount that can curb creeping obesity.

·      Strategy #3- Eat more fiber and whole grain foods. Fiber rich foods are satiating (the point that you feel full and choose to stop eating). They also tend to be bulky which in turn helps you reduce the calorie content of a casserole by 30 percent by adding bulky vegetables (mushrooms, celery, peppers) and people will consume fewer calories without noticing the difference. 

Given the abundance of food in our society, we all need skills to manage the food environment. This means eating breakfast and consuming more calcium, fiber, and whole grains.

           

Breakfast Builds Better Bodies

It’s that time of year again! School time!  I hope that everyone’s year got off to an exciting start. Being sure to take time to enjoy a nutritional breakfast is one of the ways that children and parents alike can keep that high level of enthusiasm throughout the school year or even just a regular work week.

Breakfast has been dubbed the “most important meal of the day”.  However, breakfast is the most commonly missed meal of the day.  Recent research suggests that children who eat breakfast are more likely to have healthful nutrition behaviors and make healthy food choices such as eating more fruits and vegetables than those who do not eat breakfast.  While breakfast is also important for academic performance and may help with maintenance of a healthy weight, fewer United States youth are eating breakfast.  Here are a few ways you can make breakfast a part of your family’s daily routine.

First, be sure that as the parent you set a good example and eat a healthy breakfast every day.  Parents serve as role models for healthy eating behaviors to their children. Hopefully, eating breakfast can be a family activity.

Like any meal, breakfast takes planning.  Build your breakfast by picking two-three different food groups from USDA’s ChooseMyPlat.gov. Great choices might be low-fat milk, whole-grain cereal and a fruit or vegetable.  Prepare for breakfast as much as you can the night before.  This might include slicing fruit, mixing frozen juice, or chopping veggies for an omelet. Stock your kitchen with healthy breakfast options such as milk, juice, yogurt, fruit, whole grain cereals and breads, or hot cereals such as oatmeal and grits.

Your children may also need a few minutes after waking up before they are ready to eat breakfast.  Even though this means you are up earlier, you and your children will feel better.  You will have energy to start your day and will enjoy time together as a family before leaving the house for work and school.

Some ideas for a healthy breakfast include peanut butter on whole wheat toast, low-fat yogurt with granola, toasted waffles with fruit, bagels with cheese, grits, hard boiled eggs, or oatmeal with dried fruit or nuts. You might also try something unconventional such as rice and beans with fruit or a grilled cheese sandwich.  Just remember, breakfast matters!

To learn more about healthy breakfast options, join us for the Dinner Tonight Healthy Cooking School, scheduled for Thursday September 1, 6-8pm at Weatherford College Wise County Campus. Rachel Adams, Registered Dietician will be kicking off the evening by demonstrating her family’s favorite breakfast choices.  Contact Wise County’s Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office for more information and to register for the event. Space is limited.