Breakfast
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the American Egg Board.
The cereal aisle can be a daunting place. Amidst all the brightly colored boxes lies a serious choice: which cereal should you feed your family?
Unfortunately there’s no real winner – the “healthy” cereal options can have just as much – or more – sugar than the ones that are obviously loaded with the sweet stuff, it’s just not as obvious.
The point of breakfast is to start your day right and if you have kids, to get them ready for a day of school and learning. A bowl of sugary cereal won’t help that, but a high-protein, low-sugar breakfast can. Research shows that a protein-rich breakfast, such as an egg breakfast, improves appetite control and helps you feel full. This makes it easier for children to focus and learn in school.
As part of the American Egg Board’s Breakfast Swap Challenge, I switched my son’s breakfast to eggs for 10 days. A rather hysterical experiment given his flip-flopping, love-hate relationship with certain foods depending on the day. By the end of the 10 days he was pulling eggs out of the fridge for me –yes, there were a few disasters—and asking for them for breakfast. Of course, that doesn’t mean he always actually ate all of them. But I took care of the leftovers for him. 
In addition to being easy to make, eggs are the most affordable source of high-quality protein per serving, making them a great choice for families on a budget. I’m often shocked by the price on a single small box of cereal, and depending on the cereal, you may not be getting any great nutritional benefits from it.
I tried to mix up how I fixed eggs each day so we didn’t get bored. I was a big fan of the 3 minute breakfast hash, so I often turned to similar recipes. A favorite of the little man’s was my green eggs and ham variation of this 1 minute microwave egg cup. {Broccoli instead of cheese.}
I was also a big fan of this French toast recipe, which really mixes up the day to day variety!
Visit IncredibleEgg.org for more kid friendly breakfast recipes and tips.
Eggs provide a number of excellent dietary benefits, can be easily cooked in a variety of ways, and are very cost effective. The American Egg Board highlights the many benefits of eating eggs in addition to providing tips and delicious recipes. For more information, please visit http://IncredibleEgg.org/.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the American Egg Board.
What do you typically eat for breakfast? Your kids?
Breakfast, Recipe
Everything about this meal makes me want to run in the other direction. It couldn’t be less me. But for some reason, one day I made it. And then I made it 5 more days in a row.
I’m typically a carbs-for-breakfast girl: oatmeal, pancakes, etc. But no matter how many pounds of nut butter you stir into a bowl of oats, it just doesn’t keep you full for very long. Not me anyways.
I still have my morning carb fest, but then after my workout I’ll make a second, protein-packed breakfast to refuel and keep me going until lunch.
Surprisingly enough, it takes hardly any time to whip together.
by with a Side of Sneakers
- 1-2 eggs
- 1 apple chicken sausage
- 1 handful greens {I used spinach & arugula}
- 1/4 avocado, sliced {optional}
- black pepper, to taste
Heat pan or skillet over medium heat.
Add sausage & greens to hot pan and cook for ~1 minute.
Add egg{s} to pan and heat until whites are cooked through. Flip egg over sausage and greens. I like to keep the yolk slightly runny.
Season with black pepper and top with sliced avocado.
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Tastes pretty yummy smothered in hot sauce too. 
What’s your favorite way to get protein in the am?
Products
{Only my favorite commercial…}
It’s a common conception that to get ripped you have to pound protein shakes all day long.
Popular belief; however untrue.
I’ve been trying to convince the husband of this for years, yet he still throws back a protein shake before heading to the gym, or whenever he’s trying to feel strong. I think it’s a guy thing. Protein = Swoll.
While it’s true you need protein to build muscle, it’s not so much about how much you consume. It’s about when you consume it. Yes, you need adequate overall protein intake, but most people easily hit this target without trying. What’s really important is that you have protein after a workout.
Consuming protein after exercising aids in muscle growth and tissue repair. By assisting in rebuilding muscle, protein helps you recover faster. Faster recovery means better performance the next time around.
It’s not just about how you work out, it’s about how you fuel and you recover. Daily activity is important, but adequate recovery can make a world of difference.
While protein and post-workout recovery fuel is essential, remember those calories still count for your total daily budget. If your watching your calorie intake, you can always time your sweat sessions so that a meal comes afterwards. That way you can still refuel properly without adding additional calories. No matter what, shoot to refuel within 30-60 minutes post exercise.
Last week I got my butt in gear with Jennifer Cohen’s bootcamp workout. It was a great warm-up to the 8 week bootcamp I started Monday. Crossfit-ters would love it: planks, burpees, jumping rope and more. Oh the dreaded burpee.
I mixed the moves up with some of favorite baby-friendly exercises for a total body workout.
Anytime I do a workout, especially a strength workout, I make it a priority to eat protein as soon as I’m done. One of my favorite post workout snacks are these protein power balls. Protein shakes are a great option too: you can refuel and hydrate at the same time. Sometimes after a tough workout it’s easier to drink something than to take the extra effort to chew. Sounds silly, but I bet you know what I mean.
While Muscle Milk doesn’t actually contain milk, it does have whey protein in it. Whey is a great recovery protein because it’s easily digestible. However, since it is a protein from milk, I’m unable to drink it. {My son is allergic.} In order to test out Muscle Milk as a post-workout recovery option, I recruited my favorite test subject: the husband.
His assessment:
Vanilla Latte– Good, but he’d prefer it as a meal replacement, not an after-exercise supplement. The vanilla-y, cinnamon flavor wasn’t refreshing, but tasted good.
Chocolate– Delicious. A great post workout shake. Better than his typical protein powder because he didn’t have to mix it, it was just ready to go. {Good for me because that means I don’t have to scrap day-old protein off the side of the cup that never quite makes it into the dishwasher. Ugh.}
So there you have it.
How do you refuel after a workout? Do you prefer a drink or a snack?
Muscle Milk® is an ideal blend of protein, fats, good carbohydrates and 20 vitamins and minerals to provide sustained energy, spur lean muscle growth and help provide recovery after tough days.
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Muscle Milk via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Muscle Milk.
Recipe
There are at least 527 ways to eat quinoa…I’ve counted. Maybe you know more?
Not all of them include substituting rice for quinoa with dinner or in a stir fry. Or even baking.
One of the simplest ways to eat quinoa, is just as a bowl of quinoa. For breakfast.
A little bit porridge, a little bit chewy crunch. It’s as easy to prepare as oatmeal, but gives you an entirely different breakfast.
I like to start with already prepared quinoa- whenever I make a recipe that calls for quinoa, I always make extra. There’s no point in waiting for water to boil or pulling out a pot twice. Then let the extra portion cool and pop it in the fridge; it’ll last a few days at least.
That’s what I did when I made my quinoa muffins last week, so I have a nice big container sitting in the fridge ready to be used.
To make the breakfast quinoa, just take 1 part quinoa to 1 part almond milk and heat it on the stove for a few minutes. The quinoa will start to soak up the milk and thicken, like porridge. When the quinoa is thoroughly heated and most of the milk is absorbed, it’s done.
Top with a little extra almond milk when you serve it, as it continues to thicken a little as it cools.
Feel free to mix in any seasonings or toppings that you like, such as cinnamon, coconut or pecans.
If a whole bowl of quinoa is too much for you to handle, try stirring pre-cooked quinoa into a bowl of oatmeal- it gives the oats a satisfy chew & slight crunch.
<—One of my favorite ways to eat quinoa.
Quinoa oats with pumpkin, banana, cinnamon, vanilla, natural peanut butter and Love Grown Foods apple granola.
Breakfast Quinoa
-
1
cup
quinoa
-
1
cup
almond milk
plus extra
-
1/2
tsp
cinnamon
-
Heat quinoa and milk on stove until thoroughly heated and milk starts to absorb.
-
Remove from heat and serve; top with extra almond milk.
The latest on tiny sneakers: Paint by Numbers
Recipe
The first time I tried quinoa I was in college. I grabbed the teal box of the pantry shelf not knowing exactly what it was I was about to make. I poured the quinoa in the pot. I brought the water to a boil. I let it simmer away.
I starred at the odd looking swirly tails on each little white disk of quinoa. I dug in with a big spoon. I gagged. It was disgusting. The texture was bizarre and it didn’t taste like anything. Forget that stuff.
Fast forward a few years later and for whatever reason I decided to try it again. Thank goodness I did, because quinoa rocks. Seriously.
It’s easiest to describe it as a grain, because that’s pretty much how you use it. It’s really a pseudograin. It’s absolutely packed with protein. Now I love it’s crunchiness and the chewiness it imparts to a dish. It’s a great substitute for rice and perfectly complements a bowl of oats.
{Quinoa comes in a variety of colors from white to yellow to pink to red. This is a combo of a few of them.}
Quinoa Muffins
I’ve been having a thing for baked goods lately, so I figured I might as well make something packed with nutrition so finishing the pan wouldn’t be a problem.
I thought the chewy quinoa might be the perfect base for a hearty muffin. I was right.
These dense muffins are packed with whole grains and protein, yet still full of satisfying flavor.
This recipe starts with cooked quinoa. To prepare your quinoa, add 1 part uncooked quinoa to 2 parts water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed.
I like to start with a cup of uncooked quinoa, which will make enough for this muffin recipe plus a breakfast or two.
Quinoa Muffins
-
1
Tbsp
ground flax
-
3
Tbsp
water
-
1
cup
cooked quinoa
-
3/4
cup
whole wheat flour
-
3/4
cup
all purpose flour
-
1/2
cup
old fashioned oats
-
1 1/2
tsp
baking powder
-
2/3
cup
packed brown sugar
-
3/4
tsp
salt
-
1/2
tsp
cinnamon
-
3/4
cup
almond milk
-
1/4
cup
pumpkin puree
-
1
tsp
vanilla extract
-
1/4
cup
unsweetened coconut flakes
-
Mix flax and water together. Stir and set aside.
-
Stir together dry ingredients: flours, oats, quinoa, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon.
-
Mix together pumpkin puree, almond milk, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients with coconut flakes. Stir gently just until batter comes together. It will be thick.
-
Divide into greased muffin tins. Scoop ~1/4 cup batter into 12 muffin cups.
-
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
-
Let cool slightly in pan then transfer to cooling rack.
-
As with most baked goods, these taste delicious still warm from the oven.
Sweet enough to have as dessert; mild enough to have for breakfast.
Do you like quinoa? What’s your favorite way to eat it?
Can you believe I’ve already made it to 22 weeks? Check out my pregnancy update on tiny sneakers.
