Blueberry Banana Cornmeal Pancakes

BY Liz January 1, 2018 4 Comments

Making healthy homemade pancakes packed with protein, fresh fruit, and whole grains is easier than you think if you prep the dry ingredients the night before and assemble everything else in the morning. The batter for these Blueberry Banana Cornmeal Pancakes is made with whole wheat flour and cornmeal, finely chopped pecans, eggs, and milk, and it also features two fruits: fresh blueberries and a mashed banana. You could certainly use frozen blueberries if you don’t have fresh on hand.

These pancakes get their natural sweetness from the fruit and a little extra if you drizzle pure maple syrup on top.

I think I like the food styling here as much as the pancakes themselves. This week has been almost too cold to go outside (though I’ve forced myself to bundle up and take a walk despite the single digit temperatures), so during my semi hibernation, I cleaned out my dining room cabinets. I have way too many dishes, but with all the food photography I do around here, they come in handy. Anyone else out there as obsessed with blue dishes as I am?

Healthy homemade Blueberry Banana Cornmeal Pancakes for a weekday #breakfast or brunch – made w/…

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Kids who eat breakfast do better in school. But breakfast can get boring after a while if all you eat is cereal or toast. I make pancakes all the time. Yes, homemade pancakes are pretty special, but they’re not as tough to prepare as you may think. My speedy tricks include prepping the ingredients the night before or cooking the entire batch and reheating the next day. Twenty seconds in the microwave should do it. And pancakes do well when they’re wrapped individually and frozen. They thaw quickly and can easily be reheated.

Blueberry Banana Cornmeal Pancakes

Recipe type: Breakfast

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Pancakes are the perfect vehicle for "weaving" extra nutrition into your family's day. They work well when they're made with whole grains like whole wheat flour and cornmeal, or finely chopped nuts, ground flaxseed and hemp seeds. And they can handle all sorts of nutritious produce: fresh or frozen blueberries; mashed or diced banana; finely chopped apples; and pumpkin puree. Why add sugar when you can use fruit to sweeten your stack? Plus, if you plan to drizzle with maple syrup, you can get extra sweetness that way.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup cornmeal
¼ cup pecans, finely chopped
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1⅓ cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 mashed banana (about ½ cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries

Instructions

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, pecans, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, banana, and vanilla until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the blueberries.
Lightly oil or coat a large nonstick sillet or griddle with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Pour the batter onto the hot skillet using a ¼-cup measuring cup, forming 4-inch pancakes.
Cook until bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the pancakes and the bottoms turn golden, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the other sides are golden, an additional 2 to 3 minutes. (Adjust the heat if the bottoms are at risk for burning!) Repeat with the remaining cooking spray and batter.

Tell me about your favorite pancake combination.

Savory Oats with Shitake Mushrooms, Baby Spinach, and Eggs

BY Liz August 21, 2017 1 Comment

Turn breakfast from sweet to savory with this recipe for Savory Oats with Shitake Mushrooms, Baby Spinach, and Eggs, and start the day with a healthy and hearty serving of protein. Each flavor-filled bowl boasts 20 grams of satisfying protein thanks to ingredients like whole oats, milk, cheese, and eggs.

Do you worry your family doesn’t eat enough protein? Well, it turns out that the total amount of protein consumed in a day may be less important than the distribution. Experts now say you’ll get better use of the protein you do eat if you distribute smaller amounts throughout the day. So instead of consuming the most protein at dinner and the least at breakfast, focus on protein-rich foods you can easily add to your morning meal.

Our bodies don’t store amino acids (the building blocks of protein), so what we don’t use, we excrete. The bottom line: Consuming most of your protein at one meal is not efficient.

The new trend at breakfast is protein, and now that kids are back in school (or heading there soon), this month’s Recipe Redux cooking challenge tasked participants to “show us new healthy takes on eating savory or dinner-inspired dishes for breakfast.” So that’s exactly what I did with my savory oats recipe. Each serving has an impressive 20 grams of protein.

Savory Oats with Shitake Mushrooms, Baby Spinach, and Eggs via LizsHealthyTable.com #breakfast

Savory Oats w/ Shitake Mushrooms, Spinach + Eggs = A power #breakfast w/ #protein #TheRecipeRedux

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To learn more about protein at breakfast and find out why breakfast is the most important meal of the day, tune in to this week’s Liz’s Healthy Table podcast with guest, Lauren Harris Pincus, MS, RDN.

Last week I visited Copenhagen and took a walking food tour of the city. One of the stops was Grød, a restaurant dedicated to creative porridge preparations. This barley ‘risotto’ with fresh peas, ricotta, and lemon oil was the best thing I ate on the tour, and it got me thinking about ways I could add more protein as well as a savory spin to my usual morning bowl of oats.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Savory Oats with Shitake Mushrooms, Baby Spinach, and Eggs

Nutrition Information

Serves: 2 to 3

Calories: 345

Fat: 15g
Saturated fat: 5g
Carbohydrates: 35g
Sodium: 485mg
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 20g

Recipe type: Breakfast

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The magic number for protein distribution is 20 to 30 grams at EVERY meal. I squeaked in with this bowl of savory oats.

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups 1% low-fat milk *
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3.5 ounce package sliced shitake mushrooms
2 packed cups baby spinach
2 large eggs, hard cooked, peeled, and sliced into thin rounds
Basil leaves, optional
Lemon juice, optional

Instructions

Cook oats according to package directions with the milk. (* The recipe on the back of the oats package suggested 1¾ cups liquid for each 1 cup of oats. I increased that amount slightly, because I prefer a thinner oats consistency). When done, stir in the Parmesan cheese, and set aside.
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, place the cooked oats in 2 to 3 bowls. Top evenly with the mushrooms, spinach, and eggs. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan as desired, and garnish with basil and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice as desired.

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Check out The Recipe Redux for more savory breakfast ideas.

Fluffy Ricotta and California Avocado Pancakes

BY Liz June 20, 2017 4 Comments

These nutritious pancakes made with heart-healthy California Avocados are the perfect morning meal for babies, toddlers, and even teens. They come together quickly with wholesome California Avocado, banana, eggs, ricotta cheese, milk, cinnamon, and whole grain oats.

Many thanks to the California Avocado Commission for sponsoring this post.

Did you know that smooth, creamy avocados are a great first food for babies? They’re soft, neutrally flavored, contain good fats and contribute nearly 20 vitamins and nutrients to the diet including a good source of fiber (11% DV), folate (10% DV) and vitamin K (10% DV) along with potassium (6% DV).

And did you know avocados can be used as an ingredient in pancakes?

On this week’s Liz’s Healthy Table podcast, I chat with Katie Ferraro, RD, from Fourtified Family. Katie is an expert on Baby Led Weaning (AKA Baby Led Feeding). She has one-year old quadruplets and a toddler, so she knows a thing or two about feeding babies. And she’s a big fan of avocados, which are sodium and sugar free and easy for tiny fingers to pick up when sliced.

Click the PLAY button above to hear my interview with Katie as she explains the fundamentals of Baby Led Weaning, first foods for babies and ways to incorporate avocados into baby and toddler diets.

Before starting or introducing new foods, parents and caregivers should consult a physician or health care provider. Once your baby is ready to transition to solids (listen to the podcast for details on when a baby is “ready”) Katie recommends cutting soft foods into slices big enough for babies to grab and grip. For my Fluffy Ricotta and California Avocado Pancakes, simply slice each pancake into “sticks” and serve with banana and avocado slices.

When I created this recipe, I intended it to be for babies and toddlers. But when you have a hungry 18-year old in your midst, don’t be surprised if the pancakes disappear as quickly as you can make them!

And speaking of portions, it’s interesting to note that a third of a medium avocado (50 g) is considered a serving. For one to three year olds, a serving is a sixth of a medium avocado (25 g). Click here for more nutrition information on California Avocados for moms and kids. For general nutrition info, visit CaliforniaAvocado.com/nutrients.

Nutritious Fluffy Ricotta and Avocado Pancakes made w/ @CA_Avocados #breakfast #ad

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Fluffy Ricotta and California Avocado Pancakes

Nutrition Information

Serves: Serves 10 (1 per baby/toddler or 4-6 serving per youth/adult)

Serving size: (1 pancake)
Calories: 188

Fat: 4g
Saturated fat: 1g
Unsaturated fat: Poly (0.7g), Mono (1.8g)
Carbohydrates: 15g
Sugar: 2g
Sodium: 26mg
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 5g
Cholesterol: 47mg

Recipe type: Breakfast

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Avocados add a natural lusciousness and creaminess to these pancakes and the bananas add natural sweetness. Together with the oats, they bring 3 grams of fiber to every serving. There is so much goodness in this recipe besides the fiber including calcium, folate and iron. If you have babies at your table, they'll probably eat one or two pancakes. If you have teenagers at your table like I do, they will probably eat half the batch.

Ingredients

1 ripe banana, peeled
½ ripe, Fresh California Avocado, seeded and peeled
2 large eggs, beaten
⅓ cup ricotta cheese
⅓ cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
Nonstick cooking spray, as needed

Instructions

Place the banana and avocado in a large bowl and mash with the back of a fork or a potato masher until smooth. Whisk in the egg, ricotta cheese, milk and vanilla extract until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the oats, cinnamon and baking powder.
Stir the oat mixture into the avocado mixture until combined. Let stand 10 minutes.
Lightly oil or coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Pour the batter onto the hot skillet 2 heaping tablespoons at a time, forming 2-inch pancakes.
Cook until the bottoms turn golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the pancakes, and cook until the other sides are golden, an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust the heat as you go if the bottoms brown too quickly. Repeat with the remaining cooking spray and batter.
Allow the pancakes to cool slightly. Cut each into four half-inch “sticks,” and serve with slices of banana and avocado.

Here is a complete nutrient breakdown of the recipe (per 2 pancakes):

Nutrition analysis per 1 pancake: Calories 188, Total Fat 4 g (Sat 1 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 0.7 g, Mono 1.8 g), Cholesterol 47 mg, Sodium 26 mg, Potassium 229 mg, Total Carbohydrates 15 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Total Sugar 2 g; Protein 5 g; Vitamin A 111 (IU); Vitamin C 1.6 mg; Calcium 65.3 mg; Iron 1.1 mg; Vitamin D 6.7 (IU); Folate 23.2 mcg; Omega 3 Fatty Acid 50.7 mg

% Daily Value: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 3%; Calcium 7%; Iron 6%

Do you go gaga when you slice open a gorgeous ripe avocado? I do. What’s your favorite way to add avocados to your family’s table?

Barely Banana Protein Pancakes + Rise and Shine Cookbook

BY Liz December 14, 2016 250 Comments

Over the years, I’ve made more batches of pancakes than I can remember. From pumpkin to blueberry to apple, fluffy pancakes are always greeted with a smile in my household. Now, thanks to these moist and mouthwatering Barely Banana Protein Pancakes (with 4 Little Ingredients), I have a new recipe to add to the mix.

This recipe comes courtesy of Katie Sullivan Morford, author of the new cookbook, Rise & Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings (Roost Books, 2016). The book is filled with recipes and tips for boosting the flavor, variety, and nutrition of your family’s morning meal.

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The last thing any of us needs is a breakfast recipe that’s fussy. But after a good night’s sleep, the first thing we all need is nourishment, especially protein. Eating breakfast is good for your body weight, your grades (if you’re in school!), and certainly your mood. To the rescue is Katie’s new book, filled with 75 easy and interesting recipes.

Rise and Shine cookbook for healthy #family breakfast ideas

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I love the idea of adding veggies to breakfast and turning quesadillas into something kids would want to devour in the morning.

And speaking of green, Katie’s green smoothie gets its sweetness naturally from pineapple, banana, and an orange, and we agree that even our kids would love it too.

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When I tried Katie’s banana pancakes, I topped them with maple syrup, but you can certainly use homemade jam instead.

4.8 from 44 reviews

Barely Banana Protein Pancakes

Author: Katie Sullivan Morford

Recipe type: Breakfast

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The batter for these protein-packed, gluten-free, pint-sized pancakes gets whirled together in one fell swoop in a blender, which doubles as the perfect pouring vessel. They are smaller and thinner than typical pancakes—think silver dollars—with a mild banana flavor that favors a swipe of tangy jam over the traditional drizzle of maple syrup. They taste best when you cook them thoroughly; they are supremely moist, so it’s hard to overdo it. (Reprinted with permission from Roost Books)

Ingredients

3 large eggs
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1⅓ cups cottage cheese
1 small ripe banana
Oil or butter for greasing the skillet
Favorite jam for serving

Instructions

Put the eggs, oats, cottage cheese, and banana into a blender. Blend until the oats are pulverized, the cottage cheese is blended, and the batter is smooth.
Set a skillet over medium heat. Add about a teaspoon of oil and swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Pour about 1 tablespoon of batter into the pan for each pancake, making as many as will fit without crowding. Cook until bubbles appear across the surface and the bottom is deeply brown.
Use a spatula to flip the pancake and cook until firm to the touch, another 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot out of the pan with a thin layer of jam.

Strawberry Peanut Overnight Oats

BY Liz April 18, 2016 15 Comments

Start your family’s day with my Strawberry Peanut Overnight Oats. Each nourishing bowl has 16 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and 20% of the bone-building calcium you need each day.

I created this recipe for Planters Peanuts and was compensated for my work. All opinions are my own.

Whether you’re a busy mom juggling family and work commitments or a 10-year-old whose favorite part of the day is playing kickball at recess, waking up to a wholesome (and flavorful) breakfast is your winning ticket to feeling alert and energized all morning long.

Strawberry Peanut Overnight Oats = 16 grams protein + filling fiber at #breakfast #spon

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Why overnight oats? They’re easy to make, convenient, versatile, and nutritious. Assemble them in Mason jars the night before (your kids can help!), and when you wake up in the morning, all you have to do is stir the mixture to combine all the yummy flavors and then adorn with your favorite toppings — things like sliced banana, berries, and nuts.

Why peanuts? Well, a one-ounce serving of the Planters Dry Roasted peanuts that I used in this recipe has an impressive 7 grams of protein, 2 grams of filling fiber, and most of the fat is the good-for-you mono and polyunsaturated kind. Oh, and kids love ’em!

I can’t imagine a day without breakfast!

My fun-to-make Strawberry Peanut Overnight Oats are slightly sweet thanks to the fresh berries and kefir; they’re chewy thanks to the old-fashioned oats; and the chopped peanuts provide a satisfying crunch.

The new 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating legumes including peanuts, lentils, and beans as well as nuts and other plant-based proteins for a healthy lifestyle. And the guidelines emphasize a “shift towards other protein foods” — including more nuts and seeds.

The way I see it, breakfast provides the perfect opportunity for putting those guidelines into action.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Strawberry Peanut Overnight Oats

Author: Liz

Nutrition Information

Serves: 2

Serving size: 1 jar
Calories: 370

Fat: 18g
Saturated fat: 3g
Carbohydrates: 40g
Sodium: 150mg
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 16g

Recipe type: Breakfast

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My favorite way to assemble overnight oats is to use Mason jars. They come in really handy if you or the kids are too busy to sit down to breakfast at home, because you can grab a jar (and a spoon!) and eat breakfast at your desk ... or on the way to school. By the way, you can use any favorite berry in this recipe, and if you don't have fresh strawberries, you can use frozen. Just thaw slightly first before dicing.

Ingredients

1 cup low-fat strawberry kefir
½ cup old-fashioned oats
4 to 5 large strawberries cut into ¼-inch dice, (2/3 cup)
2 teaspoons chia seeds
2 ounces lightly salted dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped and divided
Optional toppings: Sliced bananas, berries, unsweetened coconut chips

Instructions

Divide the kefir, oats, strawberries, and chia seeds evenly between two pint-size Mason jars. Add 3 tablespoons of the chopped peanuts to each jar. (Reserve the remaining peanuts for topping.)
Secure the lids, and shake very well until everything is combined. (Your kids can definitely help you shake.)
Place the jars in the refrigerator overnight. Before serving, stir the contents of each jar to combine all the flavors. Eat from the jar or transfer to bowls and top with the remaining peanuts and optional toppings as desired.

Notes

One serving also has 45% vitamin C, 20% calcium, and 10% iron.

I could eat these oats every day!

What’s your favorite overnight oats combination? Have you ever used peanuts?

Cottage Cheese, Orange, and Pomegranate Protein Bowls

BY Liz February 21, 2016 11 Comments

Power up your your morning with this protein-packed breakfast bowl made with low-fat cottage cheese, pistachios, hemp seeds, orange slices, pomegranate arils, and coconut chips. Kid friendly? You bet it is!

I always tell my children that the best part of my day is my morning cup of coffee. Can you relate? It’s warming and gives me the jolt I need to get the day going. While my boys can’t relate (just yet), they can relate to being hungry in the morning. Heck, they’re hungry all the time. Growing kids, and all of us for that matter, should eat a nutrient-rich meal in the morning (especially protein), but more times than not, breakfast is sort of forgotten or gobbled up quickly in the form of a piece of toast or a bowl of cereal.

Protein bowls 4 #breakfast w/ cottage cheese, oranges, pomegranate, pistachios, hemp seeds…

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My Cottage Cheese, Orange and Pomegranate Protein Bowl takes minutes to make (slice up an orange and you’re pretty much done) yet it’s packed with muscle building protein: 25 grams per serving to be exact. {Read more about the power of protein at breakfast further down in the post.}

The inspiration for my new and nutritious recipe comes from this month’s Recipe Redux cooking challenge to break out of the usual breakfast boredom with something you’ll be excited to wake up for. That pretty much sums up my protein bowl 🙂

In January, I attended a conference in London where Stuart Phillips, PhD from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada spoke about the role of dietary protein in health. {His session was sponsored by Daisy Brand Cottage Cheese.} His specific focus was the elderly, but my takeaway was this: In order for all of us to maintain and gain muscle mass, it’s best to consume high quality, nutrient dense protein foods and to space them out evenly throughout the day.

The longest period of muscle loss in your day is when you are sleeping, so it makes sense to refuel by eating plenty of protein at breakfast. (If your kids typically grab cereal or a bagel in the morning and nothing more, this is the post for you!)

Something else to consider is the type of amino acids you consume. Leucine, an amino acid found in cottage cheese, chicken, beef, salmon, and eggs, acts as a “trigger” by turning on the process of protein synthesis, so it’s a good idea to include these foods in your daily diet.

So how much protein do you need at every meal? What amount of protein is recommended to optimally stimulate muscle protein synthesis? According to Dr. Phillips, “It appears that the doses are quite low in young persons and get progressively larger with age. We recommend, to optimally stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS), that a young person consume 0.25g protein / kilogram / meal and an older person 0.4g protein / kilogram / meal.”

For simplicity sake, a person who weighs 100 pounds (or 45 kilograms) needs anywhere from 11 grams of protein per meal to 18 grams; someone who weighs 150 pounds (68 kilograms) would need 17 grams to 27 grams protein at each meal depending on age.

Cottage Cheese, Orange, and Pomegranate Protein Bowls

Author: Liz

Nutrition Information

Serves: 2

Serving size: 1 bowl
Calories: 330

Fat: 15g
Saturated fat: 2.5g
Carbohydrates: 29g
Sodium: 520mg
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 25g

Recipe type: Breakfast

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Cottage cheese is rich in a type of amino acid called leucine, a "trigger" that turns on the process of protein formation. If you use ¾ cup cottage cheese called for in this recipe, you'll get 25 grams of protein. Cut that portion down to half a cup -- something more suitable for younger kids -- and each serving has about 20 grams.

Ingredients

1½ cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 orange, peeled and sectioned
⅓ to ½ cup pomegranate arils
¼ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
¼ cup toasted, unsweetened coconut chips, optional
1 to 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
Honey, optional

Instructions

Divide the cottage cheese between two bowls and top each evenly with the orange slices, pomegranate arils, pistachios, coconut as desired, and hemp seeds. Drizzle with honey as desired.

Notes

Each serving has 60% vitamin C and 25% calcium.

Pumpkin Maple Pancakes

BY Liz October 23, 2015 3 Comments

Start your family’s day with a stack of healthy pumpkin pancakes. My super-nutritious Pumpkin Maple Pancakes are made with whole wheat flour and ground flaxseed as well as milk, eggs, maple syrup, and canned 100% pure pumpkin, so each a serving has nearly a day’s worth of immune-boosting vitamin A.

These pancakes are easy to make, and if your kids are like mine, they’ll probably ask for bananas or raspberries (and pure maple syrup!) on top.

Boost your family’s #breakfast with a stack of healthy Pumpkin Maple Pancakes #nutrition #LHT

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With pumpkin season in full swing and with pancakes topping the list of family breakfast favorites, I put the two together and created these fluffy, super-yummy pancakes.

Pumpkin Maple Pancakes

Author: Liz

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4 to 5

Serving size: 3 to 4 pancakes
Calories: 250

Fat: 4.5g
Saturated fat: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 42g
Sodium: 360mg
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 11g

Recipe type: Breakfast

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From farmers’ markets to Jack-O-Lanterns, pumpkins pop up just about everywhere this time of year. We use half a cup of canned pumpkin for these healthy pumpkin pancakes, and whatever is left over can be frozen in re-sealable plastic bags and used later in pancakes, muffins, and even smoothies.

Ingredients

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed or wheat germ
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, beaten
1⅓ cups 1% low-fat milk
½ cup canned 100% pure pumpkin
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, flaxseed, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, pumpkin, maple syrup, and vanilla until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Lightly oil or coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Pour the batter onto the hot skillet using a ¼-cup measuring cup, forming 4-inch pancakes.
Cook until bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the pancakes and the bottoms turn golden, about 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes, and cook until the other sides are golden, an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust the heat as you go if the bottoms brown too quickly. Repeat with the remaining cooking spray and batter.

Notes

Each serving has 70% vitamin A, 35% calcium, and 15% iron. Not bad for a fast and easy breakfast.

Do you have a go-to pancake recipe you make for your family? What ingredients do you tend to add?

Beet Green Omelet + How to Cook Beet Greens

BY Liz July 30, 2015 3 Comments

Don’t toss those greens! The next time you roast up a bunch of beets, go ahead and trim, wash, and sauté the mild-flavored greens and use them in this nutrient rich, protein-packed Beet Green Omelet.

Beet greens are not bitter; they’re surprisingly mild and have a slightly sweet flavor. Who knew!?

They contain the antioxidant, betalain, which research shows may protect against blood vessel damage and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Beet greens are also a good source of immune-boosting vitamin A and vitamin K, a bone builder.

Sauteed beet greens are mild and slightly sweet; add them to this beet green omelet #nutrition

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How to Cook Beet Greens

For this recipe, I started with a 1½ pound bunch of beets. I trimmed the leaves from the woody stems and roughly chopped the leaves, which yielded 2 heaping chopped cups. From there, I simply sautéed the leaves in olive oil until tender, 2½ to 3 minutes.

Two cups of the beet greens cooked down to half a cup.

Who needs a spinach omelet when you can have a beet green omelet!

If your kids are squeamish about green veggies, don’t despair. Each omelet gets just a quarter cup of the greens, so it’s not intimidating.

Beet Green Omelet

Author: Liz

Nutrition Information

Serves: 2

Serving size: 1 omelet
Calories: 280

Fat: 21g
Saturated fat: 7g
Carbohydrates: 5g
Sodium: 440mg
Fiber: 2g,
Protein: 19g

Recipe type: Breakfast

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Kids typically love cheese omelets, so chances are they'll happily gobble up this omelet made with cheese and sautéed beet greens. You can make this omelet for any meal of the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner ... or a snack!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 green onions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 heaping cups roughly chopped beet greens
4 large eggs, divided
6 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the green onions and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the beet greens and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted and tender, 2½ to 3 minutes. Remove the cooked greens and set aside.
To make the first omelet, raise the heat to medium high. Whisk together 2 of the eggs, 1 teaspoon water, and a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the skillet. Once the edges have set (about 30 seconds), pull back each corner with a spatula and tilt the pan so that the uncooked egg falls to the edges. Allow eggs to set, 30 seconds.
Arrange ¼ cup of the cooked greens and 3 tablespoons of the cheese over the top. Give the pan a shake to dislodge the omelet and allow it to completely set up, 40 seconds to 1 minute.
Fold omelet in half and serve. Repeat with remaining egg, water, greens, and cheese. {For a Youtube tutorial on how to make the perfect omelet, check out Jamie Oliver's video.)

Notes

Other nutrients in this omelet: 20% vitamin A, 20% vitamin C, 40% calcium, 15% iron

Are you a fan of beet greens? How do you prepare them?

Banana Mango Overnight Oats

BY Liz April 15, 2015 19 Comments

Add great flavor and good nutrition to your family’s morning meal with this easy-to-make recipe for Banana Mango Overnight Oats.

When I was a kid, my mom never served oatmeal (or any hot cereal) for breakfast. Turns out that when she was a kid, her mom made hot cereal every single day. After one too many bowls, my mom — who is now 82 years old! — still can’t stand the sight of it.

Boo hoo. Sigh, sigh. I was deprived.

Your family will love this #breakfast #recipe for Banana Mango Overnight Oats: nutritious,…

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I’ve always liked oatmeal and I’ve always appreciated its nutritional merits, but I didn’t start LOVING oats until I discovered overnight oats and created a recipe with just the right texture, flavor, and appeal that my taste buds could simply not resist.

I could eat overnight oats every single day and never tire of it!

The secret to my overnight oats’ success is the proportion of dry ingredients — old-fashioned oats, chia seeds, and sliced almonds — to the liquid ingredients: low-fat milk, Greek yogurt, and agave. Any combo of fruit works well in this recipe. (I recently made it with frozen wild blueberries with great success.)

5.0 from 1 reviews

Banana Mango Overnight Oats

Author: Liz

Nutrition Information

Serves: 1 Serving

Calories: 350

Fat: 10g
Saturated fat: 1g
Unsaturated fat: 0.7g omega-3
Carbohydrates: 53g
Sodium: 170mg
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 15g

Recipe type: Breakfast

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I actually look forward to waking up in the morning when I know a batch of overnight oats is waiting for me in the fridge! It takes just minutes to assemble and then all you have to do is open the jar, insert a spoon, and dig in. Sometimes I eat half the oats for breakfast and then finish it up for my morning snack. If you have little kids at home, the recipe will probably make enough for two.

Ingredients

⅓ cup old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 teaspoon chia seeds
Pinch salt
⅓ cup 1% low-fat milk
⅓ cup low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon agave or honey
½ cup mixture of finely chopped mango and banana

Instructions

Place the oats, almonds, chia seeds, salt, milk, yogurt, agave, and fruit in a pint-size Mason jar, secure the lid, and shake very well until everything is combined.
Place in the refrigerator overnight and then devour in the morning when the oats and chia seeds are hydrated.

Notes

You can shake up the flavor of this fruity overnight oats recipe by adding a few pinches of ground cinnamon or nutmeg, and you can certainly add any chopped nut; I like to use walnuts and pecans. Add an extra drizzle of agave or honey for more sweetness.

I was slow to the oats-craze gate, but now I’m hooked! As for my mom, she tells me you couldn’t pay her enough to eat hot cereal. Oh well … more for me 🙂

Protein Power Breakfast Parfait + Protein and Kids

BY Liz February 25, 2015 17 Comments

Add great flavor and a healthy boost of high-quality protein to your family’s breakfast with this Protein Power Breakfast Parfait. Made with layers of cottage cheese, high-protein cereal, walnuts, and fruit, each serving has an impressive 19 grams of protein.

Parents often worry that their kids aren’t eating enough protein, but it may be more important to focus on the distribution of protein throughout the day versus the total amount.

Health experts recommend we consume 10 to 35% of our daily calories from protein. That’s a big range, and quite frankly, a bit confusing. To set the record straight on protein and to bring a healthy helping of practical advice to our table and yours, I checked in with protein expert, Chris Mohr, PhD, RD from Mohr Results, Inc. for some protein pointers.

Protein Power Breakfast Parfait provides 19 grams #protein at #breakfast

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Important Protein Pointers from Chris

1. Protein is important for all of us because it rebuilds and repairs muscle tissue.

2. The RDA for protein is .8 grams per kilogram body weight, but research suggests a higher amount would be better.

4. Our bodies don’t store amino acids (the building blocks of protein), so what we don’t use, we excrete. Therefore, consuming most of your protein at one meal is not effective.

5. You’ll get better use of the protein you eat if you distribute smaller amounts throughout the day; most people eat the least amount of protein at breakfast and the most at dinner.

6. The MAGIC NUMBER for protein distribution: 20 to 30 grams at EVERY meal.

Here’s how those numbers can add up …

Add a boost of #protein to #breakfast w/ this cottage cheese + fruit + cereal + walnut parfait

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Protein Power Breakfast Parfait

Author: Liz

Nutrition Information

Serves: 1

Calories: 330

Fat: 14g
Saturated fat: 2.5g
Carbohydrates: 39g
Sodium: 470mg
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 19g
Cholesterol: 15mg

Recipe type: Breakfast

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As you'll find with most of my recipes, there's a lot of flexibility. For example, if you're not a fan of cottage cheese, use Greek yogurt instead. Any fruit will do and when it comes to the nuts, you can substitute with almonds or pecans. I used Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, but again, use whatever makes your taste buds happy.

Ingredients

½ cup low-fat cottage cheese + 1 tablespoon, divided
6 tablespoons (1/3 cup) high-protein, whole grain breakfast cereal, divided
½ cup mixed fruit (we used blueberries, raspberries, and quartered grapes), divided
2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts, divided
1 teaspoon agave or honey

Instructions

Place ¼ cup of the cottage cheese in the bottom of a pretty glass. Top with 3 tablespoons of the cereal, ¼ cup of the fruit, and 1 tablespoon of the walnuts. Repeat the layers with another ¼ cup cottage cheese, 3 tablespoons cereal, and ¼ cup fruit. As a topper, add the remaining 1 tablespoon cottage cheese and 1 tablespoon walnuts. Drizzle agave on top.

Notes

I have 19 grams of protein in my parfait. Pair it with a glass of lowfat milk, and you'll get an additional 8 grams.

How do you add protein to your family’s diet, especially breakfast? I would love to hear from you!

Categories

I can’t imagine a day without breakfast!

The way I see it, breakfast provides the perfect opportunity for putting those guidelines into action.

Beet greens are not bitter; they’re surprisingly mild and have a slightly sweet flavor. Who knew!?

How to Cook Beet Greens

Boo hoo. Sigh, sigh. I was deprived.

I could eat overnight oats every single day and never tire of it!

Important Protein Pointers from Chris