-
Recipe: Egg white bake with cottage cheese and pumpkin
This egg white bake with cottage cheese and pumpkin is great for meal prepping. Similar to a frittata, it is ideal for breakfast if you prefer a savoury option but don’t have time to cook it each morning. It is also wonderful for brunch or a light lunch. You can serve it with a side salad and/or a slice of toast. This recipe is gluten-free and can be made lactose-free if you use lactose-free cottage cheese. It is higher in protein than most common breakfast options and relatively low in fat and carbohydrate. Please note this recipe uses pre-cooked veg, so plan ahead.
-
To eat or skip breakfast?
There are several reasons why you may choose to eat or skip breakfast. However, many people do not give this decision much thought. Breakfast has the reputation of being the most important meal of the day as our bodies literally run on energy provided by food. Skipping breakfast has been correlated to many negative consequences, including weight gain, metabolic dysregulation, reduced ability to focus and reduced exercise performance. Despite this, out of all the meals of the day, breakfast seems to be the one most people choose to skip. Some of the reasons include: Eating breakfast can help get many people on the right track with regard to body composition…
-
Recipe: Overnight oats
Overnight oats are a very popular breakfast because it cuts down on prep time. They are made by soaking oats in a liquid (usually milk) overnight. Overnight oats are superior to traditional porridge because: More than a recipe, this is a template you can follow to make overnight oats based on ratios. I like using milk and yoghurt as the wet ingredients and a ratio of 1:1:1 oats to milk to yoghurt. The recipe calls for 1/3-1/2 cup of each. If you are a smaller individual or have a smaller appetite, go with 1/3 cup. Ingredient recommendations About the toppings My personal preferences I normally make my overnight oats with…
-
Recipe: Tahini pomegranate protein shake
This tahini pomegranate protein shake is a great post-workout drink, breakfast or snack for those keen on trying new flavour combinations. As written, this recipe is not super sweet. If you have a sweet tooth, feel free to use sweetened protein powder (e.g. vanilla) or add your preferred sweetener to taste. This recipe is gluten-free and can be made dairy-free depending on the protein powder you use. The nutritional information is based on True Protein whey protein isolate.
-
Recipe: Sweet potato hash with chorizo and kale
This sweet potato hash with chorizo and kale recipe is great for a weekend brunch, especially if you enjoy a little bit of spice. This recipe can be gluten-free and dairy-free, depending on the chorizo and toast you have. There are different types of chorizo, but the most common ones are Mexican (usually fresh) and Spanish (usually cured). Both types work for this recipe. The beauty of using chorizo is that you don’t need any extra fat nor herbs or spices, just a pinch of salt and pepper on top of the eggs. If you don’t want to use chorizo, try these substitutions: Note that you will need to add…
-
Recipe: Sweet potato, chickpea and haloumi bowl
Wondering how you can eat more vegetables? Try this gluten-free vegetarian sweet potato, chickpea and haloumi bowl for breakfast or brunch. If you are short on time, you can streamline this recipe using any or all of the suggestions below: This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian. It can be made lactose-free by using a lactose-free cheese. It can be made vegan by omitting the eggs and the haloumi (or using a non-dairy cheese). If you are vegan, I recommend you use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of (or in addition to) the pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar. This will enhance the absorption of the iron present in the baby spinach…
-
Recipe: Mexican baked beans with eggs
These Mexican baked beans with eggs are an easy and affordable breakfast, brunch or anytime vegetarian meal. Using canned tomatoes and beans make this recipe quick, convenient and affordable. If you don’t have pinto beans you can substitute black or red kidney beans. Speaking of convenience, I use a ready-made spice mix (Mexican spice mix from Spice and Co) but you can use another brand, just look for Mexican or taco seasoning. If you can’t find any or prefer to make your own, the ingredients in the spice mix I use are: paprika, chipotle chilli, chillies, cumin, coriander, oregano, onion, garlic, cinnamon, sea salt and pepper. This recipe has a…
-
Recipe: Grilled vegetable and pesto frittata
This grilled vegetable and pesto frittata highlights the versatility of the mighty frittata when it comes to ingredients, eating occasion and cooking technique. I made the entire recipe in a Weber gas BBQ and a BBQ pan, but you can use an oven and oven-safe pan or baking dish instead. While this frittata takes more time to make than the ones that use uncooked or pre-cooked vegetables, the result is definitely worth it, in particular if you enjoy Mediterranean flavours. Having said that, you can cook the vegetables in advance or use leftover vegetables from another meal. You can also use store-bought pesto but I have not found any that…
-
How to add more protein to your breakfast
As we’ve seen before, eating adequate protein at breakfast is a great strategy for improving body composition and maintaining muscle mass. In this article we explore how to add more protein to your breakfast. Protein for breakfast As discussed in a previous article, higher protein breakfasts can help with satiety and weight management. Moreover, sports nutrition science points at an ideal dose of 0.25-0.30g of protein per kg of body weight per meal (including breakfast!) for building muscle. High protein breakfasts Breakfasts that can be naturally high in protein include: Leftovers from dinner Egg-based breakfasts (boiled/poached/fried/scrambled eggs, omelette, frittata) Smoothie with milk, yoghurt and/or protein powder However, if your breakfast…
-
Should you eat breakfast?
Should you eat breakfast? This continues to be a controversial topic when it comes to health and nutrition. Although every person’s biology is different, it seems that the majority of people would benefit from not skipping the first meal of the day. Breakfast: the most important meal of the day? Conspiracy theorists and skeptics tend to be of the opinion that breakfast was proclaimed “the most important meal of the day” as a marketing strategy to increase the food industry’s profits. However, there has been some scientific evidence to suggest that breakfast is indeed associated with weight loss and improved body composition (1). Benefits of eating breakfast Satiety and hunger…
