Noshtopia

Weaning Sugar Wednesday #8: Cutting Down The Sugars In Breakfast Food

 

To start off with something sweet, that is not a food because we can have sweetness in our lives without cookies or cupcakes, here are some beautiful pink tulips. Spring is here and the weather in Phoenix has just been heavenly with crisp fresh air and blue skies. If you're thinking of doing a spa or golf weekend, come on down because it is literally perfect weather now. Soon, it will get Africa hot.

Now that I and many others have gotten absolutely clear on exactly how The American Heart Association defines added sugars, it really has changed how I look at foods because now when I read labels, I look at what is added on top of the natural stuff like say jam for example. Fruit on its own should be sweet enough, but apparently it isn't because added sugars are still combined with the fruits. Locally, I found Made By Bees, who makes these awesome fruit butters like this Apricot butter with no added sugars. They just use other fruits for added sweetness.

Yesterday, I dropped my car off at the shop to get fixed and then walked over to Whole Foods to get some breakfast. I get to the hot foods bar and immediately my nose gets a whiff of this creme brulee french toast. 

 

Now, of course I'm drooling because the smell of this decadence is literally igniting all my senses. But fortunately, because I have noticed that my taste buds are acclimating to less sugars, the desire to actually taking a bite of this french toast doesn't even come up because I start thinking of the ginormous amounts of added sugars in this dish, and I ask myself, "Is this how you want to start your day?"

Easily, I'm like, "Uh no, not really." Because, I know that eating something like this at 9am is going to make me feel sluggish and heavy. But, I don't say no either because I know my Inner Resistance Monster will kick in. I just ask myself which choice will satisfy what I need at the moment, and make me feel good.

Fortunately, I'm satisfied with just inhaling the smells. Who knew? Back in January, I would have definitely at least gotten a very small piece and called it breakfast dessert.

 

So, what I do end up getting for breakfast is a cup of mixed fruit made of cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, mandarin oranges, and bananas from the salad bar, and then topping it with So Delicious brand Pina Colada coconut-milk based yogurt, and topping it all with my favorite maple pecan granola. I felt good. My body felt good, and this is the way I like to start my day...feeling gooood!

And how's your sugar weaning week going? Discover any new tips or try anything new to eat less sugars in the day? If you blogged about it, please share and tag your post, #triedsomethingnew and #foodrevolution as I'm collecting and highlighting anyone who tries something new in their efforts to eat healthier for our new "I tried something new" movement inspired by Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.

I'm very passionate that no one should die or be ill because of a diet related disease because it's preventable! We can all help each other eat healthier in ways that are fun and adventurous!

Egg-like Twist: Tofu Scramble With Onions, Tomatoes, And Chicken Apple Sausage

 

When I was checking out at Whole Foods, the cashier asked me, "So what are you cooking up for the blog today?" I'm there everyday, so I'm getting to know folks there. I'm becoming like Norm on Cheers.

I replied with a smile, "I am going to make a tofu scramble with onions, tomatoes, and chicken apple sausage."

The cashier responded with a confused look on his face which I was kind of expecting because I figured some thought like this was going through his mind, "That doesn't sound right, tofu scramble is  usually a vegan or vegetarian dish?"

So, I told him, "Yeah I know it sounds kinda weird because tofu scramble is usually a vegan/vegetarian dish so to add chicken apple sausage seems contradictory."

He replied with relief, "Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking!"

I explained to him that I have an allergy to cow milk and chicken eggs but meat is okay so I have to be creative with the breakfast dishes in creating an egg-like experience because I don't want to feel deprived. My philosophy too is that if something has the texture and taste (or very close to it) of something you want, is it really that big a deal what it's made from as long as you get a good experience?

He said that made lots of sense. I find it rather fun actually when I'm able to get someone to think differently about food.

Onto the recipe....

Simple Smoothie: Blueberry, Banana, Walnuts & Rice Milk

 

One of my kitchen gadgets I cannot live without is my 1.5-cup food processor. What I love most about this cute little processor is that it takes up very little room and takes 30-seconds to clean. Again, back to the lazy thing, I really don't like cleaning 5-cup blenders and 12-cup food processors because mentally, it always makes me feel like cleaning them is doing a chore. The mini-me is effortless to clean and one of the things I love to make in it are smoothies.

 

I like thicker smoothies. Mine though are sometimes too thick and have a consistency closer to drinkable pudding, kinda like this very simple one I made the other day which was simply organic blueberries, half a banana, chopped walnuts, and rice milk. Fire up the mini-me and this smoothie makes for a great afternoon sweet snack packed with some MUFAs.

Easy to Make: Mayo & Dairy Free Tuna Salad

 

Since I can't do mayo because of the egg allergy, here is how I make tuna salad. This version really tastes almost the same as using mayo and relish, so I don't even feel I'm missing out on anything. In fact, I think this version tastes better.

• 1 can of tuna fish - salt added
• some chopped onion
• 2 dashes of garlic powder
• 2-3 tbsp of Brianna's Poppyseed dressing

Just mix everything up in a bowl, and chill for 20 minutes before eating. To add a hint of flavor, I only use about 2 dashes of garlic powder not salt because the tuna is salted already. Too much of the garlic powder changes everything.

I say 2-3 tbsp because it depends on how "wet" I want my tuna salad. I tend to like the salad on the dry side because it's also less calories. Compared to like a Kraft regular Mayo, Brianna's has 80 calories/tbsp and 7g of fat. Kraft mayo has 90 calories/tbsp and 10g of fat.

To me, Brianna's Poppyseed dressing is a gift from heaven because it has a thickness similar to mayo, and it's on the sweet side. It's not trying to be a mayo substitute, it's just another option, and I love it!

Yogis Eat Cereal As Well As Tea

 

Yogi Tea is one of my favorite brands of tea because I delight in the little pearl of wisdom left on each tea bag like, "The beauty in you is in your spirit." Ahhhh! Indeed this tea makes me feel soothed.

I've been on a whirlwind of writing working on getting my book ready for the first round of full editing. When I get on a writing spree like this I always crave cereal, so I went to Whole Foods to see what they had.

I was pleasantly surprised to see some new cereals from the folks who make Yogi Tea. Yeah! Who knew. So, instant sale. I picked the Walnut Spice Crunch flavor designed for digestive health. All the nutritional info is here. The other flavors include Cherry Almond Crunch and Goji Berry Flake & Cluster.

Pictured above is a bowl of the cereal with fresh bananas and rice milk. This cereal was awesome! Crunchy. Nutty. Fun in my mouth. In fact, it's something I could just pour into a bowl and eat dry like popcorn. The other fun thing was to find two tea bags as the "prize." It's not like getting a super hero action figure, but Yogi tea is a splendid prize too.

 

The only thing I think they can improve on is to lower the sugar content a bit. The cereal comes in at 16g of sugars per 2/3 cup serving which to me is on the high side. But, sugar is usually the least of my worries.

Have you tried the Yogi cereals? What did you think?

Smashing Bite: Guacamole, Jalapeno SmashBurger with Rosemary, Garlic Fries

 

Friday's are typically my "Freebie" day, the day when we can eat whatever tickles our fancy. On Freebie day, one of my pleasures are burgers and garlic fries.

Last week, I was invited to come nosh by the folks at SmashBurgerin Tempe, their first restaurant in Arizona. Can I tell you that their SmashFries tossed with rosemary, garlic, herbs, and olive oil was phenomenal. No trans fat here. I was really in fry heaven. I particularly reveled in the rosemary because it was subtle yet added a unique twist especially for chain restaurant fries.

These SmashFries rank up there with Gordon Biersch garlic fries, and we all know how much I LOVE those fries. Here's a glimpse of these crispy savory SmashFries.

 

I believe that it's not possible to eat clean and perfectly every day or all the time especially when you live in a culture that bombards us with a plethora of choices. Life is too short, and you should be able to enjoy the foods you like even if they are junk or processed.

The key to balanced eating is moderation, and eating a diet that predominately contains foods that benefit your health and well being. On Freebie day, have a burger and enjoy it, guilt-free.

At SmashBurger, I did a Create-Your-Own burger containing: 1/3 lb burger, grilled onions, guacamole, fresh jalapenos, leaf lettuce, tomato, and mustard on a spicy Chipotle bun. The burger is big so, I'll eat half, and take the other half home and eat for lunch the next day.

 

The cool part of visiting SmashBurger was that they let me go back in the kitchen AND take pictures. The "Smash" in the SmashBurger name comes from the fact that the beef (before it's cooked) is rolled into balls, and then smashed like so on the grill.

 

And here is a glimpse of burgers being assembled once the burger is cooked. I thought it was fun to be in the trenches watching the food being made.

 

One of the things I would love SmashBurger to add is a Veggie burger. They do have a chicken burger, but if you're a vegetarian your only options are salads and SmashSides like fries, onion rings, and these Veggie frites which are flash fried asparagus, green beans, and carrots.

 

Check out SmashBurger in Tempe. Here's their menu. There will be more Smash restaurants opening throughout metro Phoenix over the next couple years. You will definitely see me on a Freebie day eating the rosemary fries.

5 Reasons Breakfast Rocks Your Body

I know. You hear it everywhere.

• "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
• "Breakfast is for champions."
• "Don't skip breakfast."

But if you're like me, breakfast can be one of the most challenging meals of the day mainly because of things like you're not hungry yet, you're running late to work or school, or you just forget because your brain is already inundated with stuff you gotta do that day.

"Because you should" never works in motivating me to eat breakfast. However, specific benefits are motivating especially if the payoff is something that I really want, and I mean really want.

Here's 5 benefits to eating breakfast that I find influencing:

• I get to eat. I've turned my passion of eating into this blog. When I remember that I just enjoy the action of eating (in general), I suddenly want to nosh on something. Most mornings, I just don't feel like eating so it becomes way easy to skip breakfast. But when I think, "Oooo we get to eat." Oatmeal here I come...

• I no longer care about skinny foods. I care about power foods. Over time, the dieting or "get skinny" mentality starts to brainwash you into eating less and less which eventually means you start cutting out entire meals all together like ahem...breakfast. Eating quality foods packed with nutrients in the morning like fresh organic fruits and even fish (typical in Asian breakfasts) makes me feel strong. I'd rather feel strong and fueled up in the morning than empty and faint.

• Breakfast prevents me from overeating at lunch which I can easily do at the sandwich bar or salad buffet places like Fresh Choice. I typically eat a later lunch like after 1pm so if the last meal I had the previous day was at 8pm, then that's 17 hours between meals, so yeah, the body can get screaming like Little Shop of Horrors, "FEED ME Seymour!" Ravenous is not pretty which leads to...

• When you go too far long time-wise between meals, you start training your body to hoard calories and slow down your metabolism. And OMG, no one wants to slow down their metabolism or make it sluggish. Mostly, we try to find ways to speed up the metabolism or keep it active, and eating breakfast will help accomplish that result. 

When you don't eat for long periods of time, the body starts to think it's going into starvation mode so it will cling onto and hold onto every calorie and ounce of food (energy) it can get it's hands on affecting your metabolism by slowing it down to preserve energy. Our bodies are very smart that way, as the body is engineered to help us stay alive. Eating breakfast helps break up that long time between dinner the night before and lunch the next day which keeps your metabolism active.

• Breakfast is delicious and pleasurable when you eat good foods, and if I can get more pleasure in the day, I'm all over it! Which brings us back to benefit #1, I get to eat, and we <3 eating!

Now that breakfast sounds really good, here's some ideas (all links have pictures):

• Scrumptious cantaloupe with ginger snap granola and greek yogurt (use rice or coconut milk based yogurts for vegan breakfast)
• The picture at the top of the post is my typical simple oatmeal dish: Plain oatmeal with rice milk. Sweeten with agave and mix in walnuts and sliced bananas. Here's 4 other ways I eat oatmeal: Toasty Sweet Pumpkin, Crunchy Banana Walnut, Snickerlicious, and Papaya Pecan.
• Sweet Potato Hashbrowns with Turkey Bacon
• Scrambled egg whites with Mango Chicken Sausage (I buy these at Trader Joe's)
• For brunch with friends: Zesty Fruit Kabobs

What are some of your favorite breakfast foods?

 

Starbucks Breakfast Pairings and a Giveaway

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And guess what, you can find a choice of six breakfast pairings at Starbucks for $3.95 within the U.S which is nice for those of us who want fast and cheaper. Starbucks in't my thrid place, it's my office, a perk for being a blogger.

You save as much as $1.20 when you buy the pairing versus as individual items. And, even though these are "breakfast" foods, the pairings are available all day long. And read to the end because I'm giving away some Starbucks gift cards. Oh yeah!

Before I get into the six choices. Here's some tidbits that can help you with some dietary preferences:

• For any of the four breakfast sandwiches, you can request that they take out the cheese, egg, or meat. You'll still be charged the $3.95 but at least you can cut down on fats.

• You can ask them to cut the sandwich in half so you can eat like half for breakfast, and eat the other half for a snack later in the day or for breakfast the next day.

• You can eat the sandwich open face by just removing one half of the bread. This will cut down calories and the carbs.

• All the nutritional info I list is in my county of San Mateo, CA. Double check the information for your city. There shouldn't be any difference, but again, double check. The nutritional info does list the ingredients, and almost all of those ingredients are recognizable items. It's still processed food, but it's not as sinful as it could be, at least in my humble opinion.

And now for your six choices:

* Tall Latte with Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal: The Oatmeal is made by Quaker and we love Quaker. For toppings you get to choose brown sugar, dried fruit, and a nut medley. The oatmeal is pretty much stuff you can make at home but if you're in a hurry, Starbucks is a good place to grab the oat goodness. Nutritional info in San Mateo.

* Tall Latte with Reduced-fat Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake. Now, in my opinion, you should not be starting your day off with cake. However, again, these six pairings are available all day long, so if you want to eat some cake as an afternoon snack treat on one of your "free" days or split a piece with a friend, then go for it. Nutritional info in San Mateo: 300 calories, 6g Fat, 53g Carbs, 4g Protein.

* Tall brewed coffee with the Artisan Bacon Sandwich: Smoked bacon, Gouda, and Parmesan egg frittata on hand-shaped artisan roll. Nutritional Info in San Mateo: 380 calories, 20g Fat, 31g Carbs, 19g Protein.

* Tall brewed coffee with the Artisan Ham Sandwich: Black Forest Ham, Mild Cheddar, and Parmesan egg frittata on hand-shaped artisan roll. Nutritional Info in San Mateo: 370 calories, 16g Fat, 32g Carbs, 23g Protein. Of the four sandwiches, this one was my favorite because it tasted good and it has the best overall balance of calories, fat, carbs and protein.

* Tall brewed coffee with the Sausage Breakfast Sandwich which I like to call the Star-BuckMuffin because it's pretty much Starbucks version of McDonald's Sausage Egg McMuffin: Sausage, egg, and mild Cheddar on an English muffin. Nutritional Info in San Mateo: 500 calories, 29g Fat, 42g Carbs, 20g Protein.

* Tall brewed coffee with the Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich: Reduced-fat turkey bacon, cholesterol-free egg, and reduced-fat aged white cheddar on a multi-grain English muffin. Nutritional Info in San Mateo: 390 calories, 12g Fat, 46g Carbs, 22g Protein.

And now that I've gotten you drooling and curious over these breakfast pairings, three of you will be lucky winners of a $5 Starbucks gift card so you can try one of these pairings. I will randomly pick the three winners. Available to US residents only because the pairings are available only in the US.

You can only enter once. Doors are open until Friday 3/20/09 at midnight PST. I'll announce the winners on Monday 3/23. Please leave a valid email so I can contact you. And yes indeedy, I believe in karma so your email will stay between you and I.

To enter, in comments, tell me what your favorite Starbucks drink is, what you normally like to enjoy. My favorite drink is an iced coffee with a dabble of soy milk and one packet of raw sugar.

Oatmeal Idea: Papaya, Pecans, and Agave Nectar

 

This is what I had for breakfast yesterday. It's a bowl of instant organic oatmeal with cut up chunks of dried papaya spears and pecans along with about half a tbsp of agave nectar and 1/4 cup of rice milk. And, oh yeah, it was scrumptious.

I wanted to try something exotic so I got the papaya spears when I was strolling the dried foods bin at a local market. I use agave nectar all the time now because I like that it has a lower glycemic index than cane sugar. Honey has a distinct taste, and the agave nectar not so much so you almost don't even know it's there besides the obvious sweeter taste.

Try it. Lemme know what you think.

Rachel's Pear and Mangosteen Cottage Cheese in a Yogurt Cup

The product designer in me loves to see refreshing packaging. Walking down the dairy aisle at Whole Foods, I remembered that I needed to pick up some Honey Greek Yogurt for my Cantaloupe and Ginger  Snap Granola with Pecan dish. While perusing all the different yogurts, my eye caught the words "Pear and Mangosteen."

I got a bit excited here as Mangosteen is an exotic fruit I like but you don't really see it (yet) in many every day foods like yogurt. As usual, I grabbed the cup to check out the nutrition label, and was a bit surprised (pleasantly though) to see that it wasn't yogurt but actually cottage cheese. I thought, "How clever!"

I mean really. Why do you need to design a different package for cottage cheese? Putting cottage cheese in yogurt cups makes sense.

So how did Rachel's Pear Mangosteen cottage cheese taste?

It was good. I likely! I added in some cut up Bosc pear chunks to jazz it up a bit. The pear and mangosteen fruit flavors were only a hint, and there were some fruit chunks in there albeit very small and few. Rachel’s cottage cheese are free of artificial sweeteners, flavors, preservatives and no high fructose corn syrup. w00t!

This 5oz. cup was only 130 calories which makes for a really great afternoon snack or nice addition to breakfast with half a bagel or some granola. Here's the nutritional information with ingredients list.

I enjoyed Rachel's Cottage Cheese and definitely am going to try the other flavors which include Pomegranate-Orange-Cranberry, Lemon-Verbana-Berry, Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, Cucumber Dill, and Roasted Red Pepper. I think it's cool that Rachel's has both sweet and savory offerings.

Next time, we'll try Rachel's yogurts.