Plain Yogurt?

Since breakfast can be challenging, here is one more easy option that takes less than 5 minutes to prepare and can hold you for 3-4 hours or until lunch. Plain yogurt is a great food to have on a daily basis since it contains 400 mg. of calcium per cup serving besides providing healthy bacteria for your gut.

As opposed to European yogurts, most plain American yogurts are bitter and tasteless, at least until recently. A few years back this pattern started to change with several companies selling European-style yogurts with a thick creamy consistency.

One of my favorites is from Greece called Fage. The plain Fage 2% contains the best nutritional mix with high levels of protein, a little fat and a moderate amount of carbohydrate. It comes in large containers, and small ones that travel well.

Another favorite is Strauss plain yogurt. Strauss is a small company that carries all organic products including plain low-fat yogurt and whole milk yogurt. Both are good options that come in large containers only.

Spega La Natura is an Italian yogurt that comes in small glass jars which are handy for re-use around the house. This yogurt is easy to take to work for a snack or small meal.

All of these brand mix well with fruit and nuts or seeds, or the Healthy Nut Mix (see blog 4/1/09) from my upcoming book A Recipe for Life by the Doctor's Dietitian which will be available in September.

Frittatas: A Simple Healthy Breakfast

Since I did a recent article about eggs (see 7/11/09) I thought I’d give you an easy breakfast idea for eggs. Eggs are the highest quality protein that exists. If you eat eggs for breakfast it will sustain you for many hours versus eating a bowl of cereal which will leave you ravenous in 2 hours. Eating protein in the morning also increases your metabolism so you burn more calories which could help with weight loss.

No time to make eggs? Try making my easy frittata on the weekend. Simple to make, and can provide breakfast throughout the week by just heating up a square with a cup or a pieced of fruit. Besides being portable to bring to work, frittatas are versatile since they can be made different each time with various colorful vegetables - appealing to the eyes and palate!

Serves: 8 squares
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
½ sweet yellow medium sized onion, chopped
5 cups chopped vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash,
mushrooms, red bell pepper, tomatoes)
12 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2-3 tablespoons 1% milk
1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence (or favorite spice)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan sauté onions and red bell peppers in olive oil until tender for 5 minutes. Add other vegetables and sauté until tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a bowl whisk eggs and add shredded cheese, milk, and spices. Fold in vegetables. Pour mixture into large glass baking dish (9 x 12) and bake at 350 degrees for half an hour or until lightly brown on top and firm. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut in squares and serve.

Per Serving

Calories 209

Protein 18 grams

Total Carbohydrates 6 grams

Total Fat 12 grams

Fiber 1 gram

Sodium 301 mg.

Low-Carb High-Protein Pancakes?

Let’s take a break from the research today and focus on eating. The recipes in my upcoming book: A Recipe for Life by the Doctor’s Dietitian focus on unprocessed “clean” foods that are balanced with respect to protein, healthy forms of carbohydrate and fat. In creating a breakfast recipe that fit these criteria I wanted a pancake high in protein and could be enjoyed by people with insulin resistance, diabetes and wheat and gluten in tolerances.

Although the name is deceptive, Buckwheat contains no wheat, and is from the beet family, making it technically a fruit and not a grain. Besides being high in protein and calcium, this recipe is a great way for carb lovers to feel spoiled. It is very light compared to regular pancakes and can be used as a wrap for sandwiches at other meals. Top with unsweetened applesauce and fruit.

Ricotta Buckwheat Pancakes

Serves: 20 medium sized pancakes
Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 1 hour refrigeration)
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
½ cup buckwheat flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
¾ cup 1% milk

Preparation:
Separate egg whites in a small bowl and yolks in a medium bowl. Set egg whites aside. Mix yolks and ricotta cheese until thoroughly combined. Add the flour, salt and sugar into yolk mixture. Stir the milk.

Beat egg whites with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into yolk mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight for best results.

Heat griddle with a small amount of butter. Measure batter in approximately ¼ cup increments and pour on hot griddle. Once bubbles start appearing (about 2-3 minutes), gently flip pancake until the other side becomes golden brown (an additional 1-2 minutes). Top with fruit or applesauce.

Tip: Recipe can be halved.

Per Pancake:

Calories 66

Protein 5 grams

Total Carbohydrates 3.7 grams

Total Fat 3 grams

Fiber .5 grams

Sodium 74 mg.