Continental Breakfasts

This morning I entered the "breakfast room" at the hotel we stayed at in Federal Way, knowing choices for healthy continental breakfasts are always limited. Walking past the waffles, syrup, muffins, jam, biscuits, danishes, cereals, bagels, toast and juice bar I thought, this isn't breakfast but a sugar fest. Alas, beneath some chrome domes were some scrambled eggs and a frittata dish. It was nice to see a couple protein choices amongst all the refined carbs - foods that spike your blood sugar, and then within an hour or two (depending your bodies' ability to manage blood sugar), your blood sugar plummets and you may experience low energy, fogginess, hunger or many other reactions associated with low blood sugar.

My daughter plays on a premier soccer team for WSA. We had a game Saturday and Sunday in the Seattle area, thus the hotel stay. Another mom commented to me that she was glad we were playing the higher ranked team on Saturday vs. Sunday as she thinks the girls do not play as well after a night of sleeping in a hotel. And sure enough, their performance today was not up to par. I am beginning to think it isn't how they sleep, but the continental breakfast they are eating two hours before game time.

To maintain stable blood sugar levels (between 90-100mg) it is best to eat meals that consist of a balance between healthy fats, clean proteins and complex carbohydrates. The majority of foods at a continental breakfast are refined carbs, with very little protein. The girls didn't stand much of a chance of performing their best on a soccer field two hours after their high sugar meals.

Hotels with continental breakfast have become the norm in most hotels these days. Guests love the fact they don't have to go out and buy breakfast. But take a minute and really think about the foods you are eating from continental breakfasts and how your body reacts to them. It may be free dollar-wise, but health-wise there is some cost.

Nut Butters

Eating a variety of nut butters, rather than eating Peanut Butter consistently, will give you more nutrition, as each nut has a variety of vitamins and minerals. Walnuts are high in Omega-3s, Peanuts are known for their Niacin (Vitamin B) content, and Almonds are a great source of Vitamin E.

To make your own nut butters, simply toast your nuts of choice (one type or a combination) in an over for about 20 minutes at 275 degrees. Straight from the oven place them in a food processor and run until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Delicious, economical and healthy!

Sourcing Your Nuts: http://www.azurestandard.com/ has raw, organic nuts at good prices.

Snack Ideas: apple slices with almond butter, sprouted grain english muffin with walnut butter, bananas with peanut butter.

Eggs, a perfect food

Sometimes you learn something new that is so basic and easy you wonder why you haven't learned it a long time ago. Little things that make your life easier. Like peeling hard boiled eggs! I like to make egg salad, or have hard boiled eggs in the fridge. Eggs are a great protein snack (see below). But they sure can be a pain to peel. Someone recently mentioned to me that she steams eggs to cook them, rather than boiling. For 22 minutes. I tried this today and it worked like a charm.

Thanks Rebecca!

This information came from Rick Wilkes at http://www.thrivingnow.com/:

*Eggs have only 75 calories, 5 grams of fat, and no trans-fat. They are high in protein and contain 13 essential vitamins and minerals.

*A University of Washington study concluded that people with and without high blood cholesterol levels are better off if they eat two eggs a day. Eggs contain gthe "good fats" that are heart-healthy.

*Eggs are rich in the nutrient lutein. This nutrient protects agaisnt thickening of the arteries. The Los Angeles Atherosclerosis Study found that the more eggs their subjects ate, the better their arteris looked. One egg has more lutein than a large serving of vegetables.

*Aside from being an inexpensive and top-quality source of protein, eggs are filling. you can satiate your appetite and help your brain focus by starting each day with a couple of eggs.

Camas Health Fair

It was a beautiful day for the Camas Health Fair, this past Saturday, that was held in conjuction with the Camas Plant and Garden Fair. Thank you to those of you who stopped by my booth. It is always good to see old friends and meet some new ones. If you are considering hosting a workshop for your friends and family, please contact me if you have any questions.

I had one friend come by and the discussion of breakfast came up. She told me her typical breakfast is cereal ranging from Total to Captain Crunch. A simple remedy to store bought breakfast cereals (which either have too much sugar or the vitamins are fortified, i.e. synthetic versions of the real vitamns stripped from the grain to prolong shelf life) is making your own granola.

Granola is made by mixing oats with a combination of seeds and nuts, and sometimes coconut, then stirred with a sweetner and oil. Once this mixture is baked in the oven at a low temperature you can mix in a variety of dried fruits. They are endless combinations and variations which is why it is so much fun to make your granola. Your kids will love it! Here is a basic recipe to get you started:

Hollyhock Granola

6 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup sunflower or safflower oil
2/3 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
2. In a sacuepan, heat the oil and the honey at low heat until the honey melts. Don't allow the honey and oil to boil. Take the honey and oil off the stove and add the vanilla. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and toss them well until the granola is shiny and well coated.
3. Spread the mixture onto 2 baking sheets and bake until golden, stirring every 20 minutes. It takes about an hour to bake at 250 degrees and less time a a higher heat. The granola may still be slightly soft when it comes out of the oen but it will crisp up as it cools. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Variations - try different combinations of the following ingredients:
Seeds: Flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame
Nuts: Almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts
Sweetners: Honey, maple syrup, brown sugar
Spices and Flavorings: Cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, orange zest
Dried Fruit: Apricots, cherries, cranberries, raisins, pears and/or prunes - cut larger fruit into bite-size pieces

Welcome!

Welcome to Eat Well Be Well's blog. You will find all sorts of inspiration on this blog to eat well. Whether it is education about nutrient dense foods or recipes or events or simply parts of my story I hope you will be motivated to join me in shifting our country from a fast food culture to a real food culture.

Toasted Multigrain and Seed Cereal

Last summer for our family vacation we spent a week at an organic farm in Canada. The kids fed the chickens, sheep and enjoyed picking vegetables for our dinners. We all loved hiking, canoeing and kayaking - Quadra Island is a beautiful and peaceful part of Canada.

One morning we had a delicious breakfast with the owners. After commenting on the wonderful cooking, Geraldine shared with me one of her cookbooks, Hollyhock Cooks. Hollyhock is a resort on Cortez Island, just north of Quadra. My dear husband gave me a copy of the cookbook for a Christmas gift. One of my favorite recipes from the book is the Toasted Multi-grain cereal.

This recipe has lots of good nutrients and protein. Oatmeal, brown rice cereal and other hot cereals are nutrititious but are lower in protein. This breakfast cereal with the almonds, pumpkin seeds and quinoa has a good amount of protein, giving you a decent balance of protein, carbs, and fats. That balance is important for every meal and snack, but especially for breakfast. You can add some butter, or sliced avocado or a poached egg before serving. Yum!

Toasted Multigrain and Seed Cereal from Hollyhocks Cooks

1/2 C. whole almonds
1/2 C. whole pumpkin seeds
1/2 C. quinoa
1/2 C. millet
1/2 C. brown rice
1/4 C. unhulled sesame seeds
1/4 C. flax seeds

In a large cast-iron skillet, toast the almonds and pumpkin seeds until the seeds begin to brown and pop. Add the remaining whole grains and seeds and continue to toast for another 15 minutes. They should all snap and pop. Continue to stir. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool completely before mixing in a food processor for 20 seconds or so. It’s nice to keep some of the grainy texture, so don’t mix it for too long. This is the base to make your own hot multigrain cereal It will keep in a sealed jar in a cool dry spot for up to 1 month. Any longer and it should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer. To cook the cereal, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup of the dry cereal, cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve hot.