BAM! Goodbye to Boring Breakfast!

Be prepared to have some of the most interesting and tasty breakfasts that actually add health to your day and body! Your breakfast mornings will never be boring again! I am starting the recipe series with a “Grain Free Brekkie” recipe. This is a “base recipe” for recipes to follow.Going grain free seems to is an option for those looking to eliminate grains in general and or wishing to adopt a modified paleo type diet. This recipe guide has many built in options; whether you choose to be grain, gluten or dairy free, raw, vegetarian, or not. One thing for sure, this breakfast is packed with nutrients, protein, fiber and healthy fats! BAM!! This breakfast has it all!

Why add nuts and seeds to your diet?

• Both are cholesterol free. Nearly half of the fat in nuts is monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. The fatty acid, like oleic acid, is an excellent source of phenolic antioxidants which help to decrease LDL (bad) and increase HDL (good cholesterol) Oleic acid is also noted to help with fat burning!

• Walnuts for example, has a good level of omega 3 and melatonin, which helps increase antioxidant protection and reduce inflammation (along with helping you sleep better!)

• Nuts and seeds contain a variety of minerals, like copper, zinc, calcium, magnesium all essential nutrients for cellular metabolism.

• They contain, vitamins like Vitamin K for blood clotting, Vitamin E for cell membrane, mucus and immune health, along with a good complement of B vitamins, including folate which is essential for liver detoxification pathways.

• Nuts and seeds also contain plant sterols known as “phytosterols” that play an important role in overall health, most notable, cardiovascular health, diabetes and inflammation.

Grain Free Brekkie: Base Recipe

These amounts will generally give you one week’s worth of breakfast servings.

Ingredients in container One:

• 1 cup each of raw almonds and walnuts or cashews and pecans, chopped

• 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

• 1/2 cup pumpkins seeds

• 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

Optional:

If you like your nuts a little crunchy with increased flavour you can lightly toast almonds or cashews in oven at 325F for 12- 15 minutes. Roasting almonds seems to preserve the phenolic compounds (antioxidant activity). Cool, before adding to container mix.

Mix all together and store in an airtight container.

Ingredients in container Two:

In another container combine dried fruit. I do this so the moisture from the dried fruit does not get absorbed by the nuts and seeds. When choosing dried berries, look for those unsweetened or sweetened with apple juice and no sulphites.

• 1/2 cup each of dried golden berries and white mulberries OR

• 1/2 cup of cranberries or tart cherry berries and raisins

(or use them all or a mix you enjoy, I have tried to combine a tart with a sweet to help balance the taste)

• 1/2 cup cacao nibs or dark chocolate (75+%), optional

• 1/2 cup of dried goji berries (avoid if you cannot tolerate nightshades)

Optional add-in Ingredients:

• bee pollen granules for immune and allergy health

• hemp seeds for protein, omega 3, 6, fibre

• ground flax seeds (ground 1 cup and store in fridge for quick and easy access)

Store each of these ingredients in an airtight container and place in fridge.

Preparing for Breakfast:

Now when you are ready for breakfast add

• 1/4-1/2 cup of the nut mix and

• 1/3 cup of the dried fruit mix.

• add 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed

• add 1 tbsp of hemp seeds

• add 1 tsp of bee pollen granules

• top off with blueberries, fresh golden berries, raspberries or strawberries

• add 1/2 cup of almond or other milk option

Meal Tips/Preparation:

• increasing dietary nuts and seeds is not only rich in nutrients, but fibre as well! Increase your water intake! If you find your are constipated, you are not drinking enough!

• use the nut and seed mixes for making a trail mix snack!

NEXT:

Build a Meal Versatility:

Three more ways to use the base recipe with some added yum...stay tuned, subscribe so you don't miss the recipes!

• Coco-nutseed Granola; no grain

• Buckwheat Granola Crunch

• Cinnamon Honey Quinoa Breakfast

You will 'Build a meal' by adding 1/2 cup of the one of the above grain or no-grain recipes.

• add dairy based milk or plant (Almond, Coconut…) based drink. (SEE RECIPES)

*© anna-z-nutrition : “BAM!!” BUILD A MEAL series

Additional Information:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15979282/

http://www.ijcea.org/papers/416-N0002.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257681/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3745769/

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