Superfoods For Breakfast

Every morning you have a new opportunity to start your day on the right track. Making not just healthy breakfast choices, but superfood choices at this first, most important meal of the day is like leaping onto a springboard toward your weight loss and disease prevention goals.

First things first, get up and have a large glass of water. You lose plenty of water during sleep through breathing and your skin, so every thirsty cell in your body will be grateful.

Canada’s Food Guide recommends 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day (varying with age and gender). It’s a no-brainer to get one or two servings in at breakfast to begin your vitamin- and fiber-packed day of eating. Here are two powerful yet simple breakfast ideas that are unprocessed and do not come from a box with a large ingredient list on the side.

Banana a la Almond Butter

Put 2 tablespoons of almond butter in a small bowl. (If oil has settled at the top of the jar, pour the entire contents into a shallower container and mix.) Either dip your banana bite-by-bite into the almond butter, or have better table manners by cutting the banana into slices or lengthwise and spreading almond butter on top. Wash down each bite with soymilk. Check it out – you’ve already consumed servings from three food groups.

Don’t let their calorie and fat content fool you. Almonds are outrageously healthy. They are full of protein and fiber. Vitamin E, magnesium, and other powerful nutrients build a strong heart and protect against diseases such as diabetes. Monounsaturated fats are very helpful for weight loss.

Asian Pear, Dates, and Hemp “Salad”

Mix together one chopped Asian pear (peeled or unpeeled, depending on skin toughness), two chopped dates (pit removed), and 3-4 tablespoons raw, shelled hemp seeds. The dates provide delicious sweetness. You can substitute any type of fruit for the Asian pear. Again, wash down with soymilk.

Raw, shelled hemp seeds are a nutritional superstar and are now being carried by regular grocery stores. They are a complete protein and offer all the essential fatty acids and other nutrients needed for a healthy weight, tons of energy, and prevention from nasty diseases. They are worth the purchase, as you will easily integrate them into your regular cooking and eating.

As you head out for the remainder of your day, make sure you have your superfood snack and lunch packed with you. And perhaps your superfood supper is simmering in the slow cooker, awaiting your arrival home. Again, stay away from anything with lengthy ingredient lists and stay as close as you can to foods in their natural state. Enjoy your day!