ASK THE TRAINER: Breakfast is an important meal
It seems like I am constantly asking people what they ate for breakfast. No matter what their question is to me, I always end up asking what they eat.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gets your metabolism going, gives you energy and if you choose a healthy breakfast, odds are you will make better choices throughout the day. Usually people tell me they do not have time for breakfast for one reason or another, so I timed how long it took me to actually make breakfast. Four minutes!
Every morning I eat 1/2 cup of old fashioned oatmeal in water with 1/4 cup fresh blueberries, 1 whole omega-3 egg and 2-3 whites with a 1/4 avocado. I keep the avocado cut up in the fridge and both the oats and eggs take 2 minutes each to cook. Extremely simple! I absolutely love oatmeal! There are so many different ways to cook it that you could never get bored. Oats are a great start to you day for a number of reasons.
They provide carbs, a little protein and fiber, and they have a very low glycemic index (GI) which means you will stay full longer and most likely your body will use it as fuel rather than store it as fat. Steel cut oats and old fashioned oats are the best choices because they are minimally processed. Avoid the quick-cooking varieties, and flavored varieties are much higher on the GI scale.
During the week, I use the time-saving microwave, but when I have time I love to try new varieties. I am going to share with you a recipe I recently came across that is amazing, especially with the cooler weather! There are tons of other options out there; you just have to commit to it!
Baked Ginger Pumpkin Oatmeal
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp nonfat cottage cheese
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- Dash sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1 piece crystallized ginger, crushed
- Mix wet ingredients, add dry ingredients, bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
