Category Archives: Breakfast
The Ultimate Healthy Breakfast
Today’s healthy breakfast “recipe” brought to you by our very good friends :) My family spent the weekend in the San Diego area (Missy too!) to visit our friends. Since we are all active and healthy, the weekend was full of good food and outdoor exploring.
I can’t wait to recreate the breakfast they made us this morning. It was a fun diversion from my usual oatmeal. Look at this spread:
These were toppings for mini 7-grain pancakes (made with almond milk & apple sauce, cooked with coconut oil). You might want to rethink your butter & syrup combo after this….
So many healthy benefits to this breakfast: Omega-3’s, protein, essential amino acids, protein, antioxidants, magnesium, iron, fiber.
Put them all in a bowl and what do you get? A protein-packed pancake parfait (and yes, I was proud of myself for that alliteration.) Ta da!
That is a beautiful Sunday brunch :)
I did a little research on the nutritional content of the ingredients above. Aside from being vegan, raw, and “clean”, here are some fun nutritional facts:
- Hemp seed comes from the cannabis plant (yes, marijuana) but has miniscule to no THC, and does not contain any drug properties. It does however act as an extraordinary source of all essential amino acids. (Those are good!)
- Cinnamon is a mega-antioxidant that controls blood sugar levels and has been shown to increase metabolism. It also has “warming” properties (freaky!) and in my opinion is one of the best scents ;)
- Flax seeds are full of Omega-3 fatty acids which do wonders for your heart’s health <3
- Greek yogurt. I would say that Greek yogurt qualifies as a “fad” right now but I’m right on that wagon. It’s delicious, filling, low-carb/low-fat/low-sugar/high-protein. Those are good ratios!
- Strawberries are the most popular berry in the United States (potentially arguable statement.)
- Studies have concluded that blueberries can improve memory. They are also highly addictive.
(If you have any other toppings ideas, let me know!)
Time for a hike! Our families climbed to the peak of one of the local San Diego-area mountains. My calves were burning over the steep grade and the views were beautiful, all the way out to the ocean. Love hiking with my family!
Who has heard of geocaching? It’s a GPS scavenger hunt that takes you to hidden containers where players can leave behind objects and messages for future players to uncover. The top of the hill we climbed was a geocache location and Miss Johnna found the metal box hidden in a bush under rocks. Treasures!
I love the idea behind the geocaching game. It reminds me of the TV show The Amazing Race, which is also the only reality show that I would actually consider signing up for. Thanks for such a fun & healthy weekend!
Last but not least, next installment of my marathon training playlist. This week I’m going to have to go with Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down and I apologize for the old dude in his underwear…
A little bit of a throwback… The song is 14 years old and I remember listening to it in elementary school. It’s definitely in my 200-song playlist for marathon training :) There aren’t really any specific lyrics this time that I can relate to running, just love the beat!
T-14 days to my first marathon! Time to get those 8-hours of zzzzz’s…
All About Oranges
Goodmorning :)
Are you sipping a glass of orange juice? (I think it goes without saying that my morning mug is filled with coffee.)
I’m all about oranges. (Navel, not those weird Valencia ones. Who wants to deal with seeds?) My favorite grocery store Sprouts had a huge display of navel oranges this week, 3 pounds for $1. So obviously I bought as many as I could fit in my basket and have been slicing up a couple every day! They are so juicy, and citrus fruits in general just smell so fresh :)
Now that I’m overflowing with oranges I thought I’d do a little research into what these little guys are doing for me!
My go-to site for all nutrition information is nutritiondata.self.com (seriously, I look up the calorie/fat/sodium serving size info on almost every food without a label. Fun fact: a whole zucchini is only 30 calories. #goodbecauseicaneatfive)
So the COLD HARD FACTS:
A small orange is only 60 calories.
One contains about 85% of a day’s worth of Vitamin C. (Though the body can’t actually store Vit C so eating a dozen oranges won’t make you extra Vitamin C-y.)
An orange is also about 85% water.
They are naturally fat-free!
Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant. It helps repair and build tendons, ligaments, skin and blood vessels.
The vitamin also helps form scar tissue and maintain cartilage, bones and teeth.
(Source: National Health Institute)
Another fun fact (lucky you!) The city I grew up is historic orange grove territory. My high school is built right next to what’s left of an orange grove, and our school colors were even (BRIGHT) orange & green. Not ideal uniform colors. We were called “jailbirds” on more than one occasion…. clever.
Sometimes in high school when the oranges on the trees were ripe, we would pick a few to eat as a post-workout snack. Sticky hands – yes. Totally worth it – yes.
We even invented “orange grove tag” for off-season workouts. Instead of a 4-5 mile run, we would congregate on an acre of orange trees and play hide and seek until we all got hungry. <3
Don’t skimp on that Vitamin C. Your bones/teeth/skin/immune system will be extra thankful for the extra boost. Or go for the “cuties” (clementines) to get your fill of Vitamin C in an adorable fun-size fruit. I always try to peel them in one spiral piece, it’s my own competition with myself ;)
And that Hi-C or Tang crap does NOT count! Pulp is GOOD.
Back To School Round-up
Back to School Fever has struck! If you’re like me, the fast-approaching school year has you anxiously making lists, weeding out the closet and spending way too much time in the accessories section at Target.
Back to school fever: the unavoidable desire to buy all new clothes, shoes and school supplies to go with the start of a new school year. Symptoms include drastic hair change, makeover, newly-bronzed skin and compulsory purchases of way too many post-its and puppy folders.
This Back to School Round-up includes past (and perhaps forgotten) blog posts of recipes, workouts and college tips that you might find useful as you prep for school!
1.) Homemade Granola Bars:
Make these for you and your roommates….instant friends :) Or send this recipe to your Mom for a future *hint hint* care-package idea.
Butterscotch Pumpkin Granola Bars:
If you’re a fan of Nature Valley granola bars, you’ll adore these homemade version that take the processed out of the breakfast or snack. Pumpkin + Butterscotch = magic. We made them for a hiking trip to The Bridge to Nowhere but agreed they are best with a hot cup of coffee for breakfast or dessert :)
2.) Healthy Alternatives to Favorite Snacks:
When you’re stocking your fridge, look out for healthy swaps around the grocery store. Lots of your favorites like trail mix, peanut butter and chips can be replaced with something just as yummy but with at least half the sodium/trans-fat/sugar/calories.
No rule says that just because you’re in college you must sacrifice good food for Top Ramen ;) And if you’re going to be shopping for food & snacks to keep in your dorm/apartment, you might want to check out the College Girls’ Grocery Guides:
College Girl Grocery Guide (the original)
College Girl Grocery Guide 2.0 – Apartment Edition
3. Stress Busters
When classes start you might feel a little stressed out. Not sure what to expect if it’s your first year on campus; not ready to go back if it’s your third or fourth. Stress is the ultimate compromiser of your health; it has all kinds of icky side effects. I let stress get to me more often then I should, and have to remind myself to RELAX!
4. Study Snacks
And as any good student, you should be doing lots of STUDYING! I love when studying turns social and groups of friends organize a study group either in the library, the union, or their dorm. Sometimes our schedules are so busy that we don’t get to hang out every day, so combining studying & friends = best of both worlds (as long as you can stay out of Pinterest and Snap Chat!). But with social studying there are usually two things: Coffee & Snacks.
Here’s the Healthy Study Snack List!
A new school year, a new start – you want to look your best & feel your best. I personally am stoked for this school year! So many great things to look forward to. :)
