Nailing Breakfast with these health ideas

Week beginning Friday 10th July 2020

This Week: Nailing your “Break” Fast

Is Breakfast actually the most important meal of the day? It’s certainly purported to be but in truth, this is not as crucial as we may have been led to believe.

There’s no doubt that nailing that first meal of your day, with a healthy nutrient-rich meal is the way to go; setting the tone and right frame of mind for the day ahead. However, the timing of that first meal of the day can differ from person to person. I’m a huge fan of intermittent fasting and in particular the 16:8 way of eating. In other words, restricting your eating window to 8hrs of the day and fasting for 16hrs. Most people find that breakfast is the easiest meal to “miss”, in order to achieve the 16hrs of fasting.

So, getting your day off to a great start with your meal choices can happen at any time and here’s a few satiating suggestions that are ideal to “break the fast”.

  • Smokey Red Pepper & Tomato Shakshuka
    Shakshuka is a delicious and highly nutritious Middle Eastern dish often served at breakfast, yet it’s hearty enough to be served as a light meal for brunch too. With my Middle Eastern background, this was a firm favourite growing up and now with my nutrition background, it’s still a firm favourite! With onions, tomatoes and red peppers as the main basis of this dish, it’s a fabulous way to eat your veggies at the start of the day.VEGAN FLEXIBLE: To ensure good protein, swap out the eggs for thick slices of crispy Tofu; gently sautéed in a separate pan and well seasoned.
  • Tomato & Goat’s Cheese Sourdough Bruschetta
    Bread regularly gets banished to the “off-limits” list, and whilst it’s true that some bread isn’t the best of choices, there is a difference between good quality bread and a mass-produced, packaged loaf. Bread is actually a fermented product, using yeast, water & a grain such as wheat. To properly ferment flour, to change its nature and create tasty bread, takes time. Most bread today is not properly fermented and this may be behind the rise in allergies to wheat flour, gluten and many IBS symptoms, such as bloating and wind.A good quality sourdough bread, with no additives (no types of dough improvers, preservatives & flavour enhancers ) allows enough time for the fermentation process and as such, not only do you end up with a delicious dense texture that is filling and satisfying, but it is also less burden on the digestive process. You can definitely taste and feel the difference! 🤩

    Make up a tomato salad, simply dressed with olive oil, a splash of balsamic, some torn basil leaves, salt & pepper. Super simple and super tasty! THis can remain in the fridge for a day or two. When you’re ready, toast a slice of sourdough and rub some raw garlic over whilst still warm and drizzle with a little olive oil. Now top with the tomato & basil mixture and crumble a little goat’s cheese on top.

    VEGAN FLEXIBLE: Replace the goat’s cheese with tofu….as above, but cube the Tofu for this one.

  • Healthy Cauliflower Rice & Quinoa Kedgeree
    I created this healthy kedgeree dish for one of my cooking demos at the Ideal Home Show 2019 at Olympia, London. Inspired by the “Best of British” theme, this dish, traditionally served in the days of the Raj in colonial India, is a popular breakfast or brunch choice. My version retains the delicious and already healthy ingredients, but uses fibre-rich cauliflower and protein-rich quinoa, instead of the traditional rice, as a base. This works very well with leftover quinoa and you’ll be surprised how quick it is to prepare cauliflower rice; this is an incredibly easy meal to assemble and a real crowd pleaser!VEGAN FLEXIBLE: Leave out the eggs and mackerel and the good news is that this dish still provides excellent first class protein from the quinoa.

    This low GI meal is high in fibre, providing 2 portions of vegetables and is slow releasing to keep you fuller for longer. An ideal meal choice if you’re Intermittent Fasting. 

  • Beetroot Salad with Smoked Mackerel
    This nutrient-dense chopped salad of beetroot, carrot & red onion coleslaw with smoked mackerel fillet, packs in the antioxidants as well as omega-3s and of course proteinThis salad is easy to make in a food processor or Thermomix; simply chop 1 raw beetroot, 1 – 2 carrots, ½ red onion and at the same time, add in 1tsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp Apple cider (or any) vinegar, 4 tbsp olive oil, S & P. That’s it!