Hey 7410 Style Family,
For most of my adult life, I skipped breakfast, occasionally grabbed a breakfast bar or doughnut, or drank a filling Starbucks latte. I didnāt ask myself why the latte was so filling. Hmmmm. On weekends, I would make a āproperā breakfast of pancakes and bacon or an omelet with an English muffin smothered in butter and jam. Or go out for a brunch of eggs benedict or fried chicken and waffles. I thought I was eating healthy. It was chicken after all and not sausages. Boy was I wrong.
Fast forward forty years of āhealthyā eating, and I was overweight with high cholesterol and relying on coffee to keep me going. Fortunately, my family and I found a better way.
Go ahead. Lay down all your best excuses. I work, I commute, I have to take care of children or a parent or children and parents. I know all of these excuses and more. At the end of the day, they are still excuses, and they can prevent you, me, all of us from living and feeling the joy that healthfulness brings.
One step we took that may work for you is to eat a bigger and truly healthy Ā breakfast. Researchers found that eating most of your food in the morning and early afternoon results in greater short-term weight loss compared to eating most of your food later in the day. Eat within two hours of going to bed and your body will have a harder time metabolizing the food and put you at greater risk of chronic diseases like heart disease.
My husband, son and I eat an oatmeal breakfast bowl every morning. It varies in how we combine all the ingredients. My husband adds an ounce of walnuts to his oatmeal, then eats a bowl of beans for a morning snack. My son eats his oatmeal separately from his beans, and I just combine it all into one breakfast bowl. Before you think Iām crazy, let me take you through the nutrition of my breakfast bowl.
First, I put in half of a cup of cooked navy beans. I batch cook the navy beans, so I just take them from the refrigerator and scoop them into my bowl. The navy beans are 150 calories with 10 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and 0.5 grams of fat. They have a low glycemic index which just means that they cause a gradual and moderate increase in blood sugar levels after eating them, not a sharp, fast increase like doughnuts would. The beans help to maintain more stable blood sugar levels, and all the fiber digests more slowly to give more sustained energyā¦a lot more than doughnuts. The beans also provide vitamin B9, essential for overall health, iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and lysine, an amino acid important for growth, tissue repair, and overall health.
Second, I add in a half of a cup of cooked steel cut oats. Again, I batch cook the steel cut oats, so I just take the container from the refrigerator and scoop the oats into my bowl. The oats are 170 calories with 5 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and 2.5 grams of fat. You may be surprised that 0.5 grams of that fat is saturated fat. Itās a very small amount and okay if you donāt add dairy milk or cream to it. The numbers for rolled or old-fashioned oats are similar to the steel cut oats. Oats provide vitamins B1, B5, and B6, manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium. Theyāre also rich in antioxidants and beneficial phytochemicals, polyphenols. Avenanthramides are antioxidants that are almost exclusively found in oats. They fight inflammation and are thought to lower blood pressure by increasing nitric oxide production. Their benefits donāt stop there. Oats are associated with improving heart health, digestive health, weight control, and even gut bacteria.
Third, I sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal into the bowl. Flaxseed is 80 calories with 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat. It provides vitamins B1, B6, and B9, copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, and iron. The biggest reason we add flaxseed to our breakfast bowls is because itās an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 fatty acid. Studies link ALA to decreased cholesterol levels and lower risks for heart disease and stroke. Flaxseed also contains phytochemicals with cancer-fighting properties.
Fourth, I pour about half of a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk into the bowl. Our brand of almond milk has 15 calories with 0.5 grams of protein and 1.25 grams of fat. It is also fortified with vitamins D, A and E, calcium, iron, and potassium. The entire bowl has the effect of lessening cruelty to animals, but I usually really think about it when I add almond milk. I am grateful that a diary cow did not have to suffer for my breakfast.
I do have a concern about this almond milk in that it is an ultra-processed food. We could milk our own almonds for example. LOL Seriously, there are excellent alternatives like just almonds and water, cashews and water, or soy and water. For the small amount we use, the convenience, taste, no sugar added, and very low fat, this is the one ultra-processed item my family and I consume every day.
Fifth, I add a cup of frozen blueberries and a half of a cup of frozen raspberries. Some days, Iāll add mixed fruit or strawberries instead of raspberries, but always a cup of blueberries. The blueberries are 70 calories with 4 grams of fiber, less than a gram of protein, and 1 gram of fat. They provide vitamins C and K, and manganese. Blueberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels among fruits and vegetables. They are loaded with anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that combat stress and inflammation. Blueberries are associated with reducing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cognitive decline.
A half of a cup of raspberries are 35 calories with 4.5 grams of fiber, 1 gram of protein, and 0.5 grams of fat. They provide vitamins A, B9, C, E, and K, manganese, omega-3 fatty acids and potassium. They are one of the lowest-sugar fruits and one of the highest-fiber whole foods. They are also rich in antioxidants which are associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases including cancer.
My breakfast bowl totals up to 520 calories with 23.5 grams of fiber, 19.5 grams of protein, and 10.75 grams of fat. Four minutes in my microwave, and Iām ready to eat a nutritious and delicious breakfast bowl. And really, the beans are so mild they take on the flavors of the fruit and the oats. Tomorrow morning, give a healthy, big breakfast a try.
Wishing you the best,
Rhonda
P.S. You can catch up on past newsletters at the 7410 Expanded website.
š¦7410 Style Video Spotlight
Starting and Sticking with your Diet
7410 Style is a whole foods, plant-based lifestyle.Ā To achieve this healthful lifestyle, a ā10ā physically and mentally, takes our effort 7 days a week.Ā In other words, we live this lifestyle 7 days a week 4ever living the 10 principles to 4ever achieve a ā10ā.Ā Setting a goal is the first step, but developing and sticking with a plan takes effort, understanding ourselves and preparation.Ā This video covers setting the goal, tips for staying with the plan, and different methods for starting a whole foods, plant-based diet.
š©āš³In the Kitchen:Ā No-Stir Rice-Cooker Oats
Iām not talking about the chilled overnight oats and chia seeds combination that turns into a pudding by morning here. This super simple recipe, courtesy of my sister-in-law, uses a rice cooker. No stirring, no tending. Just combine the oats and water and take care of the million other things you need to do in the morning. Add in walnuts, blueberries, bananas, raisins, and perhaps a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter for a delicious meal.
The rice cooker automatically shuts off when your oats are cooked. Whether youāre cooking for several people or just yourself, the rice cooker can switch to āwarmā mode so the oatmeal is ready when they are. You can also cook steel cut oats in the rice cooker. Just double the water. Whichever oats you use, the result is creamy, delicious, hot oatmeal.
Ingredients
ā¢ 1 cup rolled (or old-fashioned) oats ā¢ 1 Ā¾ cup water (less if you prefer a chewier consistency) ā¢ Pinch of salt (optional) ā¢ Optional toppings: almond (or other alternate) milk, nuts or seeds, thawed frozen fruit, fresh or dried fruit, maple syrup, nut butter, flaxseed meal
Instructions
ā¢ Combine oats, water, and salt, if using, in the rice cooker. ā¢ Press the start or Porridge button (my rice cooker just has one button, but yours may be fancier). ā¢ Take care of your other to-do items and come back when youāre ready to add any optional toppings and eat breakfast.
šBook Boost
In Becoming Vegan, Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina talk about the benefits of eating oats, especially from dietary fiber and choline. Here they discuss iron and zinc:
The same foods that are good protein sources tend to be rich in iron and zinc: oats, whole-grain products, fortified breakfast cereals, legumes (beans, peas, or lentils), fortified vegan meat substitutes, soy foods, seeds (especially pumpkin seeds), and seed butters.
Davis, Brenda; Melina, Vesanto. Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive Edition: The Complete Reference to Plant-Base Nutrition (p. 628). Book Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
š±Screen Time
Which Is a Better Breakfast - Cereal or Oatmeal?
Dr. Michael Greger discusses the remarkable impact of the structure of food (processed into cereal vs. the whole grain) beyond nutritional content or composition. So donāt think that eating a whole grain cereal will provide the exact same effect on your body as eating the whole grain.
šResearch Study
Distribution of energy intake across the day and weight loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis
This systematic review by Isabel E. Young and colleagues provides an update on existing evidence about eating larger meals earlier in the day rather than the evening. A focus on eating most of your food in the morning and early afternoon results in greater short-term weight loss compared to eating most of your food later in the day.
FoodData Central
This is a great resource for determining the calories and amount of fiber, protein, fat and other nutrients that are in your food. You can search basic foods like ānavy beansā or specific brands like āQuaker oatsā. When you search, youāll see five different tabs across the top of the search. The default is Foundation Foods. So, be sure to click on the other tabs if you donāt see any results.
Don't forget to add cinnamon and vanilla extract to your oats for even more flavor!