acrobatic pancakes

balancing breakfast

Whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner, all meals should be nutritionally balanced. But, understandably so, it can be difficult to consume veggies at the first meal of the day... if you eat a typical American breakfast. Many cultures do not consume the American standard of bacon, eggs, or cereal grains for breaky. Instead, others eat foods like: 

• beans, eggs, cheese, jam, and pickles (Egypt) 
• Chutney, dips, roti or other breads (India) 
• Watery noodle soup with veggies and meat (Madagascar) 
• Miso soup, rice, pickled vegetables and a protein like fish or Japanese omelette (Japan)
• Open-faced sandwich with fish or cold cuts, cheese, mayo and fresh veggies like tomato and cucumber (Sweden)
• Plate of ham, cheese, bread, Feijoada (Brazil)

Some are healthier (Japan and Sweden, e.g.) than others, but each are generally balanced on a macronutrient level (protein, fat, & carbohydrate). But to really get a balanced diet on a micronutrient level (vitamins & minerals), this requires more thought. 

answer:

You probably could have guessed it, produce, and lots of it! Making sure you get at least 3-4 servings of fruit (1 serving=1 small apple, size of a tennis ball) and another 4-5 servings of vegetables (1 serving=1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw) every day is incredibly important. And it's a lot easier than you think, even for breakfast. Here are some suggestions on how to improve your fruit and veggie consumption: 

• Keep raw veggies and fresh fruit with you at work to have as a snack (add dip if you must) 
• Replace some of those starchy foods (rice, pasta, breads) with greens 
• Instead of keeping a candy bowl stocked full of chocolate and sugary treats, replace them with fresh fruit 
• Puree vegetables into stews
• Make a stir-fry and load up on the veggies (eat less rice, 1/3 cup=1 serving)
• Layer zucchini into your lasagna 
• Add chopped veggies to your omelette

• Freeze fruit for a different texture/mouth feel as a dessert
• Drink vegetable juice, 100% please
• Fruit juice is fine, but make sure it's not loaded with added sugar, and keep to a minimum (4 oz = one serving)
• Serve sautéed or steamed greens as a side (see recipe below) 
• Make a smoothie with assorted veggies and fruits 
• Add Brussels to your mac 'n' chi 
• Always keep produce on hand, ready to eat

recipe: balanced cornmeal pancakes

Pancakes are meant to be simple, quick and easy. With this recipe, one can enjoy it for breakfast or dinner, especially since cornmeal has great versatility. 

​Serves: 4
Ingredients:
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons thyme, chopped 
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cup milk
¼ cup honey or sweetener of your choice (agave, molasses, maple syrup)
2 tablespoons butter for greasing the pan
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 cups blueberries
4 cups arugula (or kale, as seen in the pic)

Directions
1. Combine all dry ingredients, which include the cornmeal, flours, baking powder, thyme, and salt into one medium sized bowl and mix well with a fork.
2. In a second bowl, whisk the egg and milk together and slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons honey or sweetener.
3. Gradually incorporate the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients while mixing with a fork. Be sure to mix until the batter begins to come together; you do not want to work out all the clumps. If you sifted the flour before adding, you may need to add more liquid until thick, but loose batter results.
4. Heat the griddle to 350° F or a frying pan. Add the butter once it is hot, a little bit at a time, and in batches, ladle the batter onto the pan. Bubbles will appear around the edges to indicate a golden brown crust. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes or until the pancake has set. Remove from pan and keep warm or eat immediately.
​5. Top pancakes with a dollop of Greek yogurt, blueberries, honey drizzle, and spicy arugula greens.