Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Miami dental professionals encourage patients to take a moment to cook breakfast each morning, as doing so may cause a cascade of positive health benefits. Those who eat breakfast put a strong foot forward by starting their day with an arsenal of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates that do more than provide sustained levels of energy.
The most important thing to consider when cooking at home is variety, and this Blog article is here to help! There are specific sets of macronutrients (listed below) that will satiate hunger while also priming the body with the vitamins and minerals needed to conquer Monday morning fatigue.
We will begin with a brief overview of these breakfast macronutrients. Then, we will see how each can be combined to create a delicious breakfast.
The Building Blocks of Breakfast
The following macronutrients are the building blocks of a healthy breakfast (you may also find ways to incorporate many of these food items into lunch, dinner, and mid-day snacks):
1) Egg Whites
2) Sweet Potatoes
3) Cilantro
4) Garlic
5) Blueberries and other anti-oxidant rich fruits
Power Play: The Sweet Potato Scramble
This recipe combines several of the macro-nutrients listed above into one delectable dish that is perfect for breakfast or lunch. You will need: 1 sweet potato, 3 whole eggs, cilantro, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup blueberries, and low fat vanilla yogurt.
Preparation
To begin, prepare the following ingredients:
1) Clean sweet potato. Place on side and slice in to circular discs about ¼ inch wide.
2) Place 1 whole egg into a mixing bowl and add 2 egg whites. Mix well.
3) Wash blueberries and set aside in separate serving bowl.
4) Crush 2 cloves of garlic, slicing into smaller pieces if necessary. Note: Using a garlic press to crush cloves into a paste is preferable.
5) Set aside ¼ cup cilantro. Dice thoroughly.
Cooking Instructions
1) Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to frying pan. Raise stove top burner to low to medium-low heat.
2) Add crushed garlic. Increase heat slightly to sauté garlic.
3) Add sweet potato discs to garlic and olive oil. Sauté until tender.
4) Sprinkle with diced cilantro. Mix thoroughly.
5) Add egg mixture. Fluff with spatula.
6) Season lightly with salt and black pepper, as desired.
7) Serve sweet potato scramble as main dish. Serve blueberries with low fat vanilla yogurt as dessert.
Breakdown: Health Benefits of the Sweet Potato Scramble
This hearty breakfast will fill you up and keep you full well into lunchtime. This means fewer high-sugar “snack” bars, prolonged energy, and a more stable blood sugar index.
Egg Whites: Egg whites are one of the leanest sources of protein you can find. Their makeup is dominantly casein, a special type of protein that is digested more slowly compared to the protein found in chicken, meat, fish, and soy. This means a more slow and steady deliver of nutrients that will keep you feeling fuller, longer.
Sweet Potatoes: Miami dentists are usually against sweets. Well, here’s an important exception! A 7-ounce sweet potato delivers 65% the daily recommended dose of vitamin C, as well as hefty servings of Beta-carotene, Vitamin A, and fiber (i).
Olive Oil & Egg Yolk (from single whole egg): Combined, these two ingredients deliver a healthy portion of unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fat is a fundamental building block of health, with leading research indicating that unsaturated fat can greatly reduce levels of “bad” cholesterol.
Cilantro: This simple herb helps to flush toxins from the body. For more information, please visit our article titled Hello Cilantro, Goodbye Heavy Metals (article also features a delicious recipe for Cilantro Pesto Sauce!).
Blueberries: Blueberries are high in the antioxidants and natural sugars needed to promote spikes all-natural energy production. Readers are encouraged to visit our article, Miami Dentist Exclusive: Free Radical Damage Part II, for more on the health benefits of antioxidants and a list of the most antioxidant-rich foods available at your local grocery store.
Holistic Dentistry at Assure a Smile
Assure a Smile is committed to delivering the highest quality of service with an emphasis on patient education and overall health awareness. Our team is proactive and helps each patient to learn more about their unique self. We focus on “big picture” ideas, like promoting healthy eating habits that help patients create healthy teeth and gums for life.
Miami residents are invited to contact Assure a Smile online or call 305-274-0047 to schedule an appointment with South Florida’s leading holistic dentistry office.
(i) http://www.naturalnews.com/034135_sweet_potatoes_nutrition.html
