Have a Sweet Morning

In case you can't tell, I have a healthy sweet tooth--morning, noon, and night. To satisfy my need for sugar in the morning in a moderately healthful way, I have found a few breakfast items that combine nutrition with a hint of sweetness.

Kashi Autumn Wheat
As a kid, the household "compromise" cereal was always Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats--it has fiber and whole grain to satisfy my parents and plenty of frosting to feed a kid's need for sweet. While the Kellogg's version remains a fine choice, that sugary coating contains gelatin and high fructose corn syrup, two ingredients I would rather avoid.
Fortunately, Kellogg's also owns a little company called Kashi, which provides consumers with the sweetness and health benefits of Frosted Mini Wheats, without the undesirable ingredients. Autumn Wheat provides 6 grams of fiber per cup, along with 5 grams of protein and just 1 gram of fat. There are just 7 grams of sugar in comparison with Frosted Mini Wheats' 12 grams. Autumn Wheat's ingredients list is delightfully short: whole wheat, organic evaporated cane juice, and natural flavor. Whatever that natural flavor is, it certainly delights my taste buds. The cereal's name doesn't lie--it's like autumn in a bowl! Autumn Wheat is available in most supermarkets for $3-4 per 17.5 oz box.
How to enjoy:
-served warm with heated soy/nut/cow's milk
-crumbled into a bowl of yogurt with sliced banana (*Mom's creation)
-dry, alone or in a snack mix with dried fruit and nuts
-the old fashioned way, with ice cold milk of choice

Publix Oatmeal Flakes
If you've been reading my regular blog posts lately, you might have noticed my recent enthusiasm for Publix's Oatmeal Flakes (a part of their Greenwise line). I purchased this cereal strictly for the purpose of making CCV's Banana Blender Cereal; I expected it to taste like a standard bran flake with little to no sweetness or originality. When I absent-mindedly grabbed a handful while preparing breakfast one morning, I was pleasantly surprised by its distinct sweetness. A quick glance at the ingredients list revealed that the geniuses of Publix added a few simple sweeteners: honey, sugar, and molasses. This cereal is also fortified with a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Each 3/4 cup serving contains 110 kcalories, 1 gram of fat, 7 grams of sugar, as well as 3 grams of fiber. I purchased this at Publix for $2.99 for a 16 oz box.
How to enjoy:
-with your milk of choice (I recommend almond milk)
-as a topping for cottage cheese
-mixed with Greek yogurt and cinnamon
-layered into a pumpkin parfait (or any other breakfast parfait, for that matter)
-blended into Banana Blender Cereal
-sprinkled atop a fruit smoothie

TJ's Blueberry Flaxseed
While this unique flaxseed blend does not include contain much sweetness on its own, it serves as a lovely accompaniment to sweet breakfast-time treats. The nutritional benefits of both flaxseed and blueberries abound, so what could be better than a product that combines these two superfoods?
Each 2 tablespoon serving contains 90 kcalories, 6 grams of healthy fat, 4 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein. For those of you who are interested, this flaxseed blend does contain 2 grams of sugar (from cane sugar); in addition to flax and bluberries, it also contains corn starch, maltodextrin, natural flavors, and soy lecithin. This product is available at your local Trader Joe's. I am uncertain about pricing, as I purchased this product several months ago, and I have no Trader Joe's locations near me.
How to enjoy:
-mixed into yogurt
-sprinkled atop oatmeal or fresh fruit
-layered in a breakfast parfait
-baked into your favorite muffin recipe

Downey's Honey Butter
Alright, this product hardly fulfills the "nutritious" criterion of today's healthful sweets theme, but it sure does taste good, without doing too much damage to your diet. Its name is a bit of a misnomer in that it contains no butter at all; the ingredients list consists of three ingredients: honey, milk, and cinnamon. Honey butter has a consistency similar to that of smooth peanut butter: moist and perfectly spreadable.
One tablespoon contains 60 kcalories, 1 gram of fat, and 11 grams of sugar. Not exactly health food, but it makes a great addition to your morning meal every now and then. You can find this treat at Wegman's or buy online here. Or, you might just stumble upon it in an Amish bakery, like I did.
How to enjoy:
-spread on toast or bagels
-stirred into yogurt or cottage cheese
-mixed with oatmeal
-melted onto soy ice cream

I hope you have enjoyed yet another round of product reviews! Let me know if you try any of these products, and please feel free to recommend some of your favorite sweet treats!

Temporary Escape

Well, Thanksgiving break has officially come to a close, and I have returned to reality. I fully enjoyed my 6 days of relaxation and recuperation; sadly, it was just a temporary escape. I now have final papers and exams to deal with, but at least I'll be back home f in a mere 11 days, just in time for my sisters' graduations (Lea has earned her MBA, and Katie has just completed nursing school). In addition to celebrating their scholastic achievements, I am sure there will be some holiday festivities as well:)

Here is a culinary perspective of my last few days at home...Enjoy!

Friday
I made a vibrant smoothie on Friday evening: blueberries, strawberries, soymilk, and hemp protein made for quite the nutritious treat.
Saturday
I squeezed in a quick workout and breakfast before heading out to run some errands with my dad. Nothing is quite as quick and portable as a smoothie...so that's what was on the menu for breakfast. I made a simple strawberry-almond milk-almond butter concoction and served it alongside a mini bagel with my new honey butter. WHAT A TREAT! That little tub of spreadable joy was definitely a wise purchase.
Among our multiple errands, we managed to squeeze in a trip to the health food store, where I picked up a tub of lentil dip. I spread about 1/2 cup of this deliciousness onto a wrap and stuffed it with mushrooms, tomatoes, and yellow bell pepper. I also had a salad and an apple with cashew butter before heading out the door for more shopping...
Dinner was a simple affair, but I managed to reinvent my Turk'y roast in yet another fashion. I chopped it up, mixed it with mozzarella cheese and dill weed, and placed it atop a leftover baked potato. On the side, I had a salad with currants, and a bowl of homemade tomato-spinach soup.
My final shake of the vacation was downright delectable. I combined chocolate hemp protein with a frozen banana and strawberries, plus the usual soymilk. I topped it off with some chocolate syrup, but yet again it sank to the bottom before I could get a good picture. Oh well--it made for a nice surprise at the bottom of the cup:)
Sunday
I made a batch of overnight oats on Saturday night so that I could get to church on time yesterday. I soaked 1/2 cup oats in almond milk and added pumpkin and almond butter in the morning. That's a mug of gingerbread tea on the side. Yum.
After being dropped off at the Atlanta airport, I dug into my packed lunch: a Turk'y sandwich, cherry tomatoes, a clementine, and a few cashes. Sorry for all the crotch shots...I was trying to be discreet.
When I finally arrived back home at the apartment, I was starving! My dinner was inspired by a conversation I had earlier in the day with my dad. He told me that one of his favorite "snacks" back when he was at Duke consisted of a hamburger, peanuts, and chocolate milk. Accordingly, I had a Bistro burger (with organic K+M), chocolate rice milk (rice milk with special dark cocoa and stevia), and peanuts...plus a spinach salad and squash for some extra nutrition.
The smoothie last night was another winner: frozen banana, peaches, soymilk, Nutribody protein, and ginger granola.
Monday
Since I was so dissatisfied with my last Banana Bread Blender, I made another attempt today. This time, I used spelt flakes, soymilk, almonds, cinnamon, and a frozen banana of course. Much better.
I had to evaluate an on-campus eatery today for the dining committee. Since this particular location is a nation-wide chain that serves only "chikin" (can you guess which one?), my options were limited. The coleslaw didn't look all that appealing, so I opted for the garden salad and picked off the chicken strips and cheese. When I returned to the apartment I added my own black beans, plus the packet of sunflower seeds that came with it. To round out the meal, I also had a cup of broccoli soup, crackers, and a tangerine.
The soup ended up being quite comforting...What's your favorite comfort food?

Now I must get some work done. It's the end of the semester...hang on tight!

Be back on Wednesday!