Health for life

It’s Monday morning. You know it’s gonna be a pretty rough week at work. There are at least three … no, four … no, 22 meetings scheduled, all during your lunch breaks. You want a breakfast that will brighten your mood and give you hope for future.

What will you do?

It’s Friday morning. You are scrambling to get the family out the door. The Frosted Flakes have run out, and your triplets are clawing at your blouse for something portable and filling to keep them alive through ninth grade math.

What will you DO?

It’s Saturday morning. You stayed out until 3am last night, for no apparent reason other than trying to bowl above a 60. (What? It seemed like a good idea at the time.) You want a hangover breakfast requiring minimal effort and maximum cheese.

NO SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE CRAP WILL YOU DO?

You’ll make breakfast burritos.

Yay! Breakfast burritos! Beloved by food bloggers and personal finance folks the world over, these compact pockets of healthy (no, really) scrumptiousness have two basic ingredients: tortillas and eggs. The rest (beans, salsa, lettuce, rice, bell peppers, onions, scallions, dill, tomatoes, mushrooms, blue cheese, cheddar, goat cheese, Monterey Jack, Colby, turkey sausage, ham, bacon, etc.) are up to you.

The last few weeks, Husband-Elect and I have been on a breakfast burrito kick of epic proportions. (Meaning: Odysseus would go wild for these.) While the add-ons vary a little, our version is basically: medium salsa, 2% sharp cheddar, pinto beans, eggs, egg whites, a tortilla, and a few field greens. It is more delightful than a walk in the park, but not quite as delightful as Betty White doing CSI: Sarasota. Still, it gets the job done. Deliciously so.

A few things to know, should you decide to try it yourself:

1) We use crazypants, humanely raised eggs now, which are a tad pricier than the ones at the grocery store. If you use supermarket eggs, your burritos will cost less (though the odds of double double yolks are probably much lower).

2) Burrito-sized tortillas can be astoundingly high in fat and calories, so you have to look around for leaner ones. We use Tropical brand burritos, which clock in at 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, and about $0.18 each. I think Pepito comes close. Do you guys know of any others?

3) These drip. It’s the salsa. It’s not bad, but make sure you have napkins handy.

If you’d like to learn more about the wonderful world of Disney breakfast burritos, The Simple Dollar has a few tricks for assembling them in bulk, then freezing them. Recipe Zaar has a well-reviewed … wait for it … recipe. And The Kitchn has a basic set of directions. With pretty pictures, of course.

Sweet readers, what are your favorite breakfast burrito combos? Is it possible to keep them non-messy? Have you ever made them en masse? How’d that go? Do tell.

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If you find this recipe quite dreamy, you might also lose yourself in:

• Baked Eggs in a Big Dish
• Egg McMuffins
• Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese

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Breakfast Burritos with Beans, Cheddar and Salsa
Serves 2.


2 burrito-sized tortillas
A few leaves o’ greens (optional)
1 ounce 2% cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs (any size)
2 egg whites (any size)
1-1/2 tablespoons skim milk
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup beans, drained and rinsed (pinto seen here)
2 tablespoons medium salsa

1) Place burritos on plates. Add greens if desired. Grate cheddar on top of greens.

2) In a medium bowl, combine eggs, egg whites, skim milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk thoroughly to combine.

3) Heat butter in a small nonstick pan over medium. When melted and a little bubbly, pour in egg mixture. Wait for it to set a few minutes, then begin to slowly scramble, using long, uninterrupted strokes. When eggs are thoroughly cooked (not wet), divide them between plated tortillas.

4) Using the egg pan, heat the beans through. (Or just pop ‘em in the microwave for a few seconds.) Divide between tortillas.

5) Top beans and eggs with salsa. Salt and pepper to taste. Wrap as you would any burrito and go to friggin’ town.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
288 calories, 14.8 g fat, 3.2 g fiber, 20 g protein, $0.92

Calculations
Note: calculations here are for large eggs and pinto beans
2 burrito-sized tortillas: 200 calories, 6 g fat, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein, $0.36
A few leaves o’ greens (optional): 2 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.05
1 ounce 2% cheddar cheese, grated: 90 calories, 9 g fat, 0 g fiber, 7 g protein, $0.25
2 eggs: 147 calories, 9.9 g fat, 0 g fiber, 12.6 g protein, $0.42
2 egg whites: 34 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0 g fiber, 7.2 g protein, $0.42
1-1/2 tablespoons skim milk: 8 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0.8 g protein, $0.02
Kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
1 teaspoon butter: 34 calories, 3.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.03
1/4 cup beans, drained and rinsed: 52 calories, 0.5 g fat, 2.8 g fiber, 2.9 g protein, $0.09
2 tablespoons medium salsa: 9 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.5 g fiber, 0.5 g protein, $0.17
TOTALS: 576 calories, 29.5 g fat, 6.4 g fiber, 40 g protein, $1.83
PER SERVING (TOTALS/2): 288 calories, 14.8 g fat, 3.2 g fiber, 20 g protein, $0.92

This week’s question comes from a student. Man, havent we all been here?

Q: One thing I have always struggled with is having a good breakfast, especially on the go. Im a college senior (class of 2010!) and my time is very limited in the mornings (probably because I get up at the latest I can). I have come to hate buying breakfast from the food carts or spending money (college/intern=broke) and would like to know any suggestions for any nutritious (and quick) meals in the morning. I have long commutes to Manhattan and usually have to eat on the go. Normally I try to eat fruit and a yogurt, or some sort of "cereal bar."

Anyway hope you can help with some suggestions!

A: Good question, sweet reader. You’re definitely moving in the right direction with fruit; portable, cheap, and healthy, it beats the everloving crud out of Go-gurt and its rainbow-colored kin. If you can pack a big ol’ fruit salad, it would provide a little variety, too. Sprinkle nuts on it for kicks.

Since you’re eating on the subway, I assume oatmeal and/or cereal are poor options. Do you mind baking? If you can set aside an hour or two every other week, you can do granola bars, muffins, or banana bread. It’d set you up for the whole month, and each piece will probably run you between $0.15 and $0.35. These Cranberry Zinger Muffins from Cooking with Amy are wonderful, and I remember digging Everybody Likes Sandwiches version of Chai-spiced Apple Oatmeal Bread very much.

Readers, beyond that, I throw the question to you. What are your favorite portable breakfasts? How do you eat on the go?

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

Whether you hope to lose weight or just stay healthy, what you eat is a crucial factor. The right nutrients can not only trim your waistline, but also provide energy, improve your mood, and stave off disease. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher has found that its not just what you eat — but when.

Metabolism is impacted by the bodys circadian rhythm — the biological process that the body follows over a 24 hour cycle. So the time of day we eat can have a big impact on the way our bodies process food, says Prof. Daniela Jakubowicz of TAUs Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Diabetes Unit at Wolfson Medical Center. In a recent study, she discovered that those who eat their largest daily meal at breakfast are far more likely to lose weight and waist line circumference than those who eat a large dinner.

And the benefits went far beyond pounds and inches. Participants who ate a larger breakfast — which included a dessert item such as a piece of chocolate cake or a cookie — also had significantly lower levels of insulin, glucose, and triglycerides throughout the day, translating into a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. These results, published recently in the journal Obesity, indicate that proper meal timing can make an important contribution towards managing obesity and promoting an overall healthy lifestyle.

The study was done in collaboration with Dr. Julio Wainstein of TAU and the Wolfson Medical Center and Dr. Maayan Barnea and Prof. Oren Froy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

A dramatic difference

To determine the impact of meal timing on weight loss and health, Prof. Jakubowicz and her fellow researchers conducted a study in which 93 obese women were randomly assigned to one of two isocaloric groups. Each consumed a moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-fat diet totalling 1,400 calories daily for a period of 12 weeks. The first group consumed 700 calories at breakfast, 500 at lunch, and 200 at dinner. The second group ate a 200 calorie breakfast, 500 calorie lunch, and 700 calorie dinner. The 700 calorie breakfast and dinner included the same foods.

By the end of the study, participants in the "big breakfast" group had lost an average of 17.8 pounds each and three inches off their waist line, compared to a 7.3 pound and 1.4 inch loss for participants in the "big dinner" group. According to Prof. Jakubowicz, those in the big breakfast group were found to have significantly lower levels of the hunger-regulating hormone ghrelin, an indication that they were more satiated and had less desire for snacking later in the day than their counterparts in the big dinner group.

The big breakfast group also showed a more significant decrease in insulin, glucose, and triglyceride levels than those in the big dinner group. More important, they did not experience the high spikes in blood glucose levels that typically occur after a meal. Peaks in blood sugar levels are considered even more harmful than sustained high blood glucose levels, leading to high blood pressure and greater strain on the heart.

Eliminating late night snacking

These findings suggest that people should adopt a well thought-out meal schedule, in addition to proper nutrition and exercise, to optimize weight loss and general health. Eating the right foods at the wrong times can not only slow down weight loss, it can also be harmful. In their study, the researchers found that those in the big dinner group actually increased their levels of triglycerides — a type of fat found in the body — despite their weight loss, reports Prof. Jakubowicz.

Prof. Jakubowicz suggests an end to late night snacking. Mindless eating in front of the computer or television, especially in the late evening hours, is a huge contributor to the obesity epidemic, she believes. It increases not only poundage, but the risk of cardiovascular disease — making that midnight sugar rush more costly than it appears.

(Note to self: When trying to psyche self up to blog, do not listen to Radioheads OK Computer right before beginning to write. Its a bit like watching the first ten minutes of Up before playing in the Super Bowl.)

(And yes, blogging is just like playing in the Super Bowl. Think of the carbs!)

Hey you guys! So, were trying something new here at CHG, in which we de-emphasize calorie counts a little (as theyre not the decisive measure of a foods healthiness) so as to better focus on the overall nutritional value of any given recipe.

(Did I just make that up just now, so this post would fit into our stated thematic parameters? Yes.)

(Does it have some merit to it? Yes.)

(Did I have a large glass of red wine before beginning this post? I think you know the answer to that.)

Anyway, youll see that todays dish, Apple-Cinnamon Whole Grain Breakfast Strata from The Kitchn via Opera Girl Cooks, is a little higher in calories than our usual recipes. This is okay, though. Because A) its warm and appley and delicious – like non-cloying French toast, B) the fiber and protein counts are super-high, and C) all the ingredients are dang wholesome. Combined, all that makes for a healthy breakfast.

(What also makes for a healthy breakfast: grapefruit, oatmeal, not Lucky Charms, not skipping breakfast, escaping a pack of roaming ninjas to successfully get to work on time.)

I changed very little from OCG/The Kitchn’s original recipe, and the alterations made were mostly for economic reasons. A regular supermarket loaf of bread substituted for a fancier loaf. Dark brown sugar was chosen over organic cane sugar. Honey went in for agave syrup.

(That last ones not just financially motivated. Its just - agave syrup tastes like really thick tequila to me. And if the words "really thick tequila" dont automatically make you a little nauseous, then you may never have had a tequila-induced hangover. In which case, I salute and envy you.)

Theres a bonus to the strata, as well. Step #2 requires you to saw off all the crusts of a loaf of bread. At first, this seems wasteful. BUT WAIT! By toasting said crusts for a few minutes, then crushing them in your mighty grasp, you come up with 1 1/2 cups handy, dandy whole-wheat breadcrumbs! Imagine what you can do with those!

(Coat chicken!)

(Top casseroles!)

(Sprinkle on macaroni and cheese!)

(Use as confetti at a mouses birthday party!)

And thats it.

(Really!)

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If this looks good, you might also quite enjoy:

• Breakfast Couscous with Custard
• English Muffin Strata with Ham and Cheese
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal

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Apple & Cinnamon Whole Grain Breakfast Strata
Serves 6 to 8.
Adapted from The Kitchn.


For the strata:
1 (24-ounce) loaf good supermarket whole wheat or whole grain bread
3 medium baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
8 large eggs
2 cups 1% milk
1/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the glaze:
3 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons 1% milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1) Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish ever-so-lightly with butter

2) Unpack bread. Place ends aside. Cut crusts off each piece. Set crusts aside.

2.5) IF MAKING BREADCRUMBS : Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread crusts out on baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes, until bread is completely toasty. Remove from oven and let cool. When totally cool, run through a food processor or beat senseless with rolling pin. Store crumbs in an airtight container. Should make 1 1/2 to 2 cups breadcrumbs.

3) Line bottom of baking dish with half the crustless bread. Layer apple slices on top of bread. Layer apples with remaining bread.

4) In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk thoroughly. Pour over bread. Cover and rigerate a few hours, or overnight.

5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6) Cover strata with tin foil. Bake for 35 minutes (45 minutes if coming straight from the fridge). Uncover. Bake for additional 15 minutes.

7) Mix cream cheese, honey, milk, and vanilla in a small pot. Heat over medium heat until cheese is melted and glaze is formed, stirring constantly. Pour over warmed strata. Spread glaze with back of a wooden spoon until pretty evenly distributed.

8) Let sit 10 minutes. Serve, with syrup if perred.


Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
Seven servings: 392 calories, 13.8 g fat, 10 g fiber, 16.9 g protein, $0.99

NOTE: Calculations are for Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Triple Health (I don’t know what that means, either) bread, which is what I used. Since there’s no real way to calculate nutrition for crustless bread, I subtracted 30% of the totals. It’s not scientific per se, but that’s why we write “approximate.”

Calculations
1 (24-ounce) supermarket loaf whole wheat or whole grain bread: 1050 calories, 21 g fat, 63 g fiber, 42 g protein, $2.50
3 medium baking apples, peeled, cored, sliced into 1/4-inch wedges: 184 calories, 0.4 g fat, 5 g fiber, 1 g protein, $1.36
8 large eggs: 588 calories, 39.6 g fat, 0 g fiber, 50.3 g protein, $1.00
2 cups + 2 tablespoons 1% milk: 224 calories, 5.2 g fat, 0 g fiber, 18.1 g protein, $0.66
1/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar: 229 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.22
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract: 30 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.20
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon: 9 calories, 0.1 g fat, 1.9 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.06
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg: 6 calories, 0.4 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.03
3 ounces cream cheese: 297 calories, 29.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, 6.4 g protein, $0.56
2 tablespoons honey: 128 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.32
TOTAL: 2745 calories, 96.4 g fat, 70.2 g fiber, 118.1 g protein, $6.91
PER SERVING (TOTAL/7): 392 calories, 13.8 g fat, 10 g fiber, 16.9 g protein, $0.99

While Americans generally consume enough protein, they tend to eat a small amount at breakfast, moderate amounts at lunch, and the largest amount at dinner. New research presented today at The Obesity Societys annual scientific meeting in Atlanta shows that eating high protein sausage and egg-based breakfasts curbed hunger throughout the morning, compared with a low-protein breakfast (pancakes and syrup) or skipping breakfast, in 18-55-year-old women.

"Eating a breakfast rich in protein significantly improves appetite control and may help women to avoid overeating later in the day," said Kevin C. Maki, principal investigator of the study and a research scientist with Biofortis Clinical Research, a Mérieux NutriSciences company.

All of the breakfast meals contained approximately 300 calories and similar quantities of fat and fiber. The protein-rich breakfast bowls contained 30 to 39 grams of protein. Participants completed questionnaires to rate aspects of appetite - such as hunger, fullness, and desire to eat - before breakfast and at 30 minute intervals between breakfast and lunch. A standard lunch meal of tortellini and sauce was served and subjects were asked to eat until comfortably full. Study participants had improved appetite ratings (lower hunger, more fullness, less desire to eat) throughout the morning after eating each protein-rich breakfast, and also ate fewer calories at lunch, compared with the low-protein breakfast and breakfast skipping (water only).

Heres more evidence why breakfast may be the most important meal of the day: Men who reported that they regularly skipped breakfast had a higher risk of a heart attack or fatal coronary heart disease in a study reported in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

Researchers analyzed food frequency questionnaire data and tracked health outcomes for 16 years (1992-2008) on 26,902 male health professionals ages 45-82. They found:

Men who reported they skipped breakfast had a 27 percent higher risk of heart attack or death from coronary heart disease than those who reported they didnt.
The men who reported not eating breakfast were younger than those who did, and were more likely to be smokers, employed full time, unmarried, less physically active and drank more alcohol.

Men who reported eating late at night (eating after going to bed) had a 55 percent higher coronary heart disease risk than those who didnt. But researchers were less convinced this was a major public health concern because few men in the study reported this behavior.

During the study, 1,572 of the men had first-time cardiac events.

"Skipping breakfast may lead to one or more risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which may in turn lead to a heart attack over time," said Leah E. Cahill, Ph.D., study lead author and Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Mass.

"Our study group has spent decades studying the health effects of diet quality and composition, and now this new data also suggests overall dietary habits can be important to lower risk of coronary heart disease," said Eric Rimm, Sc.D., senior author and Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School.

Men who reported eating breakfast ate on average one more time per day than those who skipped breakfast, implying that those who abstained from breakfast were not eating additional make-up meals later in the day. Although there was some overlap between those who skipped breakfast and those who ate late at night, 76 percent of late-night eaters also ate breakfast, researchers said.

The study collected comprehensive questionnaire data from the participants and accounted for many important factors such as TV watching, physical activity, sleep, diet quality, alcohol intake, medical history, BMI, and social factors like whether or not the men worked full-time, were married, saw their doctor regularly for physical exams, or smoked currently or in the past.

While the current study group was composed of men who were of 97 percent white European descent, the results should also apply to women and other ethnic groups, but this should be tested in additional studies, researchers said.

"Dont skip breakfast," Cahill said. "Eating breakfast is associated with a decreased risk of heart attacks. Incorporating many types of healthy foods into your breakfast is an easy way to ensure your meal provides adequate energy and a healthy balance of nutrients, such as protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. For example, adding nuts and chopped fruit to a bowl of whole grain cereal or steel-cut oatmeal in the morning is a great way to start the day."