Make Ahead Power Breakfast

In college I, like many others, gained the freshman fifteen. Only it was more like the junior fifty. By the spring of my junior year, I was totally fed up and along with my best friend decided to join Weight Watchers. For those of you who have never tried it, the program is, in my opinion, the healthiest weight loss plan around (especially when coupled with physical activity), fairly fool-proof and really does work. I lost all 50 plus 5 more over the course of a year and have kept a healthy and maintainable 45 pounds off since.


While this is not a weight loss blog, I do want to share that the three best strategies I learned from Weight Watchers help me control the pounds to this day: planning ahead, controlling portions and eating filling foods. Rocket science? Definitely not! But especially in American culture, it is surprisingly difficult for most people to do all three - or even one sometimes! Over the years, if I have found my weight creeping up a little, I can usually identify that it is because I've either been getting a little crazy with the portions or not planning ahead/eating on the fly. Once I reign in, the few pounds here and there fall right off.


Although it takes a little bit of time, a portion of my weekends are spent planning and prepping for the week ahead. I know that after I've commuted 65 miles, worked 8 hours, gone to class and commuted 65 miles home, the last thing I want to do is stand in front of the refrigerator or pantry for 20 minutes, trying to figure out what the heck to cook for dinner. Meanwhile, starving, I will be eating a spoonful of peanut butter or a handful of potato chips (that my husband insists on having in the house!).


To prevent this potentially disastrous situation -for my mood and my waistline- before grocery shopping on the weekend, I plan out our meals for the week including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Once I get back from the grocery store, I do tons of prep like cleaning and chopping vegetables, making snacks such as hummus, trail mix and hard boiled eggs, and preparing a week's worth of breakfast so getting ready in the morning is easier.


For me, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I am one of those people who wakes up with a grumbling stomach. And I can't survive on a measly english muffin or bowl of cereal. I need a substantial breakfast (and large cup of coffee) in order to even think about functioning properly.


Here's what's cooking...

BREAKFAST MILLET

WITH EGG, SPINACH AND TOMATO

For every ~215 calorie serving, you'll want to use one egg and 1/2 cup cooked millet. The instructions below make about 7 servings. This recipe combines millet, which is gluten free, protein-filled eggs and nutrient dense vegetables for a filling power breakfast. Store in individually portioned containers and either eat cold or heat in a small skillet (we don't have a microwave!) for 5 minutes. I would pair this with a piece of fruit to round out my breakfast. 

Ingredients:

3 1/2 c. cooked millet (about 1 c. dry)

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 lg. onion, chopped

2 c. fresh spinach

7 eggs, whisked together

3/4 c. cherry tomatoes, quartered

kosher salt to taste

freshly cracked black pepper to taste

How to prepare:

If you've never cooked with millet before, here are good instructions. For this recipe, I recommend toasting the millet and using the dry and fluffy preparation method. 

While the millet is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium. Saute the onions until soft. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add in the spinach and allow to wilt slightly. Add in the eggs and scramble to desired texture. Turn off the heat and add in the tomatoes. 

Combine the cooked millet with the scrambled egg mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide into 7 equal portions and enjoy a hassle free breakfast all week!

Veggie Swap

I really like to experiment with veggies in eggs. This would be delicious with with zucchini and carrots instead of the spinach. You could also try it with a sweet potato or swiss chard. The possibilities are endless and you would be surprised to find how well most veggies go with the scrambled morning staple!

New to millet?

Millet is tiny in size and round in shape and can be white, gray, yellow or red. The most widely available form of millet found in stores is the pearled, hulled variety.  Although oats have been widely publicized for their heart-protective properties, millet is a grain that should also be included on your list of heart-healthy choices because of its status as a good source of magnesium. A cup of cooked millet provides 26.4% of the daily value for magnesium. It is also an excellent gluten-free whole grain, a good source of fiber and protein.