Guest post by Jillian Smith, Nutrition Student at the University of New Hampshire and Intern
Breakfast is often said to be the most important meal of the day. There are many theories, such as "skipping breakfast increases your risk for overweight and obesity" or "skipping breakfast slows down your metabolism", that make headlines in the media. Whether or not you believe the trendy research, breakfast is a very significant meal. Breakfast gives your body fuel to perform requested activities. A good breakfast kick-starts the day allowing you to remain satisfied for several hours.
Breakfast should be a balanced meal. It should be composed of foods that are good sources of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Vegetarians need to pay extra attention to the amount of protein consumed during breakfast to ensure an adequate intake of daily protein. A lack of protein in the first meal of the day makes it difficult to consume the proper amount of protein throughout the day. The following list of foods are great breakfast ideas to help vegetarians initiate their days with a burst of protein:
- 1 cup of cheerios with 1 cup of lactose-free milk. Top with almonds or chopped walnuts and your favorite allowed fruit.
- Eggs served any way! Make an omelet with cheddar cheese and vegetables for a surprising treat.
- Try seitan for breakfast. Add seasonings, salt and pepper and bake for a twist on traditional breakfast sausage. Serve with eggs!
- Make a batch of maple-syrup sweetened granola and serve on top of lactose-free yogurt with your favorite fruit. Add nuts to the granola to increase the quantity of protein!
- Serve up some good ole' fashion oatmeal. Top with a splash of lactose-free milk, nuts, and fruit. Add a teaspoon of maple syrup for a sweet concoction.
- Toast a piece of gluten-free bread such as Udi's white sandwich bread or FoodforLife's wheat and gluten-free English Muffins. Top with nut butter and banana. Make it a sandwich and eat it on the run.
- Relax with FODMAPs-friendly banana pancakes drizzled with real maple syrup or spread with a bit of sugar-sweetened blueberry preserves. These wonders will have you begging for more.
Get creative. Add new and different ingredients too keep you satisfied. Play with your food until you find something nutritious and enjoyable! Next post: Lunch Ideas for Vegetarians!
Thank you for these posts - they are very helpful. I am not vegetarian but don't like to eat alot of meat.
Posted by: Terry | June 29, 2011 at 09:24 PM