Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Breakfast Foods To Start Your Day The Healthy Way

OatmealWhen it comes to eating the most important meal of the day, healthy breakfast foods are key to ensuring the best start of a morning. The foods you eat for breakfast will kick-off the momentum of your day as you use the energy from healthy breakfast selections to hold you over until lunch. Many advantages come from eating healthy breakfast foods, such as increased strength, endurance, weight control, concentration, and focus. Below, you will find five healthy suggestions to get you going in the right direction.

Oatmeal
Not only will oatmeal fill you up, but it also makes the day much easier to tackle with a newfound sense of energy. This naturally supreme breakfast food is cholesterol-free, as well as low in fat and sugar. When it comes to getting the essentials in a diet, oatmeal provides four grams of fiber, as well as five grams of protein per serving. For those trying to boost the health of their heart, the American Heart Association has given oatmeal the official thumbs up. The best oatmeal to select contains 100% whole grain oats.

Fruit: Apples
When pairing low in fat and low in sugar fruits together, you may come closer to satisfying the daily recommended allowances for a wide range of essentials, such as protein and fiber. When it comes to eating one apple, you will consume about 80 calories with a large amount of fiber and protein. Bananas are about 110 calories, offering additional protein, fiber, as well as potassium to your diet. Both healthy breakfast items are also easy to prepare and eat.

For a quick boost of energy in the morning, berries are a delicious treat that are packed with folate, fiber, phytonutrients, as well as vitamin C. In addition to providing just the right start in the morning, fresh berries are also one of the most potent foods that build up a defense against disease. Since preparing berries only require a quick wash and rinse, this breakfast choice makes the perfect companion on an early commute to the job.

Forget About An Apple A Day

OatmealForget About An Apple A Day - There Are Lots Of Places To Find Vitamin C!
We've all heard the saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Presumably, the vitamin C content of apples is the easiest way to keep our immune systems functioning well. But the truth is that apples are not the best source of this key vitamin. Some say the greatest vitamin in the world is vitamin C.

Vitamin C can be found in a wide range of fruits and even vegetables. So there's no reason why everyone can't get their daily dose from something they enjoy eating. In fact, there are so many good sources that you could get yours from a different food every day of the month!

Some of the best foods for getting vitamin C may surprise you. Sure apples are fine with their 6 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of fruit. But even the humble orange compares well with 53 mg, beating out grapefruits with their 34 mg What could be better than oranges?

How about a handful of fresh strawberries? They'll give you 57 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? But you can do even better than that. The humble kiwi fruit beats them all, packing in a whopping 98 mg of them per 100 grams.

If you're lucky enough to live in a spot where you can get your hands on some guava, you're in luck. This tasty, tropical fruit clocks in with a very impressive 180 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams.

Monday, February 11, 2008

OatmealEven if you can't find it fresh, you can get the same benefits from canned guava. Another super-rich source is the tiny black currant. 100 grams of these potent berries will supply about 200 mg of them. That's the full recommended daily dose!

The quest for the ultimate source of vitamin C has led nutritionists to discover the delights of some very tropical findings. The most impressive levels can be found in jujube, camu camu and acerola. If you haven't seen those in your local supermarket don't worry, there are plenty of other ways to get your vitamins.

Most of us aren't surprised to find them in fruit, but what is surprising is how easy it is to find in vegetables. Unlikely sources like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are great for people trying to cut down on their carbohydrates without letting their nutrition suffer.

Even using fresh herbs like coriander, parsley and thyme can boost your intake of them. But if you really want a vegetable that will provide a substantial dose of this important vitamin, look no further than sweet green or red peppers. Just 100 grams of green pepper will top up your vitamin C intake by 190 mg

So if you've been comparing apples to oranges all of these years, it's time to look at what else is available. There are so many wonderful foods that boost your vitamin C levels, your toughest decision may be which one to have first.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

How To Get A Quick Easy Vegetarian Meal

OatmealVegetarians lead busy lives too and in between juggling work and kids is the task of preparing interesting meals everyday. Contrary to popular belief, preparing a quick easy vegetarian meal may be a convenient task after all. Here are some practical tips for a quick easy vegetarian meal.

Pre Cook Vegetables
You don't have to waste time with washing and preparing veggies at several different times. In fact, expert cooks boil twice or thrice as many vegetables in one sitting and then just freeze the extra for use on the third day.

Find out which vegetables can be prepared before meals so that you won't have to prepare them at several different times. Vegetable soup can also be prepared in this way. Just make sure that you add a little more water when you take it out of the fridge on the second or third day. As an added note, be sure to label your pre cooked veggies and food with the date so that you know which ones should be taken out first and eaten and which ones are nearing expiration.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Hot Oatmeal, Apple Cinnamon

OatmealSteaming hot oatmeal bursting with taste. Whole Oat Goodness. A hot steaming bowl of oats not only warms a person to the core, it's also good for you! Oats provide the benefits of a soluble fiber. Researches have found that the soluble fiber in oats may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by affecting blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood lipids. Some preliminary research indicates that moderate exercise and the consumption of oats may have a positive effect on the immune system. USDA Organic. This product is third-party certified organic by Quality Assurance International (QAI).

Ingredients:
Organic oat flakes, organic evaporated cane juice, organic dried apples, organic cinnamon, sea salt, natural apple flavor. May contain traces of tree nuts or soy.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size 1 pkt.
Calories ...............................190
Calories from Fat ..................18
Total Fat............................... 2 g.
Saturated Fat........................ 0 g.
Cholesterol........................... 0 mg.
Sodium................................ 110 mg.
Total Carbohydrates ..............38 g.
Dietary Fiber......................... 4 g.
Sugars .................................14 g.
Protein................................. 6 g.