Vegetables for breakfast? how do you prepare them?

[Joan in GE]

After posting about nutrition (the Swiss food pyramid thread) and trying to change my ways, it finally sank in that there was almost no way to get 7 - 9 serving of fruits and vegetables a day unless I also ate veggies at breakfast (and gave up coffee - for probably the 10th time)....

 

Now I've been having onion, tomato and Swiss chard in some scrambled eggs....It's starting to get old yet nothing else seems to jump out as a possibility...

 

So I thought I'd ask here - for people's ideas....I realize that this might not be the most popular breakfast option....:-)

 

Hoping for some other ideas,

Joan

[BrookValley.]

I'll do salad or stir fry for breakfast, if I'm in the mood. Otherwise I do what you do--veggies and eggs. Though if I really want to go veggie heavy, I stir fry a mess of veggies and just crack a couple eggs into it near the end, so it's more veggies than anything. I like onion, broccoli, red pepper and spinach this way.

[Jane in NC]

I don't always eat vegetables for breakfast but if I do they are probably tucked into an egg. The other morning I made a mushroom, onion, kale frittata, for example.

 

This morning, like many others, I'll have some whole grain cereal with yogurt and some dried fruit. We are fortunate to be given a quantity of dried cherries annually--this is my favorite cereal add in, hot or cold. Snipped dried apricots or raisins are also fine.

 

If we have pancakes for breakfast, I often add some fruit to the batter or top with fruit. I canned some homemade pear sauce for this purchase.

 

Opps--not talking about veg, am I? Molly Katzen has lots of ideas in her breakfast cookbook, Sunlight Cafe. Savory muffins, green smoothies, the stir fry mentioned earlier. I am more of a traditional breakfast food eater so I tend to use things like squash as an ingredient in biscuits or muffins as opposed to eating a piece of baked squash for breakfast.

[Annie]

I eat salad for breakfast pretty often. It took me a couple of times to get over the fact that I thought it was a weird thing to eat, but now I enjoy it. I love eating soup for breakfast in the winter. I'll make a big batch of something like vegetable soup with some chicken or creamy butternut squash soup. I also like smoothies with spinach, kale, or spring mix.

[5wolfcubs]

I stir fry a mess of veggies and just crack a couple eggs into it near the end, so it's more veggies than anything. I like onion, broccoli, red pepper and spinach this way.

I made this kind of breakfast for dh while he was on his veggies-for-breakfast kick.

 

Raw carrots and celery with peanut butter is another option that I like personally.

 

Making pancakes with veggie bits can be done too -- shredded carrots or beets (messy, but doesn't stain too bad).

 

How about a smoothie with lots of spinach? You really can not taste the spinach if you have other fruit...like strawberries and bananas. You can't even see it if you add cocoa powder. I can probably find a link for you. Well, here is a green one that has fruit & spinach. And here is one with a nice plan including a great graphic at the end!

[alef]

Sweet potatoes?

[BrookValley.]

I forgot about green smoothies 'till others mentioned them...yep, it's easy to throw a hefty handful of something green in a fruit smoothie. I like romaine lettuce--while I love kale, my blender doesn't do such a good job on it--but you never know that romaine is in there, and it's got plenty of good nutrition. I avoid eating raw spinach, so I don't put that in my smoothies.

 

the other thing to keep in mind is that a serving of vegetables isn't really all that big. I know if I sit down with a plain 'ol veggie as a side, say, broccoli, I'm probably eating at least two or more servings. A serving is only a cup of most veggies, which really isn't much. I believe a serving of salad or other greens is two cups which, again, isn't all that much.

[Jane in NC]

Oh yes, I make carrot or chard tarts that are also great for breakfast!

[Onceuponatime]

Are peas considered a veggie? I like a poached egg on peas for breakfast. Also, carrots and celery with peanut butter, green smoothies, leftover soup, pumpkin custard, zucchini fritters, veggie fried rice.

[Chris in VA]

Onions, peppers, and mushrooms are my fav combo for eggs. I like to throw in some goat cheese for tang, too. You could throw a lot of veggies in a quiche, for something different. I don't supposed carrot coffee cake really counts, does it?

 

Once I tried to give dd some butternut squash soup for breakfast--I thought it was delicious, she still talks about the Squash Incident.

[BFamily]

I serve veggies several ways in the morning. I might bake a large pan of brown rice in the evening and refrigerate. Over the next several mornings, I saute some peppers and onions to serve over the reheated brown rice. I also like to make tomato-onion salad and serve it with a whole-wheat baguette that's been drizzled in a little olive oil and broiled. If we're doing the toast and eggs thing, I occasionally serve freshly-sliced tomatoes and cucumbers on the side. We also do the typical frittata with a mix of whatever vegetables we have on hand. Leftover taco soup is also wonderful in the morning!

[HelenNotOfTroy]

I saute either onion and broccoli or onion, spinach, and mushroom and then scramble my eggs with them. Cheese is then added, cheese is as essential nutrient. My guys will not eat this, I have to cook separately to eat this way.

[nono]

We are big time salad eaters here for breakfast, esp. when the weather starts getting 50 F or higher. We will also slice down sweet potatoes into 1/4" slices and bake them with the bacon (lay the bacon over the sweet potatoes). Serve with eggs. Nobody is whining for lunch early on those days!

[Laura Corin]

I often make leftover veggies into a quick spanish omelette for breakfast. If not, I keep frozen sliced bell peppers, toss them into the pan with some oil for a couple of minutes then pour eggs over.

 

I also make whole grain veg-full wraps for breakfast, eg a couple of strips of some kind of protein (ham, salmon, prawns, etc.) and fill up the wrap with cucumber, tomato, etc. I usually add a little olive oil to the mix too.

 

Laura

[kewb]

Either I throw what I have into some eggs, make a green smoothie, just chop up some crudite, leftover salad, or a bowl of vegetable soup.

[Mrs Mungo]

Veggies in eggs, fruit with oatmeal or grits, smoothies-those are all very normal around here.

 

A seeing size of fruit might be: 1/2 a cup of berries, half a cup of OJ, half of a grapefruit, one apple, 1/2 a cup of applesauce, 1/2 a cup of melon, 1/4 cup of dried fruit, 1 banana, 1 orange.

 

A serving of raw chopped veggies is basically 1/2 a cup, a cup of leafy greens, etc.

 

So, it is easy to have more than one serving at meals.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Might sound strange but for awhile there I was on a steamed cauliflower kick with cheddar cheese and Frank's hot sauce. Yumm

[Jenny in Florida]

Does it have to be vegetables? Fruits count in those servings, too, right?

 

I think last time you mentioned this I talked about the smoothies we make here. They don't have vegetables, but each one is three servings of fruit.

[lavender's green]

Cooked spinach with poached eggs on top, sprinkled with nutmeg.

[Parrothead]

Wrap the veggies up in a tortilla of flat bread.

[redsquirrel]

I put four egg whites into a small, oiled casserole dish. I top with 1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen collard greens or spinach, I add a small handful of frozen roasted red peppers, some frozen diced onion and a couple frozen sweet potato chunks (all found in the freezer section of my supermarket), I might toss in a couple pieces of sliced mushroom if I have them.

 

I microwave for 1 min, stir, micro for another min, stir, micro for 30 seconds, stir, another 30 seconds, stir. Top it with salsa (more veggies) and eat. Lots of veggies and very colourful. Sometimes I have a glass of no sodium added veggie juice on the side.

 

I eat that almost every morning.

[Briva]

Two of our favs are diced baked potatoes sauteed with onions, green peppers and jalapenos then wrapped up in a tortilla with refried beans and fresh salsa; and shredded carrots, peas, onions, corn, bean sprouts mixed with leftover rice and a beaten egg for a veggie patty-serve with soy sauce.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Green smoothies, veggie omelettes, and dinner leftovers are ususally how I get veggies in the morning. These spinach quinoa breakfast bars are good, too. They freeze well.

[Happy]

What a great thread! I NEEDED this!

 

Thank you for all the great ideas...

[Joan in GE]

These replies are soooo helpful! So many good choices!

 

Thank you to all who posted!

Sorry that I can't answer all of you but I did "like" all your posts..

 

If I don't use the ideas for breakfast, they'll get moved to a later time of day...

 

I have started to have a smoothie for lunch already - so those ideas can go into my lunch category....

 

Thank you for all who gave various smoothie ideas - they're not lost on me. I just find it hard to start the day with something brrr..'cold' as I have to drive ds to the train station early in the AM and appreciate something warm.... (I've replaced my coffee with hot water - it sounds so boring, but it's not bad once I got used to it, and is certainly better than 'cold' water :-)) and something warm and substantial needs to follow (before I spent about 250 calories on my coffee milk and wasn't hungry for 'food')....

 

Molly Katzen has lots of ideas in her breakfast cookbook, Sunlight Cafe.

 

Thank you Jane! and for the other ideas too :-)

 

I eat salad for breakfast pretty often. It took me a couple of times to get over the fact that I thought it was a weird thing to eat, but now I enjoy it. I love eating soup for breakfast in the winter. I'll make a big batch of something like vegetable soup with some chicken or creamy butternut squash soup. I also like smoothies with spinach, kale, or spring mix.

 

Soup is a really great idea - easy to have a large batch and reheat, and warm :-)...

 

But for your salad - you eat it cold even in the winter? I do like salads a lot and could see my self eating them in full summer when it's hot before the day starts....I've heard of hot dressings on rare occasion, but am very interested in some way of making a warm salad besides turning it into a 'stir-fry' (I'll eat stir fry too, just looking for all options.)

 

I made this kind of breakfast for dh while he was on his veggies-for-breakfast kick.

 

Raw carrots and celery with peanut butter is another option that I like personally.

 

Making pancakes with veggie bits can be done too -- shredded carrots or beets (messy, but doesn't stain too bad).

 

How about a smoothie with lots of spinach? You really can not taste the spinach if you have other fruit...like strawberries and bananas. You can't even see it if you add cocoa powder. I can probably find a link for you. Well, here is a green one that has fruit & spinach. And here is one with a nice plan including a great graphic at the end!

 

Have to confess that the cocoa powder holds a certain appeal :-) and I'll try the spinach with fruit at lunch...

 

Are peas considered a veggie? I like a poached egg on peas for breakfast. Also, carrots and celery with peanut butter, green smoothies, leftover soup, pumpkin custard, zucchini fritters, veggie fried rice.

 

Pumpkin custard - do you mean like a pie without the crust? Zucchini fritters sound tasty - I could imagine it with some Indian spices too...

 

Onions, peppers, and mushrooms are my fav combo for eggs. I like to throw in some goat cheese for tang, too. You could throw a lot of veggies in a quiche, for something different. I don't supposed carrot coffee cake really counts, does it?

 

Once I tried to give dd some butternut squash soup for breakfast--I thought it was delicious, she still talks about the Squash Incident.

 

 

I wish I could count carrot cake :-) - but I'm trying not to gain weight with my breakfast...that was what was happening with oatmeal breakfasts....even though I was eating better...

 

I got dd begging for my eggs....I still remember when we were camping and my dad served us carrot juice (from a can - pretty bad) as if it was orange juicec. I didn't touch carrot juice for years after that...

 

Does it have to be vegetables? Fruits count in those servings, too, right?

 

I think last time you mentioned this I talked about the smoothies we make here. They don't have vegetables, but each one is three servings of fruit.

 

 

Fruits are in the servings but I eat them later in the day to satisfy the 'sweet' craving....Yep, I'm making fruit smoothies - Medjool dates make them really great.....with some almonds to add crunch...

 

I put four egg whites into a small, oiled casserole dish. I top with 1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen collard greens or spinach, I add a small handful of frozen roasted red peppers, some frozen diced onion and a couple frozen sweet potato chunks (all found in the freezer section of my supermarket), I might toss in a couple pieces of sliced mushroom if I have them.

 

I microwave for 1 min, stir, micro for another min, stir, micro for 30 seconds, stir, another 30 seconds, stir. Top it with salsa (more veggies) and eat. Lots of veggies and very colourful. Sometimes I have a glass of no sodium added veggie juice on the side.

 

I eat that almost every morning.

 

 

That sounds like a real treat!

 

Freezing peppers, sauteed onions etc (also from Laura Corin) sounds like a great time saver....

 

Two of our favs are diced baked potatoes sauteed with onions, green peppers and jalapenos then wrapped up in a tortilla with refried beans and fresh salsa; and shredded carrots, peas, onions, corn, bean sprouts mixed with leftover rice and a beaten egg for a veggie patty-serve with soy sauce.

 

I don't know if I could manage to eat all that at one time but I could take out components to make it less starchy...

 

Green smoothies, veggie omelettes, and dinner leftovers are ususally how I get veggies in the morning. These spinach quinoa breakfast bars are good, too. They freeze well.

 

 

Those quinoa breakfast bars look so healthy!

 

Thank you all!!!

 

Joan

[Hoot]

Back before I went Raw Vegan, I used to eat sunny side up eggs over a bed of steamed green beans, squash, zucchini, and onions. Very, very good.

[kewb]

Green smoothies, veggie omelettes, and dinner leftovers are ususally how I get veggies in the morning. These spinach quinoa breakfast bars are good, too. They freeze well.

 

I am so going to make the spinach quinoa breakfast bar. Those look delicious.

[Jane in NC]

Another idea is to look at the traditional Japanese breakfast. Miso soup (with tofu, scallion, seaweed) is part of it. You could certainly add more veg.

[Joan in GE]

Another idea is to look at the traditional Japanese breakfast. Miso soup (with tofu, scallion, seaweed) is part of it. You could certainly add more veg.

 

Jane, you forgot to mention the raw egg they like to eat too!

 

Yes, it sounds like it should be good - miso soup replacing the hot water and I do really like seaweed and tofu and scallions. But there is just some appeal factor missing.........though I could adjust if it was all that was available....hmmm...it's reminding me of the bowl of chinese noodles with scallions and tofu that I could easily eat for breakfast in the past (when traveling there)...why does miso soup sound worse somehow? asking myself...is the difference just the miso really? I tried the Marmite morning drink (another previous thread) and just couldn't take to it....so maybe it is not liking the fermented taste in the AM? Anyway, I appreciate the idea and maybe in the future I'll take to it....after all, it has a lot of healthy ingredients...and the Japanese have the longest life expectancy....

 

the sunny side up egg over steamed veggies just has more appeal somehow...

 

Joan

[TGHEALTHYMOM]

Sinatra Frittata!!

 

http://www.drsinatra...-sinatra-recipe

 

 

I forgot to add that I love Salsa on this... and I double the recipe to make it last 2 days.

[momto2Cs]

I'm doing the McDougall diet, so lots of veggies, even at breakfast time!

 

Yesterday, I had "fried" brown rice with mushrooms, carrot, celery, cabbage, onion, & broccoli. Really good! I made it by cooking the rice, then sauteeing the veggies in a nonstick pan with some water. When they were almost done, I added the rice in, along with some freshly grated ginger and some soy sauce. I did "cheat" a tiny bit and added a 1/2 tsp. of toasted sesame oil at the very end, to a BIG pan of the rice-veggie mixture.

 

Today it was roasted fingerling potatoes, steamed kale, and salsa.

[MBM]

We've always eaten a sort of big lunch for breakfast. I do have one box of cereal that I occasionally will eat for dessert, though. :)

 

Lately for breakfast my husband eats a kale salad: cut-up baby kale (less bitter), 1-2 mashed avocados, finely chopped onion and garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a dash of olive oil. Mix it all together. We used to buy it pre-made from Whole Foods, but it's so much better when it's fresh -- cheaper, too! Dh usually eats it with sliced, smoked salmon that we buy from Trader Joe's.

 

I like eggs and all sorts of veggies -- spinach, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, mushrooms, peppers, garlic, avocado, broccoli -- whatever is lying around in the fridge -- all topped off with tabasco sauce. To make life easier in the morning, I cut up veggies twice a week and pop them in bowls with lids. A Presto salad shooter or food processor can make the task a little easier. I also eat a piece of bread with jelly and a generous sprinkling of organic, dried lemon or orange peel. LOL.

 

My youngest likes chicken wings and whatever veggies I make in the morning.

 

We also eat a lot of butter and cheese.

 

We are a weird family!

[Crimson Wife]

It sounds weird, but you can make oatmeal with green juice/smoothies instead of water. Now you do lose some of the nutrients when you heat the juice, but it's a way to get extra veggies in.

[J-rap]

A favorite of ours is black beans, scrambled eggs, and green spinach. Once I was at a restaurant that served grilled asparagus for breakfast and it was delicious!

[Wabi Sabi]

I'm a big fan of a poached or fried egg on top of a big bowl of kale. I'll make extra kale at dinner (from this recipe) and use the leftovers for breakfast the next day. I imagine a poached egg along with spinach or any other cooked greens would be just as good.

 

In the summer I take all of the extra sweet peppers from our garden, cut them up with some onions and freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then transfer to freezer bags. All winter we use those peppers and onions for breakfast: saute them in a little oil, then add to omelets, breakfast burritos, etc. We ended up with six big freezer bags last summer and we just opened our last bag a couple of days ago. We'll be so sad when they're gone. :crying:

 

As others have already mentioned, we also make green smoothies. My favorite is tropical fruits (mango, banana, pineapple, orange, etc.) and baby spinach. The tropical fruit really masks the taste of the spinach and it's a pretty, bright color. I'm not a fan of spinach in smoothies with berries because, IMO, the resulting brownish color is unappetizing.

 

Lastly, in the summer when the garden is producing, cherry tomatoes roasted on the vine makes for a great breakfast alongside a bagel with cream cheese and lox. Yum!

 

Oh, and edited to add one more thing: roasted asparagus with soft cooked eggs! Bonus points for Hollandaise sauce. EVERYTHING is better with Hollandaise.

[Joan in GE]

Thank you all! I'm printing out all these to hang on my fridge for inspiration :-) (as well as those from yesterday:-)

 

I'm doing the McDougall diet, so lots of veggies, even at breakfast time!

 

Yesterday, I had "fried" brown rice with mushrooms, carrot, celery, cabbage, onion, & broccoli. Really good! I made it by cooking the rice, then sauteeing the veggies in a nonstick pan with some water. When they were almost done, I added the rice in, along with some freshly grated ginger and some soy sauce. I did "cheat" a tiny bit and added a 1/2 tsp. of toasted sesame oil at the very end, to a BIG pan of the rice-veggie mixture.

 

Today it was roasted fingerling potatoes, steamed kale, and salsa.

 

I'd never heard of the McDougall diet - I'll have to look into that...your veggie mix sounds good too...

 

We've always eaten a sort of big lunch for breakfast. I do have one box of cereal that I occasionally will eat for dessert, though. :)

 

Lately for breakfast my husband eats a kale salad: cut-up baby kale (less bitter), 1-2 mashed avocados, finely chopped onion and garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a dash of olive oil. Mix it all together. We used to buy it pre-made from Whole Foods, but it's so much better when it's fresh -- cheaper, too! Dh usually eats it with sliced, smoked salmon that we buy from Trader Joe's.

 

I like eggs and all sorts of veggies -- spinach, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, mushrooms, peppers, garlic, avocado, broccoli -- whatever is lying around in the fridge -- all topped off with tabasco sauce. To make life easier in the morning, I cut up veggies twice a week and pop them in bowls with lids. A Presto salad shooter or food processor can make the task a little easier. I also eat a piece of bread with jelly and a generous sprinkling of organic, dried lemon or orange peel. LOL.

 

My youngest likes chicken wings and whatever veggies I make in the morning.

 

We also eat a lot of butter and cheese.

 

We are a weird family!

 

I think people in other countries (in Asia, Africa, S America) tend to eat foods we would eat at other meals - so considering the world's population - you might be in the majority :-) (It would be an interesting study - breakfast around the world)

 

Your time saving ideas are very helpful!

 

And I'd never heard of using baby kale - probably since I'm usually here where they don't even have Kale...but a friend sent some seeds, so next summer I have hopes...(If anyone knows growing tips for Kale - please share) and I should be able to harvest baby kale..

 

 

It sounds weird, but you can make oatmeal with green juice/smoothies instead of water. Now you do lose some of the nutrients when you heat the juice, but it's a way to get extra veggies in.

 

I never thought of that either :-) I've been thinking of eating oatmeal at lunch for something filling...so that would get more green leafies in there...

 

A favorite of ours is black beans, scrambled eggs, and green spinach. Once I was at a restaurant that served grilled asparagus for breakfast and it was delicious!

 

Now that is unusual for a breakfast at a restaurant - is it in the US? I haven't tried black beans and eggs (bb are a fav here) - though currently I'd probably try to eat that at lunch...

 

I'm a big fan of a poached or fried egg on top of a big bowl of kale. I'll make extra kale at dinner (from this recipe) and use the leftovers for breakfast the next day. I imagine a poached egg along with spinach or any other cooked greens would be just as good.

 

In the summer I take all of the extra sweet peppers from our garden, cut them up with some onions and freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then transfer to freezer bags. All winter we use those peppers and onions for breakfast: saute them in a little oil, then add to omelets, breakfast burritos, etc. We ended up with six big freezer bags last summer and we just opened our last bag a couple of days ago. We'll be so sad when they're gone. :crying:

 

As others have already mentioned, we also make green smoothies. My favorite is tropical fruits (mango, banana, pineapple, orange, etc.) and baby spinach. The tropical fruit really masks the taste of the spinach and it's a pretty, bright color. I'm not a fan of spinach in smoothies with berries because, IMO, the resulting brownish color is unappetizing.

 

Lastly, in the summer when the garden is producing, cherry tomatoes roasted on the vine makes for a great breakfast alongside a bagel with cream cheese and lox. Yum!

 

Oh, and edited to add one more thing: roasted asparagus with soft cooked eggs! Bonus points for Hollandaise sauce. EVERYTHING is better with Hollandaise.

 

What a good idea about the sweet peppers!

but wait - you don't cook the onions before freezing and it's ok?

I don't know which veggies I can freeze without cooking..It works well for tomatoes but we tried pumpkin and that was a big waste of time.

 

When you say 'roasted' asparagus - you mean baked in the oven? I'll have to try that in the spring when it's in season - I've never done it...

 

Thank you!!

Joan

[Joan in GE]

I forgot about green smoothies 'till others mentioned them...yep, it's easy to throw a hefty handful of something green in a fruit smoothie. I like romaine lettuce--while I love kale, my blender doesn't do such a good job on it--but you never know that romaine is in there, and it's got plenty of good nutrition. I avoid eating raw spinach, so I don't put that in my smoothies.

 

the other thing to keep in mind is that a serving of vegetables isn't really all that big. I know if I sit down with a plain 'ol veggie as a side, say, broccoli, I'm probably eating at least two or more servings. A serving is only a cup of most veggies, which really isn't much. I believe a serving of salad or other greens is two cups which, again, isn't all that much.

 

I forgot to say that the romaine lettuce idea is also helpful because I haven't been thinking of lettuce in place of the kale, etc...And we tend to have lettuce on hand after I've eaten all the Swiss chard...

 

About the serving size....yes, I did realize that it is not as big as one might think...but when I was keeping a food diary - there ended up being days where I was still getting a very small total of F/.V....and I think one is supposed to have more veg,, esp leafy green, than fruits...

 

Oh yes, I make carrot or chard tarts that are also great for breakfast!

 

I forgot to mention how appealing these sound...:-)

 

Sweet potatoes?

 

I forgot to say that this sounds like a great time saver if they are cooked the night before...I've been running into a time problem as well....

 

Thanks again,

Joan

[Joan in GE]

I think I found a way to have a warm salad!

 

Tonight I was trying to make "mushy peas" - for the first time ever.

 

I don't think they turned out quite right but maybe Laura has some suggestions?

 

 

I often make leftover veggies into a quick spanish omelette for breakfast. If not, I keep frozen sliced bell peppers, toss them into the pan with some oil for a couple of minutes then pour eggs over.

 

I also make whole grain veg-full wraps for breakfast, eg a couple of strips of some kind of protein (ham, salmon, prawns, etc.) and fill up the wrap with cucumber, tomato, etc. I usually add a little olive oil to the mix too.

 

I know this is unrelated to your post...but I looked online for a recipe for mushy peas and made them, but they didn't turn out like the ones I've had in the UK...maybe because I used small peas?

 

When I just couldn't get them mushy enough, I tried using the plunger blender and ended up with something that looked like bright green baby food...which still tastes great on a salad...

 

Anyway, do you have any tips?

 

Thanks,

Joan

[Laura Corin]

I know this is unrelated to your post...but I looked online for a recipe for mushy peas and made them, but they didn't turn out like the ones I've had in the UK...maybe because I used small peas?

 

When I just couldn't get them mushy enough, I tried using the plunger blender and ended up with something that looked like bright green baby food...which still tastes great on a salad...

 

Anyway, do you have any tips?

 

Thanks,

Joan

 

 

I'm afraid you are asking the wrong person - I'm a pea fan but not a mushy pea fan. I thought mushy peas were actually made from dried green peas and were a descendent of 'pease pudding'. Apparently, using peas fresh is a relatively recent thought: they were previously dried like beans and lentils.

 

Good luck!

 

Laura

[momto2Cs]

I'd never heard of the McDougall diet - I'll have to look into that...your veggie mix sounds good too...

 

 

http://www.drmcdougall.com

 

ETA: I really like the Swiss Food Pyramid! Much better than the American one.

[happypamama]

Yellow squash or zucchini fried in butter would make a nice savory accompaniment to breakfast. I like to saute slices of zucchini, maybe with some mushrooms and/or tomatoes, and top them with goat cheese. Sweet potatoes (either mashed or shredded and turned into fritters -- I also want to try zucchini fritters -- would be a nice winter breakfast item). Pumpkin custard too, yum.

 

Sometimes I make a casserole with cauliflower, cheese, and eggs. It's not the most interesting dish, but it does get the protein and veggies in.

[KungFuPanda]

You might try finding a good recipe for ful. It's a bean-based breakfast food that LOTS of folks consider a staple.

 

Personally, I get more fruit a breakfast and veggies the rest of the day. I DO love green smoothies and veggie-laden quiches. I'm a big Greek omelet fan too.

[Donna]

Omelet with just about any veggies you have on hand. Or some people juice veggies and fruit to have with breakfast.

[mrshomework]

My father made the best green beans and eggs for breakfast. I think he use to add green onions or spring onions. I have tried to replicate but something still seems to be missing. He would make anything with eggs. I love stir fried vegetables like peppers, potatoes, zucchini, squash, carrots, green onions, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower- any mixture of the forementioned with eggs for breakfast.

[Laurie4b]

If I'm eating veges for breakfast, it's usually with an egg or egg whites, typically either an omelet or fritata. I use garlic and onion (because i like them and for their health benefits) and often spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes (dried or canned or fresh). If we have leftover broccoli from the night before, I'll use that. I use guacamole instead of cheese for the creamy texture in an omelet.

 

I sometimes eat a sweet potato with cinnamon. If there is leftover pumpkin custard, I'll eat that. ( I make pumpkin pie filling without the crust and with about 1/2 the sugar for pumpkin custard.)

 

If you are wanting to add fruit, then naturally, it goes well in oatmeal and other cereals or on waffles, etc. Bananas or apples with peanut butter is also a quick breakfast.

[happypamama]

I made pumpkin custard by basically making pumpkin pie without the crust. I think I googled something like "paleo pumpkin custard" and found a recipe.

[Joan in GE]

Morning salad people - I had one this morning with warm mushy peas and sweet potato!

 

Once my mind has been opened via this thread - well there are all kinds of possibilities ! The sweet potato added a lot of flavor without all the dressing ingredients...

 

http://www.drmcdougall.com

 

ETA: I really like the Swiss Food Pyramid! Much better than the American one.

 

Thanks for the link! The first thing that popped up in their display was about arthritis vs asparagus - it made me very interested as I'm talking with a lot of elderly people - some of whom have really terrible arthritis. So I'm looking forward to reading more on that site !

 

Glad you enjoyed the Swiss Pyramid = it's helpful to see how people do things in other countries. When I first arrived here and discussed the US pyramid with some public health people, I couldn't believe they didn't like it. I was so married to the concept..It took years and pounds to open my mind to re-examining...

 

Yellow squash or zucchini fried in butter would make a nice savory accompaniment to breakfast. I like to saute slices of zucchini, maybe with some mushrooms and/or tomatoes, and top them with goat cheese. Sweet potatoes (either mashed or shredded and turned into fritters -- I also want to try zucchini fritters -- would be a nice winter breakfast item). Pumpkin custard too, yum.

 

Sometimes I make a casserole with cauliflower, cheese, and eggs. It's not the most interesting dish, but it does get the protein and veggies in.

 

I never thought of shredded sweet potatoes.....funny how my mind is so narrow sometimes as i've shredded regular potatoes...zucchini fritters sound good too...

 

You might try finding a good recipe for ful. It's a bean-based breakfast food that LOTS of folks consider a staple.

 

Personally, I get more fruit a breakfast and veggies the rest of the day. I DO love green smoothies and veggie-laden quiches. I'm a big Greek omelet fan too.

 

I did a fruit for the first half of the day diet years ago - Fit for Life - and after a certain number of months, I was so sick of fruit that it took me years to recover ! I don't know what happened...I was just so turned off. Thankfully I can eat them again but now I try to eat them at lunch or for a snack...

 

The fava beans look interesting, though for me - probably for lunch....I've never used them and am a bit curious about them.....Do you have any recipe you especially like?

 

My problem with quiches is all the cream - do you have a quiche recipe that has less cream, cheese, and butter? I have really liked quiche lorraine in the past - but it has sooo many calories (and dairy)..

 

 

If I'm eating veges for breakfast, it's usually with an egg or egg whites, typically either an omelet or fritata. I use garlic and onion (because i like them and for their health benefits) and often spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes (dried or canned or fresh). If we have leftover broccoli from the night before, I'll use that. I use guacamole instead of cheese for the creamy texture in an omelet.

 

I sometimes eat a sweet potato with cinnamon. If there is leftover pumpkin custard, I'll eat that. ( I make pumpkin pie filling without the crust and with about 1/2 the sugar for pumpkin custard.)

 

If you are wanting to add fruit, then naturally, it goes well in oatmeal and other cereals or on waffles, etc. Bananas or apples with peanut butter is also a quick breakfast.

 

Your fritatas sound good....I think I'm going to have to saute up a bunch of onions and garlic ahead of time for the week....Hadn't thought of just cutting the sugar in the pie, good idea. I do like bananas with peanut butter but never did apples....I'll try that at lunch....

 

I made pumpkin custard by basically making pumpkin pie without the crust. I think I googled something like "paleo pumpkin custard" and found a recipe.

 

Just googled - it looks good - replacing cream with coconut milk! (I'm actually trying to limit dairy too, to see if it helps my rosacea - anyone with experience?).

 

I'm afraid you are asking the wrong person - I'm a pea fan but not a mushy pea fan. I thought mushy peas were actually made from dried green peas and were a descendent of 'pease pudding'. Apparently, using peas fresh is a relatively recent thought: they were previously dried like beans and lentils.

 

Thanks for the bit of background, Laura :-) I had thought they were from dried peas too (but didn't know for sure at all - they were always canned :-( ), but on our last visit to the islands - it seemed they were made from fresh and it gave me ideas...Then my dh bought a bunch of peas on sale - so I thought - this is my opportunity...

 

Thanks everyone!!!

Joan

[Jane in NC]

Here is a link to the carrot/tarragon tart that I have made.

 

Regarding fruit, I have found in my old age that it is not as appealing to me as vegetables. I wonder if my sense of taste has changed or if it is the fruit itself that has changed. I love in season berries. Buying berries at the grocery in winter is just about the last thing I'll do--they just can't compare to strawberries or blueberries that I pick. I guess I'd rather eat the good stuff when I can and avoid the less enjoyable.

 

In my fridge right now are cara cara oranges, MacIntosh apples, some grapefruits and some limes. There are blueberries from a local farm in the freezer as well as dehydrated strawberries from last summer and lots of papaya chunks from when papayas were on sale. I also have containers of homemade pear sauce and persimmon pulp--the former to use as a topping on oatmeal or pancakes, the latter to use as a baking ingredient.

 

We are also keen on eating dried fruit in the winter. I have raisins, currents, dried cherries, prunes and dried apricots in the pantry.

 

Does red wine count as a fruit? I guess not for breakfast...

 

This is probably a totally meaningless post! At least I linked a recipe!

[Joan in GE]

Here is a link to the carrot/tarragon tart that I have made.

 

Regarding fruit, I have found in my old age that it is not as appealing to me as vegetables. I wonder if my sense of taste has changed or if it is the fruit itself that has changed. I love in season berries. Buying berries at the grocery in winter is just about the last thing I'll do--they just can't compare to strawberries or blueberries that I pick. I guess I'd rather eat the good stuff when I can and avoid the less enjoyable.

 

In my fridge right now are cara cara oranges, MacIntosh apples, some grapefruits and some limes. There are blueberries from a local farm in the freezer as well as dehydrated strawberries from last summer and lots of papaya chunks from when papayas were on sale. I also have containers of homemade pear sauce and persimmon pulp--the former to use as a topping on oatmeal or pancakes, the latter to use as a baking ingredient.

 

We are also keen on eating dried fruit in the winter. I have raisins, currents, dried cherries, prunes and dried apricots in the pantry.

 

Does red wine count as a fruit? I guess not for breakfast...

 

This is probably a totally meaningless post! At least I linked a recipe!

 

I'm appreciating discussions about fruits and veggies right now - so it's not meaningless to me at least. :-) It's like your fridge has a glass door and we can peak inside your home...

 

So do you dehydrate the strawberries yourself? And you can just put papaya in the freezer?

 

I agree about not buying fresh berries in the winter - but frozen berries work really well for smoothies...So far, blueberries are my favorite...

 

Persimmon pulp sounds exotic - you bake with it?

 

Thanks for the recipe!

Joan

[Jane in NC]

I'm appreciating discussions about fruits and veggies right now - so it's not meaningless to me at least. :-) It's like your fridge has a glass door and we can peak inside your home...

 

So do you dehydrate the strawberries yourself? And you can just put papaya in the freezer?

 

I agree about not buying fresh berries in the winter - but frozen berries work really well for smoothies...So far, blueberries are my favorite...

 

Persimmon pulp sounds exotic - you bake with it?

 

Thanks for the recipe!

Joan

 

Yes to dehydrating strawberries. I have a small, inexpensive dehydrator that I use mostly for berries. I have also dehydrated tomatoes and a few other things.

 

The papaya chunks were frozen on a cookie sheet and then placed in a bag for storage. Ready to go for smoothies.

 

My local farmer grows Japanese persimmons (non-astringent). I use the pulp as I would use pumpkin in baking or in pancakes. It was new to me this year. I had several persimmons each week in my CSA box throughout the fall.