We all find reasons to splurge now and then, but a special occasion doesn't have to be your ticket toward a larger pant size. Whip up a tasty dish that not only satisfies your taste buds, but also leaves you feeling energized and ready to tackle the day.
Today's breakfast was a perfect example. I woke up this-morning to find my wonderful fiance lying on the couch with our brand new puppy. I knew he probably hadn't slept a wink and it was his BIRTHDAY! Even on his special day, he let me sleep and didn't wake me once. Such a guy. So, after smothering him with 'Happy Birthday's', I hopped into the kitchen and began creating some birthday love. Food should be just that, an expression of love and passion for putting the best food into your body. Plus, I am a firm believer that food made with love tastes better anyway.
I knew he adored pancakes and we rarely have them, so I decided to make a homemade batch. I chose to go with whole wheat cakes so that they packed more of a nutritional punch. See my previous post about choosing the proper source of carbohydrates! I wanted them to be decadent but also light and fresh. This is a tough task in case you were wondering! I opted for fresh cut strawberries and organic agave nectar to top my fluffy pancake pillows. Before I get too carried away, let me share the basic pancake recipe:
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup almond milk, plus more if needed
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
Mix all ingredients lightly. Batter will be lumpy but resist the urge to over-mix. Cook on a lightly greased pan until golden brown on both sides (approximately 2 minutes on each side). Serve with your choice of toppings.
Now, back to business. As you can see in the picture above, we didn't just dine on a stack of pancakes. Rather, we had one decent sized pancake along with some other goodies. I would never serve pancakes without a healthy dose of protein to go along with it. This is to prevent a blood sugar spike which would typically happen after downing some pancakes. I chose to scramble some farm fresh eggs with chicken breast, broccoli and mushrooms. De-licious.
My fiance was more than thrilled with the meal choice and so was I. We both felt like we were celebrating but we still fit into our jeans this-morning, too. Splurging doesn't have to be free-for-all. Make choices that are a little out of your healthy eating comfort zone but still maintain control so that you don't regret it later.
Melissa Stoner R.D., C.P.T.
Registered Dietitian
Certified Personal Trainer
Professional Chef
Today's breakfast was a perfect example. I woke up this-morning to find my wonderful fiance lying on the couch with our brand new puppy. I knew he probably hadn't slept a wink and it was his BIRTHDAY! Even on his special day, he let me sleep and didn't wake me once. Such a guy. So, after smothering him with 'Happy Birthday's', I hopped into the kitchen and began creating some birthday love. Food should be just that, an expression of love and passion for putting the best food into your body. Plus, I am a firm believer that food made with love tastes better anyway.
I knew he adored pancakes and we rarely have them, so I decided to make a homemade batch. I chose to go with whole wheat cakes so that they packed more of a nutritional punch. See my previous post about choosing the proper source of carbohydrates! I wanted them to be decadent but also light and fresh. This is a tough task in case you were wondering! I opted for fresh cut strawberries and organic agave nectar to top my fluffy pancake pillows. Before I get too carried away, let me share the basic pancake recipe:
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup almond milk, plus more if needed
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
Mix all ingredients lightly. Batter will be lumpy but resist the urge to over-mix. Cook on a lightly greased pan until golden brown on both sides (approximately 2 minutes on each side). Serve with your choice of toppings.
Now, back to business. As you can see in the picture above, we didn't just dine on a stack of pancakes. Rather, we had one decent sized pancake along with some other goodies. I would never serve pancakes without a healthy dose of protein to go along with it. This is to prevent a blood sugar spike which would typically happen after downing some pancakes. I chose to scramble some farm fresh eggs with chicken breast, broccoli and mushrooms. De-licious.
My fiance was more than thrilled with the meal choice and so was I. We both felt like we were celebrating but we still fit into our jeans this-morning, too. Splurging doesn't have to be free-for-all. Make choices that are a little out of your healthy eating comfort zone but still maintain control so that you don't regret it later.
Melissa Stoner R.D., C.P.T.
Registered Dietitian
Certified Personal Trainer
Professional Chef