I Don't Have Time To Make Breakfast Overnight Oats

Are you just too busy in the morning to make breakfast? Have to get to work super early? Or just not a morning person?  I hear you.  When I have to be at work EARLY in the morning (like before I even really want to be out of bed), I rely on this overnight oat recipe for breakfast.  All the goodness of oatmeal, in a convenient to-go container, that basically "cooks" itself.   Since we are talking about being too busy to make breakfast, you probably don't have a lot of time to read a long post either.  So, let's skip the chatter and get right to it.

Here is what we are making:

What You Need:

1/2 cup oatmeal (I use thick cut rolled oats. Sorry, steel cut oats won't work here)
1 tablespoon chia seeds*
3/4 cup unsweetened plant milk
1-2 tablespoons nut butter (almond butter used here)
2 teaspoons nuts or seeds (pepitas used here)
2 teaspoons dried or fresh fruit** (dried cherries used here)

*Optional, but helps absorb any left over liquid, gives it a nice texture, and adds some fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Ground flax seed could be substituted here.
**add fresh fruits in the morning just before eating

Mix all of the ingredients together in container that has a lid (mason jars work well for this), shake it up, then pop it in the fridge.  The oats and chia seeds will absorb the milk while you sleep.  In the morning grab your mason jar and a spoon, breakfast is ready!  

Other combos that I love:
1. Raisins, peanut butter, and cinnamon
2. nutmeg and fresh bananas
3. dried blueberries, lemon zest (added in the morning), and almonds
4. peanut butter and jelly
5. honey, cinnamon, and fresh apples

Really anything works, use whatever you like!

OK, time for me to get a batch ready for tomorrow morning.  I hope you give this recipe a try.  Feel free to leave your favorite combos in the comments.

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G


PS.  I am finishing my last busy month of residency in about a week, so I am hoping to really increase my posting frequency soon.  In the meantime follow me on Instagram for almost daily posts.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Power Balls

Looking for a new pre or post workout snack?  Give these energy packed peanut butter oatmeal power balls a try.  Speaking of working out...what are you doing for exercise?

Take a look at what we are making, then let's chat about exercise:

To keep your body healthy you have to be physically active, period.  There is just not such thing as an inactive healthy body; eating healthy food alone is not enough.  If you are a gym rat, a cross fitter, a runner, etc, good for you, keep up the good work!  But, if exercise is not your thing, there is good news for you.  No one says you have to spend hours a day on an elliptical or lifting weights in the gym to be healthy.  All you really need to do is walk. The American Heart Association recommends 10,000 steps per day for weight management and cardiovascular health.  If you are not physically active already, this is a great beginning goal.  If walking is too boring for you, try swimming, dancing, kayaking, paddle boarding, or zumba.  I like to call these activities leisure-sizing. If you are looking for something a little more soothing try yoga, tai chi, or qigong.  As an osteopathic physician I was taught that wellness and health requires balance of the mind, body, and spirit and these practices are a great way to achieve balance while exercising.

Now that you are ready to get a workout in, let's power up with this fun snack (they also make for a great breakfast).

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Power Balls

For 6 balls you will need:
3/4 cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons powered pressed peanuts*
2 tablespoons water*
2 teaspoons of dried goji berries
2 teaspoons of cacao nibs

* you can substitute 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of warm water to thin it
















Dissolve the peanut powder with the water and then mix in the oats, cacao nibs, and goji berries.   The oats should be slightly damp, but not soggy.   Take about 1 tablespoon of the mixture in your hands and form it into a ball.  Repeat until you have used all of the mixture.







These can be enjoyed right away or stored in the refrigerator for later.

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G

Super Green Smoothie Bowl

Finally, it is the weekend.  What are you having for breakfast today? Hmmm.....  Well here is a quick, easy, and healthy idea for you :).

I love breakfast! If you follow me on Instagram you have probably noticed that I post breakfast pictures all of the time.  If you don't follow me on Instagram you probably should, just saying (use the link on the right to get to my account).  I love both sweet and savory breakfasts.  But, regardless of whether I am in a sweet or savory mood, I like to throw some veges into breakfast.  This super green smoothie bowl tastes like tropical deliciousness, and gets its green color from a little avocado and spinach.  Here is what we are making:

Here is what you will need:

1/2 frozen mango, cut into chunks
1/4 frozen avocado, cut into chunks
1 inch piece of ginger
juice of 1/2 lime
handful of spinach
11oz of coconut water (or just plain water)

If you didn't remember to freeze your mangoes and avocados you can just throw in a few ice cubes.  Freezing them just makes the smoothie creamier.





Put everything into the blender and blend until smooth.  You can drink this like a smoothie or pour it into a bowl and top with whatever you like.  Pictured here are a few more (not frozen) mango chunks, blackberries, vanilla almond granola, and chia seeds.


Now sit back, enjoy your smoothie bowl and pretend you are on a tropical island.


Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G

Whole Cranberry Sauce with Clementine - Just in time for Thanksgiving

As you are getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner don't forget to add a few plant based options to the menu.  Remember that Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for what we have, like our good health, and not about eating our faces off.   That said, I'm pretty sure you are going to eat your face off, so here is a super quick cranberry sauce that you don't have to feel guilty about.

Whole Cranberry Sauce with Clementine

1 cup of whole cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup of water
1-2 tablespoons honey, to taste
juice and zest of 2 clementines (of half an orange or 1 tangerine)








This is so simple that I can't believe that I ever bought cranberry sauce in a can, silly!








Put the cranberries, water, honey, and juice in a sauce pain and bring to a boil.  Let it boil away for 10-15 minutes until the cranberries have all burst open and the sauce is thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.

















Turn off the heat and then stir in the zest.  Chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.  You can definitely make this a day or two ahead.












If you have leftovers try is on some oatmeal for breakfast the next day.

Happy eating, Happy Thanksgiving, and best health,

Dr. G

Fall Breakfast Bowls

If quick colorful breakfast foods are your thing, then here are 2 great ideas for you.  What is easier than literally piling random ingredients from your fridge and pantry into a bowl and calling it a meal? Bowls are a fun way to pack a bunch nutrient rich foods into a small space.  The idea is that there is a base of some kind (a smoothie, oatmeal, rice, quinoa, etc) that is then topped with various delicious items.  Here are 2 fall inspired breakfast bowls for you to try.  

Dark Cherry Smoothie and Persimmon Bowl

For the smoothie bowl:

1 cup frozen dark cherries 

1/2 frozen banana 

3 ice cubes

1/4 cup almond milk 

Throw all of that into the blender until smooth and then pour it into a bowl.  

Now pick some toppings.  I like to use nuts, seeds, and fruits of a different color than I used in the smoothie. 

Toppings used here:

unsweetened flaked coconut 

persimmon 

chia seeds

walnuts

This breakfast is super quick and easy to make.  If you pop it in a container that has a cover it travels well too.  Your co-workers will be so jealous of your healthy breakfast.  

Quick food advice:  Eating foods of different colors will provide you with a greater variety of vitamins and minerals (micronutrients).  On this blog I don't often talk about specific sources of vitamins and minerals because if you are eating a variety of types of foods in a variety of colors, you are more than likely getting all of the micronutrients you need.  I am a busy person, as I am sure you are too, and I find it much easier to "eat the rainbow" so to speak than to count milligrams of micronutrients everyday.  Keep an eye out for a Sipping Tea with Dr. G on micro and macro nutrients soon.  

Oatmeal, Plantain, and Pomegranate Bowl

If it is too cold already this fall to have an icy smoothie bowl for breakfast, give this warmer version a try. 

First make some plain oatmeal (follow the instructions on the package guys) and then put it in a bowl. Again, find some toppings you enjoy and decorate your bowl. 

Here I used:

Dry fried plantains (cut plantains into circles and place in a frying pan without any oil over medium heat.  Brown both sides...done!)

Fresh raspberries

Pomegranate arils

Unsweetened coconut flakes

Pecans

Cacao nibs (all the chocolate without the sugar...so a little bitter, but in a good way)

Not sure how to get pomegranate arils out of a pomegranate?  Check out this video:

                                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyTRkUTtgic



There are more fall fruits out there than pumpkins and apples.  Enjoy some of what the season has to offer with these breakfast bowls!  Remember to eat the rainbow :)

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G

Pumpkin! Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Smoothie and Pumpkin Chili

The nights are getting chilly and days are getting shorter which can only mean one thing...it's PUMPKIN season.  Seriously, I am a little sad that summer is over, but I am pumped about pumpkin flavored everything (and about cozy sweatpants, fluffy socks, and being a human burrito wrapped up in warm blankets...I digress).  So let's start the morning off with a pumpkin pie smoothie, then watch some football while eating pumpkin chili, and finally crunch on some pumpkin spiced almonds for dessert.

Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:

1/2 frozen banana 

2 tablespoons of oatmeal (the quick cook variety breaks down the best in the blender)

2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree

1 cup of non-dairy milk

1 tablespoon on maple syrup

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

4-5 ice cubes  

Throw everything into a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a large glass (or beer stein, don't judge) and top with some walnuts, pepitas, cinnamon, or whatever and enjoy!

Pumpkin Chili 

Again my homeys from Thug Kitchen get the credit here for the recipe...they have no idea who I am by the way, I just pretend that we are homeys.  

Ingredients:

1 onion

1 carrot

1 bell pepper

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 jalapeno

2 teaspoons of soy sauce (I used Bragg's liquid aminos)

2-3 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 can of diced tomatoes, no salt added

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

2 cups vege broth

3 cups cooked beans (black and kidney used here)

juice of 1 lime

Dice the carrot, bell pepper, and onion and then mince the jalapeno and garlic.  Now you are ready to get cooking.  This is super quick and easy to put together.

Grab a large soup pot and put it over medium high heat.  Throw in about 1 teaspoon of olive oil followed by the carrot, onion, peppers, and garlic.  Cook those down until they are tender, the carrots will take the longest...in case that wasn't obvious.  Then in with the oregano, chili powder and cumin...mix that up really well.  Now put in the vege broth, pumpkin puree, and tomatoes and mix it up again.  Finally gently fold in the beans, don't smoush them up too much.  Put the lid on, turn the heat down to medium low and let it simmer for a good 15-20 minutes.  Finally squeeze in the lime juice and you are done.   

Throw on a few toppings and then eat it!

Avocado, tortilla chips, nutritional yeast, cilantro, limes, etc all make for good toppings for your chili.  I am anticipating your burning question of "what is nutritional yeast?"  Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast (you know, like they use in bread dough), usually Saccharomyces cerevisiae that comes in the form of a flake.  It has a cheese-like taste to it and is one of the only non-animal sources of vitamin B-12.  My homeboys at Bob's Red Mill sell this product so it is easily available in most grocery stores (again check out the "healthy food" aisle).  

                                                                               --------------------------------->

Pumpkin Spice Almonds

I found these little almond friends in the grocery store too...awesome. 

Thanks Blue Diamond Almonds people for making these so I didn't have to.  

I just eat them out of the can, but I am sure they are awesome chopped up and sprinkled on some vanilla frozen banana "ice cream", click the link to check out that post.

Enjoy pumpkin season!

Happy eating and best health,
Dr. G

Breakfast! Vege-style

BREAKFAST

Start your day off right with some plants!  Skip the classic American breakfast fare of cereal and milk, eggs, sausage, bacon, yogurt, french toast, etc. and try some of these plant-based recipes instead.  Enjoy!

1.  Vegetable and tofu breakfast scramble

Prep your ingredients then throw them in the frying pan...done.  Total prep and cooking time? Maybe 10 minutes.

You can really throw any veges you like into this scramble, but on this particular day I used: mushrooms, baby spinach, tomatoes, onions, and garlic.  Peppers or cauliflower are great in this recipe too.  Use whatever you have, it will be awesome.

Use extra firm tofu for this delicious creation.  Just cut it into cubes, pat it dry with a paper towel and throw it into the pan.  Scared of tofu? Stop being a baby try something new or just use beans instead.

For those of you who are worried about your protein intake FYI tofu is a complete protein and packs about 8g into every 3oz serving.  Also, stop worrying about protein, seriously.  The food industry created the protein craze not the medical community. We certainly need protein in our diet, but many Americans double their daily requirements.  So slow your roll on the protein.  You can get all you need from a varied diet rich in whole foods and plants.  

Now you just have to season it up.  A pinch of salt and pepper will do, but for some extra anti-inflammatory benefits (and a yellow color) I threw turmeric powder into this batch.  Don't like turmeric or don't have any?  Chill homey...try cumin, chili powder, curry, Chinese 5 spice, or whatever else you come up with.

Now eat it!

Salsa, siracha, chili and garlic sauce, ketchup, or hot sauce all make for great toppings for your scramble (salsa verde used above).  Serve your breakfast scramble along side some fruit and a whole grain toast and you have yourself some breakfast.

2. Acai Bowls

Acai bowls are kind of like breakfast sundaes.  First you make the acai smoothie.  If you can't find any acai berry puree don't sweat it.  You can use any kind of frozen fruits you like.  I've made these with everything from strawberries and bananas to mangoes and pineapples.  Do yourself a favor and put some bananas in your freezer (peeled and cut into pieces first), they make your smoothies extra creamy.

Throw 1/2 of a frozen banana, frozen cherries, and frozen acai berry puree into the blender with some almond milk (unsweetened people, please!).  You want this to come out like a thick smoothie so add just a little of the almond milk at a time.

Pour your smoothie into a bowl and then find some fun toppings....done!

Top your smoothie with whatever your heart desires.  I topped this one with nectarine slices, raspberries, pecans, granola (look for one that is low in fat and sugar), and chia seeds.  Again, feel free to use whatever you want for toppings, just stick to whole food and plant based items (duh).

3. Avocado toast

Seriously, I took the time to do a post about toast.

Smush avocado onto to toast and top with a tomato slice and some fresh cracked pepper...done!

When you are in a rush, keep it simple! This is one of my go to breakfasts for those days when I am running out the door (easily eaten in the car).  All you do is toast up some bread, use a fork to spread the avocado on to the toast, and then top with a slice of tomato and cracked black pepper.

3 quick things about bread:

1. Look for options that say that they are 100% whole grain.  If you find some with added seeds like the one above, even better!

2. Many breads have some kind of animal based products in them.  Usually butter, milk, or eggs.  Keep in mind that the goal here is to eat a whole food and plant BASED diet not plant ONLY diet.   You don't have to drive yourself crazy looking for a "vegan" bread that is probably made with some kind of chemical substitute for the dairy.  The tablespoon of butter that went into making an entire loaf of bread is not going to give you heart disease.

3. Beware of those super large loafs of bread.  A single slice of bread should have somewhere between 80-100 calories in it.  That doesn't mean you can't buy those larger loafs, just be thoughtful about how much you are eating.  I can't be responsible for your expanding waistline.

4. Banana oatmeal

Here is another quick and easy one for you.  In the last recipe we used a toaster and for this one we are moving on to harder things...the microwave.  All you need is a banana, quick cook oats, pecans, chia or flax seeds, and honey.  I used a cinnamon spun honey that I picked up from the Savannah Bee Company on a recent trip, yuuummmm :) Put everything but the honey in a bowl, put enough water in to just cover the oats, and pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes.

If you are like me you are spending your 2 minutes of microwave time putting on your shoes and gathering your things for the day so that as soon as the microwave beeps you can run out the door.

Then drizzle with honey and eat.

Keep and eye out for more oatmeal recipes to come. 

5.  Nut butter and apples with granola and raisins

This breakfast is portable and doubles as a great pre-workout snack (take the hint: GO WORKOUT!)

Grab your favorite apple (pink lady below), your favorite nut butter (almond butter below), some granola or oats, raisins, and cinnamon.  Core the apple first with a spoon, then spread on a layer of the nut butter, and fill with the granola and raisins.  Sprinkle on a little cinnamon and enjoy.

Seriously go workout now. 

Hopefully these recipes will give you enough inspiration to skip the donuts, sugary cereal, and 5 egg omelets stuffed with a pound of cheese that have been clogging up your arteries morning after morning.  Be creative, have fun, and try something new.

Happy eating and best health,

Dr.G