I have a tendency to want to over-nourish myself. I love the thought of getting all of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes my body needs to run at its very best. I could easily get carried away with the anti-aging, disease-preventing, and healing power of nutritious foods. (Have I mentioned that I’m a tad OCD?)
Of course, this is a lofty goal and rarely obtainable, much less on a daily basis. So I choose to focus on a few nutrients at a time, depending on what I feel my body needs.
The one nutrient I always pay special attention to is protein. While the RDA (recommended daily allowance) is a mere 46-56 grams, different experts will tell you different things regarding daily requirements for protein, ranging from a gram for every pound of your ideal weight, to a whopping 300 grams a day. To me it makes more sense to stick to a range I can be consistent with, and so I aim for a good even 100 grams.
Remember that high protein doesn’t necessarily mean low carbohydrate. I’m always skeptical of eliminating entire food groups. When you eliminate an entire food group you’re also eliminating important vitamins, minerals, and who knows what else.
Fruits, starchy vegetables and whole grains are all carbohydrates but have valuable nutrition specific to carbs — fiber, for example. If you’re not eating carbs, then how in the world are you getting the recommended 25 grams (for women) of dietary fiber? It’s no wonder you’re in such a grumpy mood. Your whole system is probably backed up.
Mini-meals
For me, the easiest way to fit in my 100 grams of protein is through mini meals — five to six small meals containing 15-30 grams of protein each, starting with a healthy breakfast.
Breakfast is still a struggle for me because I’m just not hungry when I wake up. If it were up to me, I’d drink coffee all day long and save most of my calories for supper, preferably while sitting in front of the TV with a glass of Pinot Grigio watching “Friends” reruns. Unhealthy on so many levels. But you know what they say: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” And so, I always make sure to have a little nosh with my coffee.
Not a fan of whipping up a low-cal/high-protein meal in my pre-coffee haze, I find breakfast easier to deal with if I’ve made something ahead of time, like these beautiful, delicious Parmesan Florentine scrambled egg muffins. They’re easy to make up on Sunday night to have breakfast ready to go for the whole work week.
How to
In a large mixing bowl, combine 12 eggs, 1 cup of 100 percent egg white substitute, one chopped red onion, 3 cups chopped portabella mushrooms, one 12-ounce bag of frozen chopped leaf spinach, 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, and 6 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese.
Season as desired with sea salt and fresh ground pepper, then mix everything really well and spoon into 24 muffin tin wells sprayed with nonstick spray.
Top each with a thin tomato slice and 1/4 tablespoon of grated Parmesan. Bake on 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until the eggs are set.
These tasty egg muffins are wonderful hot out of the oven, but are just as delicious warmed up days later. They’re even pretty good straight out of the fridge if you’re really in a hurry. Enjoy two or three with a piece of high fiber toast, and you’ve got yourself a healthy breakfast at record speed. Each egg muffin has 70 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1.5 gram of fiber and 7 grams of protein.
As with all of my recipes, feel free to try some different concoctions. I’m going to try roasted corn and red bell pepper, black beans, rotel tomatoes and light sharp cheddar cheese the next time I whip up a batch.
I’d love to hear what you come up with!
Leah Sullivan of Columbus has been on a productive journey to a healthier lifestyle and shares some of her experiences with readers. Follow {Nourish} on Facebook.
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