It’s no surprise to most that typical American breakfast foods from cereal and bagels to pancakes and bacon just aren’t that healthy. We’re all told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and we know that we should make good, healthy choices.

Even when people opt for the more traditionally healthy or breakfast “diet” foods like oatmeal or fresh grapefruit, most can’t get through even half of the serving without spoonfuls of sugar (or equally sweet alternatives like maple syrup). Others opt for fresh fruit and veggie smoothies, which can be a great option when they aren’t loaded with unnecessary added sugars or fruit juices. But for some, that homemade chunky green smoothie simply doesn’t go down easy enough.

Dr. Stibich explains why eating a Healthy Breakfast Salad is the best option in the morning:
 
 

Salad for breakfast may sound strange — but stay with me. If every morning you ate a salad for breakfast, you’d begin your day with at least three servings of vegetables, which is a fantastic start to a healthy day.

Not only that, you’d be avoiding that heavy, sleepy mid-morning feeling from the typical carb overload or, on the contrary, the grumbling stomach and mood swings of a hungry monster who skipped breakfast.

One great thing that I’ve noticed since starting my day with a healthy breakfast salad is that when I start my day with fresh fruits and vegetables, I am very unlikely to “go backward” and eat junk later in the day. My breakfast salad somehow starts and keeps me on track. Not only that, but the water in fresh produce hydrates your body better than most other traditional breakfast options, which is important after a whole night without hydration.

Continue on to the next page to learn exactly how to make the Best Breakfast Salad …

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The post How About Enjoying a HEALTHY SALAD for Breakfast! appeared first on Top Morning Recommendations.

Here’s a conversation piece and creative attention getter for your next party! Rick shows how to carve up a ripe watermelon with a sharp knife to use as a basket for a tasty fruit salad. Betty then adds the pieces of watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melon for the salad — but be creative and use any different fruits that you want.

Watch how they do it in the video on the next page …

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The post [Video] Carve Out a Watermelon Salad Basket appeared first on Top Morning Recommendations.

A salad could just mean a helping of iceberg lettuce, some shaved carrots and Ranch dressing. And loading your bowl with veggies and skimping on protein and carbs means you’re not getting enough calories to power you through the rest of your day.


Your dressing of choice could be adding to the problem. “You might think you’re doing the right thing by eating a salad, but if you add a dressing like honey mustard or raspberry vinaigrette, both of which are usually high in added sugar, that’ll probably lead to an energy crash later,” says Marisa Moore, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Do you regularly consume dairy products? This is another category of foods that is often sleep-inducing:


2. Cheese and Yogurt

Dairy could be behind your fatigue. You may have digested it just fine when you were younger, but intolerances to the proteins in dairy (casein and whey) can develop as we age, and tiredness is a hallmark symptom.

The mechanism isn’t entirely clear, but it’s believed that the body mistakenly develops an immunological reaction to the proteins, building an army of antibodies to mobilize against the proteins whenever they show up, resulting in fatigue.

And then there’s a third category of sleep-inducing foods on the next page …

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The post Here are 3 Sleep-Inducing Foods to Sleep Longer and Wake Up Later in the Morning, or … appeared first on Top Morning Recommendations.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for 6 appetizer portions or 4 larger servings:
 
 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

6 cups arugula

2 oranges, peeled and chopped

2 blood oranges, peeled and chopped

1 ruby-red grapefruit, peeled and chopped

1 bulb fennel, quartered and thinly sliced (fronds reserved, optional)

2 avocados–halved, pitted and thinly sliced

Make this energizing Citrus, Fennel and Avocado Salad in 3 easy steps:
 
 

1. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, mint, parsley, salt and pepper to combine.

2. In a large bowl, toss the arugula with the dressing. Divide the arugula evenly among plates.

3. Top each salad with ¼ cup of each kind of citrus and about ¼ cup fennel. Finish with 4 or 5 avocado slices. Serve immediately.

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Source: Erin McDowell

The post Loaded Fruity Citrus Salad appeared first on Top Morning Recommendations.

Out of sight is out of mind so don’t hide all your fruit in the fridge — keep a few day’s worth of fresh fruit on your kitchen counter. That way you’ll be tempted to pick up an apple, orange, or pear instead of a candy bar. Nectarines and bananas also keep well at room temperature for a few days, as long as the peels are still intact. Just remember to keep the apples away from the bananas, unless you want them to ripen quickly.
 
Enjoy fresh fruit in smoothies. A basic smoothie includes a banana cut into chunks, a cup of berries, a dollop of plain yogurt and a cup of milk or juice. Put everything in a blender for a minute or so and serve. If you have a heavy duty blender, you can also add some ice cubes for a milk-shake like texture. Once you have this simple recipe down, you can explore more smoothie recipes:

• Mango Lassi
  

 

• Cantaloupe Smoothie

 

• Tropical Fruit Smoothie

 

• Strawberry Banana Ginger Smoothie

 
Another suggestion:

Make a simple low-calorie fruit salad by combining fresh melon cubes, pineapple chunks, grapes and strawberries. You can look for more festive fruit salad recipes; just stay away from ingredients that add too many calories or rely on fruits canned in heavy syrup.

For more great recipe ideas read the full article by Shereen Lehman, MS

The post More Ways to Enjoy More Fruit More Often! appeared first on Top Morning Recommendations.

for the SPICY YOGURT SAUCE:

1 cup Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons Sriracha, or more to taste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

for the SALAD:

1 bunch green-leaf lettuce, cored and chopped
1 head radicchio, cored and chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup chopped mint
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 falafel (homemade or premade)

The easy preparation instructions are on the next page …

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The post Healthy Falafel Salad with Spicy Sauce appeared first on Top Morning Recommendations.

for the Slaw:

½ head red cabbage, shredded
½ head green cabbage, shredded
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon lime zest
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped mint

for the Fish:

Two 8-ounce tilapia fillets
4 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil

for the Toppings:

1 cup crushed or broken tortilla chips

1 cup pico de gallo

1 avocado, diced

The easy preparation instructions are on the next page …

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The post Healthy Taco Salad appeared first on Top Morning Recommendations.

Also, pack foods in a specific order in your containers. With the rice and beet salad, you’ll notice that the rice and beets are on the bottom, while the romaine and cilantro are on top. Mix them all together just before eating and they will maintain their crispness for sure.

Here are the ingredients for 1 serving of this super-salad for travelers:

½ cup short grain brown rice
1 cup water
2 medium beets
½ head romaine lettuce
1 small bunch cilantro (or flat leaf parsley, dill)
handful of walnuts

Here are the ingredients for a Maple-Mustard Dressing that goes well with this salad. If your travel plans include flying, however, it is advisable to put the dressing in a separate small bottle (max. 100 ml.) so it will not be confiscated at the security checkpoint:

1 Tbsp. cold-pressed olive oil
2 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
pinch sea salt and cracked black pepper

The preparation instructions to make this salad are on the next page …

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