Off to a Good Start

Breakfast - "breaking the fast" from the previous evening's meal. What you eat is more important than when you eat. In some cultures, breakfast simply consists of fresh fruit. If you do have to skip breakfast, make sure your first meal is not long into the day and nutritious. You need that energy to keep your mind clear and your body's energy sustained throughout the day.
In our fast-paced lives, it is often easiest to reach for a box of cereal, add a little soymilk or rice milk and be on our way. The ready-to-eat cereals available in natural foods stores are highly preferable to those that many of us were raised on. These contain whole grains, no refined sugar and often use organically grown ingredients as well.

For a warmer morning meal, try cooked whole grains or pancakes topped with fruit, yogurt and/or nuts; heat some mochi in the toaster oven and stuff with a slice of cheese, avocado or a bit of jam; warm up muffins or sweet breads prepared the night before or on the weekend. Add a glass of juice, a fresh smoothie or a cup of tea and the day gets off to a simple, elegant start. Plan ahead and the meal will give you time to relax and enjoy the company of family as well as nourish the body.

Below are a few alternatives to ready to eat cereals to get your creative ideas flowing. Enjoy!

Mochi, a relatively new breakfast choice, is a traditional Japanese ready-to-bake rice dough made from 100% whole grain brown rice and available in different flavors. It puffs up after it is baked for 10 minutes and can be filled with cheeses or preserves. Because mochi is wheat-free, it is a favorite for those with wheat allergies.

Oatmeal Sesame Pancakes

Mix up your favorite pancake recipe or use a ready-made mix like we sell in our bulk bin - it contains whole corn & wheat flour along with organic whole rice & rye flour. Add to this some leftover oatmeal or presoaked oats (soak 'em for about 10 minutes), sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds. Add chopped apples or nuts, frozen berries, mashed bananas or whatever else suits your morning gourmet and cook on a hot griddle.

Serve with yogurt, honey, applesauce or maple syrup for a delectable breakfast treat.

Breakfast Smoothie

Put fresh or frozen bananas, and berries into a blender. Add apple or orange juice and blend. Add more juice or fruit until you have the desired thickness and serve.

Options: add yogurt, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, 2 Tbs. flax seed, lecithin granules or liquid acidophilus and you practically have a whole meal in a glass.

Hot Cereals
Buckwheat groats or kasha - Its high in calcium, the amino acid lysine, and the B vitamins and has a hearty, nutty flavor.
Oats - A good source of protein, has more vitamin B1 than any other cereal grain & of course has the serum cholesterol lowering benefits of oat bran.
Quinoa (Keen-Wa) - A fruit seed whose name means "mother grain" and was a major staple for centuries in the Incan diet. It is a good source of protein, vitamin E, phosphorous, and iron with a light and nutty flavor. Wash quinoa well in a strainer until it no longer foams.
Teff - Originally from Ethiopia, ounce for ounce, this tiny grain supplies more fiber-rich bran and nutritious germ than any other grain. It has a slightly nutty flavor. The name means "lost", because if you drop it on the ground you won't find it.

Refer to the cooking chart below for approximate amounts and cooking times. Bring water to a boil, add the grain, reduce heat & simmer. Add fruit, spices, or honey just before it is done - when all the water has been absorbed.

Grain (1 cup, dry)	water	cooking time	yield
buckwheat (Kasha)	2 cups	15 minutes	2.5 cups
oats (rolled)	3 cups	5 minutes	3.5 cups
quinoa	2 cups	15 minutes	2.5 cups
teff	4 cups	15 minutes	2.5 cups

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