Editorial
Front Page - Friday, April 23, 2010
Kay's Cooking Corner
Kay Bona
Breakfast is the healthiest and best meal for us of the day, but if you stopped and asked the people around you if they ate breakfast or not, over half of them would say “not”.
I eat breakfast probably 4 out of seven mornings during the week, and Don even less. If I can get him to push a banana down his throat, then I’m doing good. We do like to go out to eat breakfast, but who has time for that? And then, you eat too much!
For some people, especially mothers, who have to get ready for work, fix lunches, get the kids fed and on the bus (or drive them to school themselves), they find that they are ravenous after so much activity that early in the morning, so they stop by McDonalds or Sonic on their way to work to pick up something fast.
Just so you know, a McDonalds Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit has 420 calories, 23 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 235 milligrams of Cholesterol, and 1160 milligrams of sodium. In other words, it is quick and easy and taste great, but not so great for your blood pressure or heart, or your weight. At Sonic, a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Burrito has 470 calories, 30 grams of fat, 325 milligrams of cholesterol (or 108 percent of the RDA), and 1040 milligrams of sodium.
According to the American Heart Association, we should consume no more than 2300 milligrams of sodium per day, so that means that you have eaten nearly half of your daily sodium allowance in one little biscuit, or one Breakfast Burrito at Sonic. There is not even room to discuss the fat and cholesterol content of each, but, this one thing I can say – it ain’t pretty!
Don’t get me wrong – I eat McDonalds Bacon Egg and Cheese Biscuits. I love them, and I used to eat three or four a week, but I don’t now. Now I eat maybe one or two a month. My breakfast now consists mostly of Frosted Shredded Mini-Wheats with a handful of fresh blueberries thrown in. I love this, and I have found it is not hard to squeeze a bowl of this in of a morning – even when you are busy. If nothing else, throw some cereal and fruit in a bag and carry it with you. Fill up that thermal, lidded coffee cup with milk, and you can eat breakfast when you get to your desk.
There are several ways you can fill the breakfast void if you just get creative and think ahead. Do it for your heart. For your future!
For all of those weekend mornings when you want to do something special for your family, here is a great heart-healthy breakfast casserole that won’t blow anyone’s diet!
Ham and cheese
breakfast casserole recipe
1 1/2 cups Egg Beaters
Egg Substitute
1 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons Dijon
mustard
1 teaspoon fresh Rosemary
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground
black pepper
5 cups spinach, wilted
5 slices whole-grain bread
5 ounces ham steak,
trimmed of fat
1/2 cups sweet red peppers,
roasted
3/4 cups gruyere cheese,
shredded
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 7-by-11-inch glass baking dish or a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. In large bowl, whisk egg substitute and milk. Add mustard, rosemary, and pepper; whisk to combine. Add spinach, bread, ham, and roasted peppers. Stir together well. Transfer to baking dish and push down to compact. Cover with foil. Bake until custard has set, 40-45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and continue baking until it is puffed and golden on top, about 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
*To wilt spinach, rinse thoroughly with cool water. Place in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; punch several holes in it. Microwave on High 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture before adding to recipe.
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