Here’s a fact: breakfast is NOT the most important meal of the day. Growing research has found that skipping breakfast, as part of an intermittent fasting program, can actually have far-reaching benefits on your health – from improving your insulin and leptin sensitivity to helping your body burn fat for fuel effectively.
If you opt for breakfast, ideally you should skip dinner and eat two meals per day instead of three. While I'm still convinced that intermittent fasting is an important strategy for effective weight loss and disease prevention, it likely doesn't matter which meal you skip — breakfast or dinner — as long as you skip one of them.
If you have a physically taxing job, you are likely better off eating a solid breakfast and lunch, and then skipping dinner. The key to remember is to only eat within a window of six to eight consecutive hours each day, and avoiding food for at least three hours before bedtime.
As long as you restrict your eating to this window, you can choose between having breakfast and lunch, or lunch and dinner, but avoid having both breakfast and dinner.
If you chose to eat dinner, it's important to avoid eating for at least three hours before going to bed.
However, there are instances when you must eat breakfast. On these occasions, stay away from the conventional breakfast fares like cereals, bagels, waffles, toast, donuts, and processed fruit juices, as they not only load your body with empty carbs and sugars, but are also lacking in nutrients.
Instead, here’s a yummy and easy frittata recipe you can try. It uses only wholesome ingredients so you can rest assured that you’re not eating anything processed. Check out this healthy mushroom and broccoli frittata recipe:
Ingredients:
6 eggs
2 cups broccoli,* steamed and chopped
4 medium potatoes, steamed and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
6 medium mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup cheese (your choice), grated
Procedure:
- Steam potatoes and broccoli. Set aside.
- Sauté onions and mushrooms. Set aside.
- Beat eggs well and mix them together in a large bowl with the potatoes, broccoli, onions, and mushrooms. Add to a skillet with a metal handle.
- Cook over medium to low heat for about 15 minutes until the frittata is cooked but still a little moist in the middle.
- Place grated cheese on top and put under the broiler till cheese browns lightly. Let it cool a little and serve.
This recipe makes four servings.
*You can use cauliflower as an alternative.
(Adapted from Healthy Recipes for Your Nutritional Type)
Mushroom and Broccoli Frittata Cooking Tips
You can use different types of fresh mushrooms for this recipe, like shiitake or portobello. Ideally, your mushrooms should have a fresh and smooth appearance, and should be free from blemishes. Keep them in the fridge at all times, and use within days of purchasing.
To clean mushrooms, wipe with a soft brush or damp cloth to remove particles. Quickly rinsing them with cold water also works, but make sure to immediately pat dry with a paper towel. Do not soak mushrooms, as they are very porous and easily absorb water. In fact, do not wash your mushrooms until you’re ready to use them for cooking.
You don’t need to peel mushrooms, but check the stems to see if they’re dry. You may also need to remove the tough stem portion of shiitakes and/or the root of the portobello.[i]
As for broccoli, make sure to select tight and firm stalks that are not tough. The buds should be closed tightly, and the leaves should be crisp and very green, while the florets should be dark green. Avoid buying broccoli where the buds are starting to turn yellow, or the leaves already have a yellow tinge to them. Make sure to check the odor as well. If the broccoli has a very strong smell, it means that it’s already old.[ii]
As much as possible, buy fresh, organic, free-range eggs from a local farmer that allows his hens to forage freely outdoors. You can also find these at local health food stores. These are more nutritious than conventional eggs sold in supermarkets, which come from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and are usually lacking nutrients.
To distinguish free-range eggs from pastured varieties, check the color of the yolk. Foraged hens have bright orange yolks, while CAFO eggs usually have dull, pale yellow yolks.
When cooking the frittata, aim for a custard-like texture. It should be trembling and barely set. An overcooked frittata will have a texture (and interior) that’s similar to a kitchen sponge. To get
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