Breakfast of Champions

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While I was reading a post written by the wonderful Homecookedem yesterday, I started thinking about my own relationship with breakfast. Unlike Em, I’ve always LOVED breakfast. Couldn’t wait to eat it.

When I was growing up, Sunday morning breakfasts were always decadent. Early in the day, my father and I would go out to the local grocery to buy the colorful Sunday paper (oh, those Sunday comics). We brought back doughnuts, pastries, bagels, etc. You would think that these delicious desserts-masquerading-as-breakfast foods would tempt my 12-year-old taste buds, but no. Instead, I would eat five of these:

[source]

That’s right. Five greasy breakfast sausages.

Now, don’t get me wrong – having the treats you really love once in a while is a smart move. But, thinking back on this Sunday morning ritual, what I most remember is the heavy feeling in my stomach and the hunger I felt not long after downing my Five. Having learned so much about how to nourish my body in the last few years, I know now the kind of breakfast that makes me want to sing from the rooftops:

Whole grains, healthy fats, plenty of protein, and fun treats that showcase my own personality.

There’s the health nut (Peter, don’t groan too loudly!):

Flaxseed

The sweet tart:

Tart cherry preserves

A love of all things natural and fruity (Gina, this one’s for you!):

Frozen blueberries

And the adventure-seeker:

Australian wattleseed

Breakfast of champions, indeed! Today, I’m champion of my own happiness in health. Hey, that’s the name of this blog! 😉

After savoring breakfast and going to classes, meeting #1, classes, and meeting #2, I arrived home to find Peter giving dinner a final stir:

This is Paula Deen’s Beef Stroganoff on whole grain noodles:

The stroganoff was just so-so … a bit bland. Perhaps some hot sauce would spice it up?

With a side of panko-encrusted roasted asparagus (this was excellent!):

What a husb! 🙂

Q: Have your opinions/feelings about breakfast changed over time? If you eat breakfast, what’s your favorite?

31 Comments

  1. When I was growing up, my standard breakfast was either a bowl of sugary cereal or a pack of Pop Tarts! Boy, have things changed! Now my standard breakfast looks a lot like yours – whole grains, healthy fat, and some sweetness! 🙂

    1. Haha, I definitely had both of those growing up!

  2. I used to be obsessed about eating breakfast, because I was under the impression that if I skipped it, “my metabolism will fail”…whatever. Lol.

    Now, breakfast is kind of a nuisance…a heavy one leaves me sleepy during classes, and I kind of don’t have the time for a proper one since I keep missing the alarm clock…but my HUGE lunch makes up for it! 😉

    Panko-encrusted roasted asparagus!! Yum yum! I’ve gotta try that sometime!

    1. If that eating schedule works for you, great – the fact that you’re willing to experiment is the most important thing 🙂

  3. that is an AWESOME meal and breakfast! tart cherry? WOW i bet that adds so much flavor to the oats!

    1. For me, they’re an occasional treat 🙂

  4. Yeah!! Love the new breakfast 🙂 When I was a kid we ate cereal on the weekdays (my favorite healthy cereals mixed with not-so-healthy varieties), and pancakes and donuts on the weekends. Strangely I had been hooked on cereal for YEARS, never wanting anything else. But last year I switched to oat bran and steel cut oats. I am ADDICTED. I love to add healthy fats, and fruit, like in your cereal. I do Smart Balance peanut butter and and almond butter, plus a couple scoops of pumpkin puree (packed with healthy carotenoids!). I’m about to eat it right now 🙂 I do add flaxseed sometime, but not often, I like so save that for my massive batches of granola!

    1. I almost forgot about oat bran – that’s tasty stuff! I used to be addicted to Smart Balance, and I still have it sometimes 🙂

      Mmm, can I have one of your massive granola batches? 😀

  5. After seeing that tasty sausage link I was expecting a full description of how Pete made fresh breakfast sausages. I suppose that will have to wait for another day. =(

    1. Just you wait, Adam, just you wait …

  6. Wow, I can’t believe the stroganoff was bland because it looks dynamite!! And what an awesome idea to coat the asparagus in panko bread crumbs!! Delicious my friend!
    I love breakfast too and I always remember those big breakfasts that I’d have as a kid where you leave the table overly full but yet hungry 2 minutes later.
    Today, I’m like you, my favorite breakfasts include a whole grain, protein, and healthy fat. I love anything oatmealy and peanut buttery!!
    Great post!

    1. Thanks! Looks like a lot of us had similar breakfast experiences growing up!

  7. We used to eat sugary cereals, pancakes with syrup, or full southern style breakfast on the weekends. Obviously, things have changed. I prefer a breakfast of whole grains, healthy fats and even veggies thrown in. They stick with me through the morning and don’t leave me feeling hungry all day long and my digestion is much better.

    1. I still haven’t reconciled myself to the veggies for breakfast, but it’s a great idea 🙂

    1. Let me know how it is!

  8. How was the asparagus made? I have to have it. Yummy!

    1. The recipe is from The 150 Best American Recipes and it is divine!

  9. Growing up and up until college, I was actually a pretty big breakfast skipper. I realize now how silly that was but I think back then I didn’t think much about how important it was for me.

    I love the twist on the asparagus. They look so great!

    1. Neither did I, but fortunately I love Bfast 🙂

  10. mmm…the asparagus looks fantastic. I would eat that up in a heart beat!

    I used to eat crap for breakfast when I was growin up. Twinkies, ho ho’s, cake…all that kind of stuff. I then went to eating nothing for breakfast.

    Today I really look forward to eating something for breakfast. I like to have my coffee and some oatmeal or eggs. I’ve come to appreciate the “good for me” breakfast foods!

    1. Looks like you’ve found what works for you 🙂

  11. That is so wonderful that you’ve always enjoyed breakfast!! I wish I had (what was wrong with me??!!) and hope that my future kids will love it as much as I do now. Your breakfast of champions looks wonderful!! Do you leave your bowl of oats like that as you’re eating it or do you mix it all up? I like leaving it just like that and eating the individual toppings by themselves. 🙂

    That dinner looks wonderful!! Esp the asparagus!! 🙂

    1. It sounds like both of our future kids will be breakfast lovers because we’re going to be setting such a good example! I always leave my oatmeal toppings unmixed because I like tasting each topping, too. Having so many wonderful flavors at breakfast helps me look forward to it even more.

      Have a great evening!

  12. I used to try to drink milk and eat buttered bread with honey for breakfast when going to school, but I have always hated milk and the reason for that is that I must be something of a lactose intolerant (though I love cheese and cream and yoghurt and stuff, just not plain milk, dunno how that works)

    Nowadays I’ll have coffee (very black, no milk no sugar) or tea and I find that I need to get a combination of fat and carbohydrates otherwise I am hungry as soon as I arrive at the college. I am afraid my choices are not as healthy as yours, but a generous slice of bread with veg butter (made of olive oil dunno if you have it over there) and honey or jam, or a couple of shortbreads (Scottish buttery cookies, very yummy, not so healthy) is something that can hold me for 2-3 hours, just before I starve for lunch 🙂

    1. It sounds like your body knows just what’s best for it, Christa 🙂 I remember that you make good choices! I think we have butter made of olive oil over here, maybe a type of margarine? I’ll have to look for it.

    1. Thanks! Peter will have to take all the credit for the asparagus 🙂

  13. I used to looove Nesquik cereal. Perhaps because I was a chocoholic child who could eat dessert all day long 🙂 I think nowadays that would only result in feeling ill, so instead I opt for warm oatmeal with ground flax, wheat germ, cinnamon, toasted sesame seeds, and nut butter 🙂 These days I seem to enjoy anything that comes in a bowl 🙂

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