Tag: healthy breakfast

3 Unique Ways to Use Your Ripe Brown Bananas

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I always feel the need to buy bananas whenever I stroll through the produce section of the grocery store. Is it because of their flavor? Or does it have to do with the fact that they are only 49 cents or less per pound? Either way, I always find that before I know it, my once yellow bananas were forgotten on the counter and are now too brown to be eaten by themselves.

But, did you know that brown bananas can still be eaten? As bananas begin to brown, they become more sweet, easier to digest, and they have a higher antioxidant content! So, instead of throwing away your brown bananas, let’s get creative and make good use of them! Check out our top 3 ideas below:

1 – Make Banana Bread

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Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Serves: 12

Ingredients

  • 3 Bananas, mashed
  • 1 Egg
  • ⅓ Cup Butter, melted
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1 Cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 Cup all purpose flour
  • ½ Cup Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350℉ and lightly grease a bread pan (roughly 9x4x4)
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together bananas, egg, butter, and vanilla until well-combined. Then add in the rest of the ingredients
  3. Pour mixture into the bread pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes
  4. Remove loaf from the bread pan and allow it to cool on a cooling rack

2 – Freeze Bananas to Use in Smoothies

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How to Freeze Bananas

  1. Peel your bananas first before putting them in the freezer. (I’ve made this mistake before and basically had to dig my way past the frozen peel in order to reach my banana.)
  2. Cut your bananas in half, slice them into coins, or leave them whole.
  3. Store peeled bananas in an airtight freezer bag or plastic container laying the pieces flat. This keeps your bananas from freezing into one large lump.
  4. Bananas keep in the freezer indefinitely, but are best used by 4-6 months.

Frozen bananas add texture to smoothies

If you have never tried adding a banana to your smoothie, please put it on your meal plan for the week! Not only do bananas add some sweetness and extra fiber, but they also add an insane creamy consistency to your smoothie! Add ½-1 frozen banana for that extra creamy texture.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Serves: 1

Ingredients

  • 1 Banana, frozen
  • 1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
  • 1 Tablespoon natural Peanut Butter
  • 1 Cup Milk (skim, almond, oat, etc.)
  • Optional: 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder

Directions

  1. Blend ingredients in a blender on high for 1-1:30 minutes until all ingredients are well-blended
  2. Pour into a large cup and enjoy!

3 – Make Cookies

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Chocolate Chip Banana Breakfast Cookies

Serves: 5  (two cookies per serving)

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Rolled Oats
  • 1 Banana, mashed – enough to yield ½ cup 
  • 1 Egg
  • ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ Cup Chocolate Chips

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
  2. Mix mashed banana and egg in a large mixing bowl until well-combined
  3. Add in the oats, cinnamon, sea salt, and chocolate chips until well-combined
  4. Add about two tablespoons of cookie dough onto the parchment paper. Repeat for the rest of the dough leaving at least two inches between each cookie.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cookies are golden brown and allow to cool on a cooling rack

–Written and photographed by Gabriella Childers, Brittany Jones Nutrition Intern

 

How to Make Chia Seed Pudding

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Chia seeds are a pantry staple for the dietitians at the Brittany Jones Nutrition Group. We love them sprinkled on top of oatmeal, blended into smoothies, and even in homemade pudding! 

So what are chia seeds?

Chia seeds are tiny gray seeds that are nutrient powerhouses. The name “powerhouse” comes to mind because they are an excellent source of omega-3s, protein, fiber, and many other micronutrients. When added to a liquid, the seeds can absorb 10-12 times their weight in water creating a gel-like consistency. Because chia seeds can retain so much water, they actually help maintain body hydration. 

Because the seeds gel so easily, it makes them the perfect ingredient for a nutritious homemade pudding recipe. We’ve put together three yummy chia pudding recipes that are thick, creamy, and easy to make. Even better, each of these recipes uses only five ingredients or less!

Three Easy Chia Seed Pudding Recipes

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Chocolate Raspberry Chia Pudding

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup 2% milk or almond milk 
  • ¼ Cup Raspberries
  • 3 Tablespoons Chia seeds 
  • 1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder 
  • 1 Tablespoon Maple syrup

Directions:

  1. In any jar or bowl add milk first, followed by the chia seeds, cocoa powder, and maple syrup.
  2. Stir well with a spoon or fork. Let sit for one minute and stir again. This prevents clumping. Wait at least five minutes before eating for a healthy dessert, or place the pudding in the refrigerator to let sit overnight for an easy breakfast.
  3. When you’re ready to eat your chia pudding, stir and top with fresh raspberries. 

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Banana Nut Chia Pudding

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup 2% milk or almond milk 
  • 3 Tablespoons Chia seeds 
  • 2 Tablespoons Walnuts, chopped
  • ½ Banana, mashed

Directions:

  1. In any jar or bowl, add milk first, followed by the chia seeds, mashed banana, and walnuts.
  2. Stir well with a spoon or fork. Let sit for one minute and stir again. This prevents clumping.
  3. Wait at least five minutes before eating for a healthy dessert, or place the pudding in the refrigerator to let sit overnight for an easy breakfast.
  4. When you’re ready to eat your chia pudding, stir and top with fresh raspberries. 

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Strawberries and Cream Chia Pudding

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

  • ½ Cup 2% milk or almond milk
  • ¼ Cup Sliced strawberries
  • ¼ Cup Plain 0% Greek yogurt
  • 3 Tablespoons Chia seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon Organic Honey

Directions:

  1. In any jar or bowl, add milk first, then Greek yogurt, chia seeds, cocoa, honey, and sliced strawberries.
  2. Stir well with a spoon or fork. Let sit for one minute and stir again. This prevents clumping.
  3. Wait at least five minutes before eating for a healthy dessert, or place the pudding in the refrigerator to let sit overnight for an easy breakfast. Stir before eating

Notes:

  • If pudding is too thick, add a bit more milk and stir
  • Add liquids first before adding chia seeds
  • To make warm chia pudding, heat it in the microwave or add it on the stove with a splash of milk

-Written and photographed by Gabby Childers, Brittany Jones Nutrition Group Intern

Gabby Childers is from Greenville, SC, and is a senior Food Science and Nutrition major at Clemson University. She plans to become a registered dietitian after completing her undergrad. Gabby gets excited about healthy eating, food photography, and cultivating community through nutrition.

Too Busy for Breakfast?

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Today is the first day back to school in Greenville, SC – and it’s a great time to focus on the most important meal of the day – BREAKFAST!

I totally am not going back to school (three degrees was enough!) and I don’t have kids going back to school, but I can’t help but love the smell of school supplies at Target, and feel this urge to just get things in order this time of year. Anyone else agree?

Anyway, back to breakfast. You’ve heard it called the most important meal of the day, but is it really? A lot of people tend to skip breakfast because…well mornings are hard! However, this first meal of your day is what is going to start your metabolism to help you burn more calories and get your energy flowing for whole day.

Breakfast can help you get to your ideal weight and also set yourself up for success all day long. Without breakfast, you can lose HOURS of calorie burning, and with a busy schedule this is not something we want to do! You want to BREAK-FAST … get it?

Struggling to figure out how your are going to eat this first meal of the day? Check out my top 5 breakfast tips!

  1. Breakfast doesn’t have to always be “breakfast food.” A lot of clients come to me saying that they don’t like the traditional American breakfast foods of eggs, bacon, and sausage…and that’s ok! You don’t have to eat these things if you don’t like them. Try something as simple as a KIND breakfast bar for on the go, avocado toast, or an apple with natural peanut butter. To be considered a good breakfast it does not have to look like traditional plate from Waffle House.
  2. Meal prep breakfast for the week. Many people eat the same breakfast every day. If this is something you are OK with, I would recommend meal prepping it for the week so it’s grab and go! This might mean making your own breakfast bars, getting your overnight oat jars ready, or making egg muffins to re-heat throughout the week. Whatever you need to do to make morning easier on you!
  3. Focus on carb + protein. Many “breakfast foods” are very carb dense – things like cereal, waffles, pancakes, bagels, and toaster pastries. Focus on adding PROTEIN to your breakfast to keep you fuller longer! This might mean adding some natural peanut butter to a whole grain waffle, an egg to your whole wheat bagel thin or some almonds to your cereal.
  4. If you snooze one too many times, choose a healthy drive thru option. There a ton of healthy options out there – you just have to look! Every fast food restaurant is going to have their version of a high fat meat (sausage, bacon, fried chicken) on a biscuit, however, I encourage you to look past that and find the English Muffin breakfast sandwich option instead – English Muffins have less saturated fat than biscuits and therefore less calories. They also typically have an egg or egg white for protein – perfect for on the go!
  5. Pack a morning snack. If your lunch is more than 3-4 hours after your breakfast, be sure you pack a morning snack! A lot of people say to me “breakfast makes me hungrier throughout the day,” but this is a GOOD thing! This means your metabolism is working, so be sure to pack a healthy morning snack too like baby carrots and hummus or some unsalted nuts for when that time comes.

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