Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Kicking Fruit Loops in the face!

It's really sad to walk through a grocery store and realize just how many wheat-based breakfast options there are. Just glance down the cereal aisle and look at the ridiculousness that we feed our children each morning: A box full of sugar, artificial flavour, artificial colour (reminds me of that song "Fruitcake" by the Superions - YouTube it... it's hilarious!) and wheat.

I never questioned it growing up and no one knew any better. I grew up with Kool-Aid, Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops and Kraft Dinner as household staples. Everyone did at the time.

Well my fox friends, there is a much better way to do breakfast but first you need to reinvent the idea of breakfast. First off, it doesn't have to be the "smallest" meal of the day. Nor do you have to wake up an hour early and slave away in the kitchen, taking away from precious sleep.

Last night before bed I chopped up a bunch of veggies, seared some stewing beef and threw it in my slow cooker with some organic chicken broth (by Pacific Foods - one of the only broths without all the extra garbage in it). I set it on low for 8 hours... and when I woke up, the smell of yummy beef stew filled the house and I had the most amazing breakfast waiting for me.

 A small bowl of this before leaving the house and my tummy was warm and happy! I got my protein and my nutrients and a great start to my day. Not to mention the fact that something as hearty as this is really filling. So I won't be having a carb crash at 10 or 11am... nor will I crash at 3pm.

This is what I love the most about Paleo: I have energy back in the morning, and I feel so much better throughout the day. Not to mention the pride I get from making and eating something this good. My stew kicks Toucan Sam in the face!
Think this is too much work? I'll break it down:

1) I set up my cutting board and my chef's knife and lay out all the veggies that I need, while my stewing beef is sitting on the countertop.

2) I keep a compostable bag next to my "work station" to throw peels and scraps in for easy cleaning up as I go along.

3) Chop veggies, throw them in the slow cooker. In this batch I used:
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Turnips
- Zucchini
- Garlic
- Mushrooms

4) Sear beef on all sides in a pan/pot to lock in the juices, then toss into the slow cooker.

5) Take my tetrapak of chicken broth and pour it over everything. (Okay, so maybe it's more of a soup than stew, but seriously... look how hearty it is... I'm calling it a stew).

6) Set the timer for 8 hours on low. Wake up, season with S&P, and eat a bowl of deliciousness.

There's no reason why breakfast needs to be wheat-based or sugar-based. It's time to boycott sugary artificial cereals and think outside the box (haha). Breakfast can be any food you want!