3 Simple Ways to Sneak Fruits and Vegetables into Your Breakfast

So you're one of those that barely has time for breakfast or even worse dare we say it....SKIPS BREAKFAST! We won't spend time exhausting you reading about the benefits of breakfast rather we'll say, "We hear you." You're a typical busy bee and the fast paced lifestyle most live today does not account for the time needed to eat much less prepare a morning meal. For those that do afford the time to eat a balanced breakfast, we give you a big thumbs up! In either case we hope the contents of this blog help you sneak a few more servings of produce into your daily diet.

Mixers and Toppers

Yogurt fans dive in!! With the thousands of flavors available we're going to play yogurt police and ask you to consider unflavored greek varieties to eliminate excessive grams of sugar. Loads of it is hidden in

most varieties and you honestly can sweeten the yogurt naturally. Believe us it's the best of both worlds....sweet and nutritious.

Here's the trick with a blender/processor or just a fork. Take your favorite fruit and puree, scoop into your yogurt, and you've got instant healthy sweetness. Some of our favorites include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, mangoes, bananas, and for that really nice kick of sweet just add dates into the mix. Don't stop at the fruit puree though. Now's the opportunity to slide in some greatness on the vegetable side. Toss in some sweet bell peppers, avocado, carrots to name a few. You'll be amazed at the flavor it gives you without noticing that your yogurt is full of veggie goodness! Once you've mixed in your sweetness go ahead and top it off with leftovers that you have from the fruits used for a puree. Dash with some oatmeal or granola and VIOLA!

Pancake fans should use the same method as listed above for some wonderfully flavored pancakes with toppers to boot. Another hidden gem of ours when it comes to pancakes is sweet potato and blueberry pancakes. These are to die for!

Sweet Potato and Blueberry Pancakes

2 c. almond flour (or all purpose)

1/8 c. sugar (We prefer to sub out the sugar with a banana date puree)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

3 eggs

2 c. almond or coconut milk

1 1/2 c. sweet potatoes (puree)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c. blueberries

Maple syrup (for serving)

1. Preheat oven to 200 F

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, melted butter, and Manila in whisk until well blended.

3. Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in the sweet potato purée. 4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and oil lightly. Ladle the batter into the skillet by the 1/4 cupful and dot each pancake with a few of the blueberries. Cook until bubbles rise to the surface of the pancakes, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and continue to cook until golden on the second side, another two minutes. Transfer to the oven to keep warm while you make the rest of the pancakes.

5. Serve pancakes hot with syrup.

Egg Lovers

Don't shortchange yourself on those eggs. Dress them up with spinach, kale, diced onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, olives to name a few. Makes for a great omelette. In this area we know how we love our Mexican food so top those eggs off with your favorite salsa. For those that enjoy green salsa try blending up an avocado and cilantro with your favorite store bought green salsa. You'll really love the addition of creaminess drizzled over your eggs. Having toast with your eggs? Thinly slice some avocado or spread guacamole over your whole wheat toast for a blissful combination.

Bakers Delight

Love those muffins, breads, or other baked goodness? It's ok, so do we. But just like you we don't like the muffin tops that tend to go along with them. No one said muffins have to lead to muffin tops! Try to cut back on unnecessary fat by subbing out mashed bananas or unsweetened applesauce for the butter. We also find some tasty baked goodies from our fruit purees as mentioned above. Try cutting 1/2 of the butter originally and substituting the purees then cut back even further with your next batch. Before long we think you'll be leaving the butter at the store. So go ahead and bake that zucchini bread, banana bread, or ...gasp... carrot cake with a lot less guilt.

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