Family Health & Fitness Day Brunch

June 13 is Family Health and Fitness Day and to help get you in the spirit, Dr. Simon Poole and I will be appearing on Good Morning Washington on Friday June 12th. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite recipes from our latest release, Prediabetes For Dummies and Dr. Poole will reveal tips and fun strategies that families can utilize to prevent and even reverse health concerns such as Prediabetes. Tune in live here on Friday June 12th at 10:00 AM. 

For this segment, I chose recipes that are full of flavor, easy to make and nutritious. Loaded with sweet citrus and spices, healthful fats and protein, these dishes will turn any morning meal into a celebration of taste. If you’d like to recreate our delicious and nutritious brunch at home, here are the recipes…..

Citrus Yogurt Bowl with Sweet Spices and Flax Seeds

PREP TIME: 5 MIN                 | COOK TIME: 0 MIN               | YIELD: 2 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

4 mandarin oranges, zested

½ cup (113g) organic plain (unsweetened) Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons (14g) grounded/

milled flax seeds

2 tablespoons (18g) sesame seeds

½ cup (71g) whole, unroasted almonds

1 teaspoon (7g) raw honey

1 teaspoon (3g) ground pure (Ceylon) cinnamon

½ teaspoon (1g) ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon (.5g) ground cloves

DIRECTIONS

1 Peel the oranges and divide into segments. Place ½ of the segments in 2 bowls.

2 Spoon ¼ cup (57g) yogurt into each bowl.

3 Scatter 1 tablespoon (7g) flax seeds, 1 tablespoon (9g) sesame seeds and ½ of the honey and almonds over each bowl. Top with remaining orange segments and orange zest.

4 Sprinkle cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves over the top of each and serve.

PER SERVING: Calories 465 (From Fat 234); Fat 25g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 6mg; Sodium 53mg; Carbohydrate 41g (Dietary Fiber 11g); Protein 25g.

TIP: Make this recipe overnight for a creamier consistency.

NOTE: Flaxseed was cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 BCE and con-tains a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower choles-terol and improve the complexion. The Greek yogurt in this recipe provides additional benefit of inulin, a compound which helps to balance blood sugar levels naturally.

VARY IT! You can put the same ingredients and a handful of ice in the blender and blend until smooth for delicious smoothies that also make great post workout snacks. Swap out orange segments for fresh berries, if desired.

Savory Mediterranean Breakfast Platter

PREP TIME: 5 MIN                 | COOK TIME: 0 MIN               | YIELD: 2 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

2 Persian cucumbers or

1 English cucumber, sliced

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

1 handful fresh mint or parsley, or a combination of

both, cleaned

1 cup (227g) plain Greek yogurt

2 hardboiled eggs

2 tablespoons (27g) Amy Riolo Selections or other good-quality extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons (3g) Za’atar spice mix,

or unrefined sea salt

1 slice whole wheat pita, cut into quarters

DIRECTIONS

1    On two separate plates or a large platter, arrange cucumber slices and tomatoes in a decorative pattern on half of the plate.

2    Add fresh mint and/or parsley to the center of the plate.

3    Dollop Greek yogurt on one quadrant of the plate.

4    Slice the hardboiled eggs into quarters and place next to the labneh.

5    Drizzle the egg and yogurt with olive oil and sprinkle with Za’atar or sea salt. Serve with whole wheat pita quarters.

PER SERVING: Calories 446 (From Fat 191); Fat 21g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 224mg; Sodium 346mg; Carbohydrate 29g (Dietary Fiber 4g); Protein 36g.

TIP: This quick and nutritious Mediterranean power plate can be a great portable lunch, snack or dinner as well.

NOTE: Za’atar is a wild thyme spice mix that hails from the Middle East. It usually contains sumac, sea salt, coriander, and sesame seeds. If you can’t find it, substitute your favorite spice or unrefined sea salt.

VARY IT! Use a combination of your own favorite vegetables and cook the

egg in a different way if you choose.

Chocolate Almond Waffles with Warm Berry Compote

INGREDIENTS

1 large egg

2 teaspoons (8g) pure vanilla extract

¼ cup (25g) organic milk or almond milk

1 Tablespoon (7g) milled/

ground flax seeds

2 Tablespoons (11g) cocoa powder

1 cup (112g) almond flour

Pinch salt

½ teaspoon (2g) baking soda

1 cup (148g) fresh blueberries and sliced

strawberries. Divided

1 teaspoon (3g) Ceylon cinnamon

1 tablespoon (21g) good quality raw honey

1 teaspoon (5g) EVOO, for waffle maker

DIRECTIONS

1     Plug in the waffle maker (see TIP below).

2     In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg vanilla, and milk.

3     Stir in the flax seeds, cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking

soda, mixing well to combine.

4     If the batter seems to thick, add water, a tablespoon at a time to make a batter the consistency of a slightly thicker than normal pancake batter.

5     Place the ¾ of the blueberries and strawberries, the cin-namon, and the honey in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

6     Pour the berry juice into a small saucepan, bring to a sim-mer, and remove from heat.

7     Brush the waffle maker with the oil. Pour approximately 1⁄3 cup (80mL) of batter onto 2 quadrants of the hot maker.

8     Using a spoon, spread the batter to the corners before shut-ting the lid.

9     Cook until waffles are puffy and golden (approximately 3-5 minutes). Some waffle makers will have lights to tell you when the iron is preheated and when the waffles have fin-ished cooking.

10  Spoon remaining berries and berry syrup over the warm waffles and serve immediately.

PER SERVING: Calories 504 (From Fat 320); Fat 36g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 106mg; Sodium 432mg; Carbohydrate 38g (Dietary Fiber 12g); Protein 18g.

TIP: Waffle makers vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so it is a good idea to test yours out- both to find out exactly how much batter you need to make the proper-sized waffle on your iron, and to test the amount of time it takes to accurately cook the waffles.

NOTE: This recipe makes a nutritious and decadent breakfast perfect for weekends and special occasions. Try making extra waffles and freezing them in airtight plastic bags to use at another time.

VARY IT! By swapping out the baking soda in this recipe for baking pow-der, you can create gluten-free pancakes instead of waffles. Swap out raspberries for others if desired.

Avocado Toast with Scrambled Eggs

PREP TIME: 5 MIN| COOK TIME: 6 MIN               | YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

4 slices good quality whole wheat, barley, or oat bread

4 teaspoons (18g) Amy Riolo Selections or other good quality extra virgin olive

oil, divided

2 ripe avocados, halved and

pitted (see Figure 15-1)

1⁄8 teaspoon (.6g) unrefined sea salt or fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling

4 teaspoons (10g) flax seeds

½ cup cherry (75g) tomatoes, diced and divided

4 large eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup (75g) cherry tomatoes, diced

1 cup (30g) microgreens, baby spinach, baby kale, or baby arugula

DIRECTIONS

1    Toast the bread in a toaster or under the broiler to desired doneness.

2    Drizzle ½ teaspoon (5g) of EVOO over each piece of bread.

3    Scoop the avocado out of the shell, and place the flesh from

½ of each avocado on each of the pieces of bread.

4    Drizzle 1 teaspoon (5g) EVOO over the toast pieces (1/4 tea-spoon (1g) each).

5    Sprinkle sea salt and scatter flax seeds over the top.

6    Combine eggs in a small bowl, add in ¼ cup (60mL) water, and whisk until frothy. Season with ¼ teaspoon (1g) sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

7    Heat remaining teaspoon EVOO in a skillet over medium heat. Add egg mixture and cook, stirring with a spatula, until cooked through. Fold in ½ of cherry tomatoes.

8    Top toasts with eggs and remaining 1/2 tomato pieces and ¼ cup (7g) of mixed greens or baby spinach, kale, or arugula. Serve hot.

PER SERVING: Calories 622 (From Fat 387); Fat 43g (Saturated 8g); Cholesterol 423mg; Sodium 548mg; Carbohydrate 40g (Dietary Fiber 16g); Protein 25g.

TIP: It can be difficult to buy ripe avocados in many non-tropical climates. In supermarkets they are often either all ready at the same time, or hard at the time of purchase. If they are hard, leave them at room temperature until ripe. If they are all ripe at time of purchase, peel, pit and remove the flesh. Mash the flesh with a bit of lemon or lime juice. Mix well and place in an airtight container until using.

Date and Dark Chocolate Energy Bites

PREP TIME: 10 MIN               | COOK TIME: 0 MIN               | YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

1 pound (454g) soft dates, pitted

¼ cup (43g) dark chocolate (85% or higher) pieces

2 Tablespoons (27g) Amy Riolo Selections, or other good quality extra virgin olive oil

1⁄2 pound (227g) blanched almonds

1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract

1⁄2 teaspoon (1g) ground cinnamon

3 Tablespoons (16g) raw dark cocoa powder, if desired

DIRECTIONS

1 Place dates, chocolate, EVOO, 1⁄4 cup (60mL) water, almonds, vanilla, and cinnamon in a food processor.

2 Pulse to form a smooth paste. Shape dough into date-size balls.

3 Roll date balls into cocoa powder coat, if desired. Arrange on a serving platter. Store extras in the fridge for up to a week.

PER SERVING: Calories 520 (From Fat 244); Fat 27g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 13mg; Carbohydrate 69g (Dietary Fiber 11g); Protein 11g.

TIP: Keep these on hand for a quick snack in between meals or as a post workout treat.

NOTE: Choose the softest dates possible — Such as Medjool for this recipe.

VARY IT! Even a few dates and a handful of raw almonds alone make a great snack on the go.