Angela Shelf Medearis - The Kitchen Divas Diabetic Cookbook: 150 Healthy, Delicious Recipes for Diabetics and Those Who Dine with Them

WE ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT it is to start the day with a nutritious breakfast. The delicious recipes in this chapter provide quick and easy ways to jump-start your day, from protein-packed smoothies and microwave meals you can make in minutes to nutritious slow-cooker breakfast dishes you can prepare the night before. Now there is no excuse for missing breakfast.

A healthy breakfast can help with blood sugar control. When you dont eat breakfast, your blood sugar can drop too low, causing you to feel extreme pangs of hunger and to overeat at other meals. Even if your morning blood sugar level is normally high, its still better to eat a small, high-protein meal than to skip breakfast.

A nutritious breakfast provides your body with much-needed vitamins and minerals to break the fast you undergo when sleeping. Eating within an hour of waking ensures that you have higher productivity throughout the morning, because youre better able to focus on the tasks at hand. A healthy breakfast also helps with appetite control, and one study found that eating breakfast lowers cholesterol, reducing your risk for heart disease.

According to the American Dietetic Association, breakfast is especially important for children and adolescents. Those who eat a healthy breakfast have better concentration and problem-solving skills, as well as improved hand-eye coordination; they also are more alert and creative, miss fewer days of school, and are more physically active.

Try these nutritious, vitamin-packed breakfast recipes to ensure that your entire family starts their day the healthy way.

MAKES CUP

After filming a cooking show, I had an abundance of flat-leaf parsley left over, so I made a pesto using parsley in place of basil, and walnuts in place of pine nuts. When I researched the herb, I found that parsley was a good source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as containing some iron and folate. This nutty, flavorful sauce can be used as a topping for fish, lamb, turkey, or chicken.

Toast the walnuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Tear the bread into large pieces and pulse in a food processor to form fine crumbs. Add the parsley, garlic, cheese, and walnuts and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as needed. Combine the yogurt, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add the oil mixture to the parsley mixture in a slow stream, pulsing to combine. Serve immediately or freeze.

To freeze the pesto, divide it into the preferred serving sizes and place it in small resealable plastic bags or plastic containers with airtight lids. Press excess air out of the plastic bags, if using, and freeze for up to 3 months.

NOTE: Wash fresh parsley right before using, since it is highly fragile. Put it in a bowl of cold water and swish it around with your hands, then place it on paper towels to dry.

SERVING SIZE:1 tablespoon

EXCHANGE LIST VALUES:2 fat

CARBOHYDRATE CHOICES:

CALORIES:

CALORIES FROM FAT:

TOTAL FAT:9 g

SATURATED FAT:2 g

CHOLESTEROL:3 mg

SODIUM:176 mg

TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE:5 g

FIBER:1 g

TOTAL SUGARS:1 g

PROTEIN:3 g

MAKES 24 CHIPS

I love the spice and texture of these whole-wheat pita chips alone or with one of the dips in this chapter. Making them at home is easy, and it saves money, and allows you to control the ingredients.