Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Breakfast

Breakfast Cakes On-the-Go

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First off, I’d like to announce the randomly chosen winner of the CSN giveaway. Congratulations…

Ashley from QuasiChick!

You will be receiving an email from me shortly with the $35 CSN gift code. Thanks to everyone who entered! I would love to give all of you gift cards 🙂

Now, here is an easy recipe for Breakfast cakes. You can make a huge batch of them and save them for the week, but they are so quick and easy to make that you can make them the morning-of, too.

Breakfast Oat Cakes

~These little cakes can are completely versatile and can be made into any flavor you want! Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free (make sure you use gluten-free oats), and of course, Sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup oat flour (simply blend oats in blender to make oat flour)
  • 1/2 cup chia gel (mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 1/2 cup water and let sit for 20 minutes, or until they “puff up”)
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • Extra: you may add any nuts, fruit, or spices you like. My favorite add-in lately is cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins. It tastes like a oatmeal raisin cookie!

Preheat oven to 375*. In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients. The dough should be thick and stick together. Adjust liquid amount if needed to create muffins, cookies, or biscuit cakes. If you feel like muffins, add more chia gel. A little less gel for cookies, and even less for biscuit cakes.

Roll into balls, plop dough with a spoon, shape into biscuits on a cookies sheet, or fill a muffin pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 12 breakfast cakes. (But why keep this recipe just for breakfast? They are perfect any time of day! Especially snack time or tea time 😉 )

Health Benefits:

  • Oats: Full of both soluble and insoluble fiber, oats are known to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. For more information about this amazing grain, click HERE for a post I wrote last year.
  • Chia: Because of this little seed’s extraordinary ability to retain water, it is great for hydration. The ancient Aztecs and Mayans used to carry it with them on long journeys to increase their strength and endurance. It also helps balance blood sugar levels. Chia seeds are great sources of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Are you a morning person or a night person?

I am definitely a morning person. I can never sleep in, and I love going to bed early. Like Benjamin Franklin said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” 😉

How to Poach Eggs

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When I saw Julie trying to poach eggs in the movie, Julie and Julia, I thought to myself, “Do people really think it is that hard to poach an egg?” If you do think it is hard, here is a step-by-step tutorial to poach the perfect egg. It is as easy as 1-2-3!

Poached eggs are a perfect food for a sensitive stomach. Whenever my stomach isn’t up to par, and I know I still need nutrients and protein; I make myself a poached egg.

Poached Eggs

First, boil water in a saucepan, and then reduce to a simmer. Use a large saucepan if you plan on poaching more than one egg.

Second, crack one egg close to the simmering water. The egg should start to set. Once it sets, feel free to add another egg.

Third, lift the egg out of the water with a slotted spoon. It should take maybe 2-3 minutes for the yolk to cook with a soft yolk. Adjust cooking time to suit your taste of yolk-firmness.

Awww! A perfect Valentine’s day egg-shaped like a heart <3

Whenever I go to a breakfast restaurant and order eggs, I ask for them poached. I don’t know what kinds of oils they use in their fried or scrambled eggs, so I think poached is the way to go.

Egg Health Benefits:

  • One medium-sized egg is 60 calories, 4g fat, and 6g protein.
  • Eggs are protein-power houses. They have 6 grams of protein per egg that can help get you through the day and build muscle.
  • They can help your eyes stay young because of the carotenoid content, specifically lutein and zeaxanthin.
  • One egg has about 300 micrograms of choline. Choline is an important nutrient that helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system.
  • It is one of the few foods to have naturally occurring Vitamin D!
  • Eggs promote healthy hair and nails because of their high sulphur content and wide array of vitamins and minerals.

Poached Egg Recipes:

~Here are some great ideas for serving poached eggs.

  • Place on top of grits, hashbrowns, or toast for a great breakfast.
  • Serve with veggies or on salads. They go great with fresh asparagus!
  • Serve on top rice or pasta

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Have you ever had a poached egg? If not, then you must right away! If you have had one, do you like to eat them plain or do you have a special recipe you like?

Also, if you order eggs at a restaurant, how do you like them? Scrambled, fried, over-easy??

To my vegan readers: Do you miss eating eggs? I know if I were to ever go vegan that I would.

P.S. Don’t forget to enter my CSN giveaway HERE.

 

Watch my Oatmeal Grow…

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Isn't this the cutest mug? My sis bought it for me for Christmas. I love it! It keeps everything inside nice and warm...
I like my cherries on the top, not on the bottom! Silly mug...
Warm Oatmeal (mixed with ground flax and vanilla extract)...
Fruit. Fresh Blueberries and Sliced Bananas...
I'm nutty for Pecans!...
Cacao nibs, coconut shavings, and a Blueberry on top!

Now time to Enjoy!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What are your favorite oatmeal toppings?

McDonald’s Redeems Itself

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Remember my post about McDonald’s “Real” Fruit Smoothies?

When McDonald’s makes something seemingly healthy, it has to be questioned. When I started seeing the commercials for McDonald’s new Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, I had to hop on over to their website to investigate.

According to Mickey D, the restaurants have two options for oatmeal: with or without brown sugar. Which is great because it gives you the choice to omit all that unnecessary sugar! Therefore eliminating 14 extra grams of sugar.

You also have the choice of adding the following toppings: cranberry raisin blend, diced apples, and light cream. Personally, I would not add the cranberry raisin blend because dried cranberries are always sweetened with extra sugar. They are just too tart for most people if they don’t sweeten them. I also wouldn’t add the light cream because I’m not a fan of pasteurized dairy.

Take a look at the nutritional information for yourself:

All in all, its a great breakfast when your on the road. It has a good amount of protein and carbs to get you through the morning. I’m glad McDonald’s has started selling this because I am going to be on the road this weekend. It also has a great price, $1.99. Also, they serve the oatmeal all day at most stores!

Some other great fast food places that serve oatmeal include:

Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal-Served with optional nuts, dried fruit, brown sugar, and milk of choice. $2.95

 

Jamba Juice Steel Cute Oatmeal-Slowly cooked in Soymilk, and served in a variety of flavors including apple cinnamon, berry cherry, blueberry & blackberry, fresh banana, or brown sugar. $3.45

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Have any of you tried McDonald’s new oatmeal? I haven’t tried it yet, but I expect it to be an instant oatmeal like Starbuck’s. I’ve never tried Jamba Juice’s either. Have any of you tried it?

How do you eat breakfast on the road? I usually bring a bag of snacks with me wherever I go, nuts, fruit, bars, and I like eating the oatmeal from Starbucks.

The Way to Every Person’s Heart…

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Make Customizable Pancakes!!!

Print
One Size Fits All Pancakes

One Size Fits All Pancakes

~These pancakes can be made into anything you want them to be! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and, of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour (whole wheat flour works well, too)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cups milk or milk substitute
  • 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 egg or egg substitute (like a flax egg or chia egg)
  • 3 tablespoons oil or applesauce (omitting this is fine)
  • Optional: Add ins like the variations listed below.

Instructions

  1. First, whisk the milk and apple cider vinegar together and let sit for a few minutes to create a "buttermilk."
  2. Then, mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  3. Add the wet ingredients together and mix well. It is better if batter is a little lumpy.
  4. Pour pancakes on a lightly greased pan heated on medium heat.
  5. Flip them when the batter starts to bubble.
  6. Enjoy with toppings of choice (suggestions below).
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/01/10/the-way-to-every-persons-heart/

Makes a lot of pancakes. Probably feeds 6, but I usually eat about 2-3 servings worth 😉 Make ’em as big or as small as you like!

Sugar-Free Ideas:

Berry Cakes-a classic. Add blueberries, strawberries, etc.
Carmelized Cinnamon and Banana—Sprinkle some cinnamon into the batter. While the pancakes cook, slice bananas onto the top before flipping. The bananas should caramelize on the pancakes! Yummy!
Chocolate Pancakes—Mix in a few spoonfuls of cocoa powder to the batter. To make it even more chocolatey, chop up some unsweetened chocolate for the batter!
Pumpkin Pie Pancake Stacks
Mix Cinnamon into the batter, and layer pancakes with pumpkin. Garnish with more cinnamon. For those who don’t like the taste of plain pumpkin, mix a nut butter with the pumpkin and some pumpkin pie spice.
Grain-Free Bitter Chocolate Stack (Click on Picture for recipe)
Open-Faced Chocolate, Banana, and Peanut Butter (Click on Link for Recipe)

Someone once asked me how I replace America’s beloved topping to pancakes: maple syrup. The answer: I don’t replace! I fill my cakes with scrumptious fillings (lots of fruit and nuts), and top it with nut butters, fruit, and any other random topping  might keep in my pantry!

Ideas:

  • Pina Colada Cakes: Make batter with pineapple and coconut. Top with more pineapple and coconut!
  • Mocha Cakes: Mix cocoa powder and instant coffee into batter.
  • Granola Cakes: Mix dried fruit, oats, and nuts into batter.
  • Reeses Cakes: Mix peanut butter and unsweetened chocolate into batter.

Great Pancake Ideas from other Bloggers:

24-Carrot Cake Pancakes from Chocolate Covered Katie
Brownie Batter Protein Pancakes from Snacking Squirrel
Tiramasu Pancakes from Pure2Raw
Pizza Pancakes from Heather Eats Almond Butter

 

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What are your favorite pancake recipes? Do you like to top yours with a bunch of stuff, or fill ’em up? Or maybe you like them plain?

Banana Bread Bonanza!

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Yes, I did it again.

Many people have asked for more grain-free recipes after the Grain-Free Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Bread, so, of course, I had to get to work and create another recipe for all of you!

This recipe uses 3 over-ripe bananas, so it is the perfect go-to recipe when you have too many brown bananas to deal with.

Grain-Free Sugar-Free Banana Bread

~This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free!

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 Tablespoons Ground flax
  • 3 Tablespoons Chia Gel (For each tablespoon of chia, mix 2-3 tablespoons of water and let sit for 15-20 minutes. The chia seeds will puff into a gel)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350*. First, mash the bananas. Then, mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour batter into a lightly greased bread pan-or even try a muffin tin! Bake for one hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.

The bread will rise while in the oven, but will sink when taken out. Let the bread cool for fifteen minutes in the pan (this is necessary for the bread to set since it has no flour in it), and then plop it onto a plate or cutting board and enjoy!

 

 

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What are your favorite ways to use up all of those overripe bananas? Usually, I freeze them to make banana ice cream or smoothies, but this bread recipe is now my favorite!

I started collecting recipes for overripe bananas a couple years ago because I thought a book title, “101 Ways to Use Overripe Bananas” would be great! Because this happens to all chefs and non-chefs across America-what to do with all those brown bananas? What do you think? Would you read a recipe book like that? What recipes would you put in it?

****Also, are you sticking to the sugar-free New Year’s Resolution??