Tuesday, January 13, 2009

My favorite breakfast: banana mash

This recipe has been my staple breakfast meal for a while. I've made many variations and you'll see how easy it is to make and experiment with once you try it. The photo shows all the core ingredients for 1 serving:

  • 1 banana
  • dash of cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
  • 1 teaspoon-tablespoon maca powder
  • 1/4 cup sprouted spelt berries (oat groats, quinoa, and buckwheat is great too)
  • 1/4 cup water or nut milk
  1. mash banana in bowl with fork
  2. sprinkle with cinnamon to your liking
  3. add flaxseed meal and maca powder
  4. mix with water

Variations: add goji berries, blueberries, and/or nuts

This is what I call "raw oatmeal" and it's very satisfying, not to mention a dose of brain fuel. I'm sure you're wondering about some of these ingredients so here's a brief overview:

  • Maca powder: root used as a source of nourishment and healing for thousands of years. It nourishes the endocrine system and has been used as a stress-fighting adaptogen to increase stamina, boost libido and combat fatigue. Maca is a nutrient-dense whole food packed with vitamins, plant sterols as well as many essential minerals, fatty and amino acids. Great mood balancer!
  • Sprouted Spelt berries: ancient grain similar to wheat in appearance and taste—only a bit nuttier and easier to digest. This provides the carbs and protein that keep you fueled until snack time. 
  • Goji berries (I'm all out right now, or I would have included them): nutrient-dense superfood. When I add these, I like to let the mixture sit for a little while so they plump up from the water content.

If you're not ready to try sprouting, replace the sprouted spelt with oatmeal (uncooked that is) and use extra water, letting it sit at least 5 minutes to soften. We'll cover sprouting in another post and you'll learn how easy and cost-effective it truly is.

Breakfast is one of the easiest meals to eat raw, so if you want to transition to a raw foods diet, or simply increase your raw food intake, start with breakfast. Fruit is perfect because it gives you instant energy, helps cleanse your body, and is loaded with vitamins. Toss some in a blender, or eat it whole—either way, it's great when you don't have a lot of time.

Looks like a few of you may be interested in trying the detox. That's great news! Congrats and best of luck! Make sure to keep me posted and I'll try to share your insights as well as be here to support you. Anyone else considering the detox?

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great recipe and for explaining all of the cool benefits of the ingredients!

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  2. You're welcome. Let me know if you try it and enjoy it.

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  3. this sounds yummy. will have to get the ingredients to try it. although I am a dork when it comes to sprouting, I haven't figured out the secret to making things sprout. you'll have to show me the next time you come over ; )

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  4. No problem. I'll also be posting photos of the process once the sprouts are totally ready. Sprouting grains is much easier, have you tried that? It only takes 1-2 days.

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  5. Hey, how did you get the recipe to show up the way it did? I love the formatting, and will be putting some recipes in my blog too, just no clue how to format it. duh?

    The banana mash seems nice, and i noticed that the Maca tastes a lot like peanut butter to me. Might be cool! Could work really well with my protein suppliment. would be kind of like melted peanut butter cups & banana. nom nom!

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  6. Wow, that sounds--and looks--so delicious! I'm not 100% raw food but I have gone periods of time on raw foods only. I'm a vegetarian now and I've lost over 100 pounds, though.

    Do you miss real oatmeal at all? I love steel cut oats--not the processed packages most people eat.

    It's my first time here and I love your blog!

    *smiles*
    Michele

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  7. Thanks Michele! Comments like that truly make my day :) Congrats on your accomplishments! That's terrific! No, I don't miss oatmeal at all, this "substitute" tastes great and feels even better. Plus, it's room temperature if you let it sit so the goji berries plump up so it's not cold like some raw foods that may leave you wanting something warm.

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