​Mother’s Day Breakfast

By Teresa Farrell, Registered and Licensed Dietician at Essentia Health
tara.ekren@essentiahealth.org

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s a great opportunity to show your mother just how much you love her. A good way to start the day is a healthy yet special breakfast, made just for Mom. A special breakfast need not be complicated. Even if you cook very little there are easy ways to make it special. With a little creativity and an attractive presentation, Mom will appreciate even a simple breakfast.

Do Mom a favor and keep it healthy AND tasty.

Here are some components of a healthy breakfast:

• whole grain carbohydrates (whole grain breads, English muffins, wraps, waffles, cereals)
• lean protein, including low or non-fat dairy (eggs, Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, yogurt, cottage cheese, milk)
• fruit (fresh, frozen, canned unsweetened, 100% fruit juice)
• vegetables (fresh, frozen)
• healthy fats (nuts, nut butters, seeds, avocados, healthy oils-olive, avocado, canola)

To give the meal a little pizzazz mix flavors, textures, and colors, this will add variety and look more appealing. Your menu can be as simple or complicated as you choose. Be sure to plan ahead so you have all of the ingredients on hand.

Here are some suggestions for a simple, yet impressive Mother’s Day breakfast:

• yogurt parfait: layer low-fat yogurt (plain or flavored), granola and berries or other fruit in a tall clear glass.
• whole grain waffles (homemade or frozen) topped with peanut butter and bananas and a drizzle of warm maple syrup. Serve with cherry tomatoes and/or sliced cucumbers.
• fruit smoothie: frozen berries or other frozen fruit, low-fat yogurt (plain or flavored) and milk or fruit juice to thin it out to the desired consistency. Place in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve with a whole grain English muffin or toast with almond butter.
• breakfast burrito: stir fry cut up vegetables, like onions, peppers, and zucchini, until tender. Add beaten eggs and stir until cooked. Place on a warm whole wheat tortilla, top with shredded cheese. Serve fruit on the side.
• bagel and cream cheese: using a fresh, soft whole grain bagel, top with low-fat cream cheese and sliced strawberries or other fresh fruit.
• bagel and avocado: using a fresh, soft whole grain bagel, top with chopped tomato, chunks of fresh avocado and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with fresh fruit.
• egg “mock” muffin: toast a whole wheat English muffin. Cook one egg and place it on the muffin, top with turkey bacon or Canadian bacon, cheese and sliced tomato. Serve with fresh fruit.
• heart shaped pancakes: make the pancake batter, adding bananas, blueberries or other fruit to the batter. Cook pancakes and using a cookie cutter, cut pancakes into the shape of hearts. Top with more fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup. Serve with low-fat yogurt.
• frittata: see recipe below.

Good beverage choices are skim milk, a small glass of 100% fruit juice or for fun a mock mimosa: add sparkling water or ginger ale to orange juice and garnish with a fresh strawberry added to the rim of the glass.

To make the meal extra special use the china, fancy glasses, pretty napkins and add a bouquet of flowers to the table.

Arrange the food attractively on the plate and add a few slices of melon, an orange wedge or berries to add color and extra nutrition.

A hand-written poem or card will add a nice final touch.

Spinach and Mushroom Frittata

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed thoroughly to remove liquid

4 eggs

1 cup part skim ricotta cheese

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

¾ cup chopped fresh mushrooms

½ cup finely chopped green onion, with some of the green tops

¼ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl whisk together all ingredients until well mixed. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and fill with the egg mixture.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until browned and set. Let cool for 20 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Nutrition facts:

Calories: 185

Carbohydrates: 6 grams

Protein: 16 grams

Fat: 10 grams

Saturated fat: 5 grams

Fiber: 1 gram

Sodium: 365 milligrams