Add a touch of freshness to your breakfast with this delicious, protein-rich smoothie. It’s a great way of incorporating tofu into the first meal of the day!

Spinach Tofu Smoothie

credit: Adapted from this recipe.

 

Yield

About 6 servings  

Ingredients 

• 3 c. (750 ml) fresh spinach
• 2 bananas
• 1½ c. (350 ml) chopped frozen mango
• 1 c. (250 ml) chopped frozen pineapple
• 10 oz. (300 g) soft (silken) tofu
• 1½ c. milk or soy beverage
• Fresh mint, optional

Preparation 

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add extra liquid, as necessary. Enjoy! 
   Pair with a serving of whole grains for a complete breakfast! 

Photo Credits: https://petersfoodadventures.com/buckwheat-kasha-with-milk

This combination of roasted buckwheat, honey and milk is easy to make and even easier to devour!  

 

Kasha (Buckwheat Porridge) 

Yield: About 6 servings  

Ingredients 

• 1 c. (250 ml) roasted buckwheat groats  
• 2 c. (500 ml) boiling water  
• ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) salt  
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) honey or sugar  
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) margarine  
• 1 c. (250 ml) milk or soy beverage  

Preparation 

1. Wash the roasted buckwheat groats. In a medium saucepan, combine the buckwheat, 1 tbsp. (15 ml) margarine and boiling water.  
2. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add salt, the remaining margarine and honey, and mix. 
3. Add milk to the cooked mixture. Return to heat to warm up. Serve with your preferred toppings, such as fresh fruit or a drizzle of honey. 

Photo Credits: https://petersfoodadventures.com/buckwheat-kasha-with-milk

   

Adapted from https://petersfoodadventures.com/buckwheat-kasha-with-milk 

Photo Credits: https://stripedspatula.com/gallo-pinto

Be sure to give this tastebud-tickling, tummy-warming rice-and-bean dish a whirl! Top up with extra veggies, depending on what’s in season and what you have on hand.  

 

Gallo Pinto 

Adapted from https://stripedspatula.com/gallo-pinto
 

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Cooking Time: 15 minutes 

Yield: 8 to 10 servings 

 

Ingredients 

• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) vegetable, olive or canola oil 
• 1 red pepper, chopped 
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 can (14 oz./398 ml) can black beans  
• ¾ c. (180 ml) water  
• ¼ c. (60 ml) Salsa Lizano* 
• 3 c. (750 ml) cooked brown rice,** preferably day-old and refrigerated 
• ¼ c. (60 ml) chopped fresh cilantro 

* Salsa Lizano (Lizano sauce) is a Costa Rican condiment that can be found in many specialty grocery stores. It gives a wonderful flavour to this dish, but if you can’t find any, try this instead: 

• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) Worcestershire or HP sauce
  OR 
• 3 tbsp. (45 ml) soy sauce + 1 tbsp. (15 ml) maple syrup  

**Check the yield on the packaging. As a rule of thumb, 1 cup of uncooked brown rice makes 3 cups of cooked rice.  

.  

 

Preparation 

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sauté chopped pepper and onions until peppers are soft and onions are translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.  
2. Add black beans, water and Salsa Lizano, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened and a little bit of the liquid has evaporated. Gently stir in cooked rice, and cook until heated through and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 3 to 5 minutes. 
3. Stir in chopped cilantro. Season to taste with additional Salsa Lizano, if desired, and serve. 

Photo Credits: https://stripedspatula.com/gallo-pinto

 

Whole vegetables and fruits are an essential part of a healthy diet and offer many nutritional benefits over their liquid counterparts, which often contain added sugar and salt.

 

Here are a few more reasons you should serve them instead of juice for breakfast: 

• They contain fibre: Fibre plays an important role in naturally controlling your appetite. Most of the fibre in a vegetable or fruit is found in its peel and pulp. When these are removed, as they are with juice, the benefits of the fibre are lost.  

• They are chock-full of vitamins and minerals: Whole vegetables and fruits are complex foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals from root to stalk. By eating all the edible parts, you’ll be getting the most out of every nutrient.  
• The sugar and salt they contain are naturally balanced: Think of the last time you squeezed an orange. How much juice did you get out of it? Barely enough to fill the bottom of a glass, right? So you can imagine how many it would take for a full serving! The result is very high in sugar (the same sugar content as a soft drink!) and does not make you feel full. What’s more, many commercial fruit juices contain added sugar, and many vegetable juices contain salt, which is a shame because vegetables and fruits in their natural state are already bursting with flavour.  

 

All in all, there really is no comparison between whole vegetables and fruits and juice, be it store-bought or freshly pressed. No matter how you serve whole vegetables and fruit — fresh, frozen, canned, stewed or blended — be sure to work as many of them as you can into your breakfast menu. They are as versatile as they are colourful, making the first meal of the day appealing to the eye as well as the taste buds. Use them to introduce your students to a world of flavours and textures.  

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