Canadian Health Awareness Society : Resources

Proofreader: Jo Jo Wang, RD

Recipe and photo: Jo Jo Wang, RD

Jump start your day with a good healthy breakfast! Fuel your body and boost your energy while you benefit your overall health!

Typical breakfast foods that we eat here in North America do not provide the nutrients the body needs but by using locally-available, natural and healthy ingredients, the nutritional value of your breakfast can get a much needed boost! Let’s consider our traditional breakfast in terms of nutrients:

Congee, noodles, egg noodles, toast, Hong Kong style bread, white bread, peanut butter, jam, eggs, soymilk, milk, tea, coffee, Chinese bun.

White bread, English muffins, pancakes, waffles, butter, jam, peanut butter, oatmeal, cereals, ham, bacon, hash browns, omelet, sausage, egg, milk, coffee, milk tea.

Let’s analyze the nutritional content of traditional breakfasts:

• Starch: refined starch products (e.g. white bread, crackers) will rapidly increase blood sugar. Also foods high in refined starch are usually low in vitamins and minerals.
• Fat: saturated fat will increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. And excessive fat consumption will cause obesity.
• Sugar: calories from added sugar are empty calories (which mean lack of micronutrients). Excessive consumption of added sugar will cause obesity, and being obese will increase the risk of developing diabetes.
• Salt: excessive sodium in the diet may increase the risk of having high blood pressure. It also increases the workload of kidneys.

Nutrients for optimum health:

• Fiber: fiber keeps the intestines healthy. Adequate fiber intake may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. The fiber content is usually low in refined and processed food.
• Protein: protein is important in building and repairing our body. Inadequate protein consumption will impair our normal body functions.
• Calcium: Calcium is a building block for our teeth and bones. It also plays important roles in the normal functions of muscle, blood vessels and nervous systems.
• Iron: iron is an important part of the red blood cell. Inadequate intake of dietary iron may increase our risk of iron-anemia
• Omega-3 Fatty Acid: omega-3 fatty acid is important for the cardiovascular and immune systems. It also helps in maintaining brain health.
• Antioxidants: antioxidants quench the free radicals in our body and decrease the oxidation stress. They have anti-aging effect and lower the risk of chronic diseases

Foods high in fiber:  Flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp hearts, roasted hemp hearts, oats (especially steel cut oat), wheat bran, wheat germ, whole grain, Goji berry, legumes, black sesame seeds. Note: People with low blood pressure or those who are currently taking anti-hypertensive medication should not consume excessive amount of chia seeds, since chia seeds naturally lower blood pressure.

Foods high in protein (lean protein):  Fish or lean meat (can be added into congee or noodles), soy beverage, low-fat milk products (e.g. low-fat Greek yogurt), nuts, legumes congee, seeds, quinoa, protein powder.

Foods providing calcium: Flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp hearts, roasted hemphearts, milk and dairy products, calcium-fortified beverages (flaxseeds beverage, hemphearts beverage, soy beverage, rice beverage, almond beverage). Did you know that many yogurts available at supermarkets are full of added sugar? Plain yogurt customized it with your favorite fruits like berries, hemp heart or chia seeds are good alternatives to sugar-laden yogurts. Chia seeds and hemp seeds are also a source of omega 3, commonly found in salmon and a good source of fiber, helping you feel full longer.

Foods and their iron content:  Dried fruits (especially apricots), lean red meat, seeds (pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp hearts). Note: eat with foods rich in vitamin-C to enhance the iron absorption (e.g. citrus fruits, kiwi, ½ cup juice)Foods providing Omega-3 Fatty Acid: Flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp hearts, omega 3 eggs, salmon, walnuts, almondsFoods with high antioxidants: Whole fruits, dried fruit (add to plain yogurt, cereal), add spinach/kale/frozen berries to smoothies, add mushroom/peppers/spinach to omelet.

Canada has a wide variety of healthy natural foods and food products available. Be sure to check out the supermarket aisle when grocery shopping. There are many creative ways to add “value” to your typical breakfast!

For recipe ideas: visit www.dietitians.ca and Cookspiration (download available for your phone)

Makes 2 servings



Ingredients

• 2-3 pieces black fungus
• 1 piece white fungus
• 1/2 carrot
• 1 burdock root
• 2 tsp quinoa
• 2 tsp rolled oats or steel cut oats
• 1 tsp brown rice
• 3 cups unsalted chicken stock (or water or other stock)
• 100 g shredded turkey
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• pinch of white pepper

Instructions

• Soak black and white fungus in water. After they become soft, chop them into small pieces.
• Peel the carrot and burdock root. Shred them.
• Wash the quinoa, oats and brown rice. Put them into a cook pot. Add chicken stock, black and white fungus, carrot and burdock root. Cook for 20-25 minutes with medium to high heat.
• While cooking the congee, mix turkey, soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper into a bowl.
• Add the turkey into cooked congee and boil for another 3-5 minutes..