Breakfast: Fueling body, mind for productive day requires more than coffee, sugar

Published October 12, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for many, and for years Memphians have flocked to Brother Juniper's near the University of Memphis when it's time to fuel up for the coming day. The popular diner has topped plenty of best-of lists and has been featured on national television shows, including Rachael Ray's "$40 a Day."

Ray featured the San Diegan omelet, the most-ordered item on the menu. But owner Jonathan Koplin says that's not the reason customers order it; rather it's because "it's out of the ballpark." Inspired by a customer from San Diego, it's a bed of sour cream and home fries topped with portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon, green onions, feta and cheddar cheese.

Koplin is a big believer in breakfast -- it's all the restaurant serves.

"To get your body moving with energy, you need to eat a good-quality breakfast -- not just a sugar fix and a cup of coffee," he says.

Usually, he has either the Florentine omelet (pesto, fresh spinach, tomatoes, turkey sausage and mozzarella) with a side of home fries and multigrain toast, or the No. 2 breakfast with two eggs, home fries, bacon and toast.

But for some, breakfast is just about convenience. Tamara Haywood, an adjunct professor of philosophy at the University of Memphis, admits that her love affair with her snooze button has led to a regular breakfast of sugar and caffeine. "I'm a closet Dunkin' Donuts addict. The drive-through is a big lure, plus they can actually make a decent cup of coffee," she says.

And some will skip it. If attorney Josh Spickler eats anything, it's something that he can eat on the way to work, like a banana. Sometimes he'll grab the first thing he sees. "If I'm lucky, that's a Butterfinger Mini from my co-worker's candy bowl," he says.

Skipping breakfast can backfire later in the day. Megan Murphy, who has been working as a registered dietitian for more than 25 years, has found that a lot of people who aren't that hungry in the morning aren't hungry at lunch either. "Their body comes calling at about 4 to 5 p.m. and then they are at the vending machine, or they're driving through some fast-food place on the way home from work," she says. Even if the meal skippers make a healthy choice at dinner, chances are that later in the evening they will snack on junk food and eat far more than they originally intended.

Breakfast doesn't have to be time-consuming to be nutritious. Tonya Meeks, who lives in Midtown and works as the development manager at Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, says she can't think without nourishment first thing in the day. Her usual breakfast consists of steel-cut oats, cooked with a handful of almonds, a teaspoon of turbinado sugar, cinnamon and ghee. (Ghee is clarified butter. Meeks says it has a richer, fuller flavor than regular butter.) The oats can be made in advance and then quickly reheated each morning.

Meeks is passionate about food. "I view food as one part nourishment, one part pleasure," she says. In addition to oatmeal, she likes raspberry soy yogurt with Groovy Foods Dark Star Granola or two eggs scrambled in butter with hot sauce and toast for breakfast.

Fish is the only meat that Meeks eats, so it's sometimes difficult to get the protein she needs at breakfast. She often drinks a glass of soy milk or has a soy chai. "Throughout all of my meals, I try to get a good balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Lack of protein makes me feel monkey-brained and scattered. So I need some earlier in the day to feel grounded," she says.

Protein is extra important for those who forgo sleep to exercise in the morning. Star Richey, of Star Runners, says protein is very important for runners. It helps to replenish the muscles after a run or workout. "Muscles are torn and damaged during a run, and consuming protein within 30 to 60 minutes after a run will help to rebuild them," she says.

Richey says a little bit of protein before a workout is fine but it can be hard to digest. Those who want to fuel their bodies pre-workout should focus on carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Richey's standard pre-run breakfast is simple: A whole-grain English muffin with natural peanut butter.

Yogurt is also a quick and easy breakfast. Stephy Wang Momper, who is a writer and avid runner, relies on yogurt for protein and calcium. She eats two yogurts every day -- a Yoplait with 50 percent calcium is an easy breakfast or quick snack for her. She also likes Greek yogurt for the huge boost of protein (14 to 20 grams per cup depending on brand) after a run. "I add a spoonful of jam, swizzle of honey, granola, whatever I want to it. Thick yogurt is like a not-too-sweet dessert for me," she says. Momper also likes to make smoothies with the yogurt.

Dee Moore of Mama D's Italian Ice (mymamads.com), has created an unusual breakfast with yogurt -- a breakfast pop. She likes to eat something healthful that will stick with her and provide the proper combination of carbohydrates, protein and fiber, but working early mornings at farmers markets makes fixing a hot breakfast nearly impossible. "Throw in the fact that it's over 100 degrees during my busy season, so I came up with the idea of providing a breakfast pop that provides a dose of all of the essentials," she says. The pops, which include Greek yogurt, almond butter, bananas, chopped walnuts and wheat germ, have become a hit at the farmers markets.

Chef Marisa Baggett doesn't believe in "breakfast" food. "For me, breakfast is whatever I feel like eating, which most of the time is soup and rice or the occasional salad," she says.

Baggett eats lots of small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals and a few snacks. "If I don't have at least two breakfasts, I'm no good to anyone by noon. I get very grumpy when I'm hungry," she says.

Breakfast Pops

3 bananas

3/4 cups almond butter

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (substitute non-dairy for a vegan version of the pop)

1/2 tbsp. wheat germ

3 tbsp. chopped walnuts

Mash bananas and mix with almond butter, including the natural oil. Add yogurt and mix together in a food processor. Then add wheat germ and walnuts and mix until blended.

Mix well and freeze. Makes 4 (5-oz.) pops.

Source: Dee Moore

"The Usual" Smoothie

11/2 cups almond milk

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 cup fresh spinach or other mild greens

1 peach

1/2 cup berries

(or, in place of peaches and berries, 11/2 cups of any fruit you have that might be tasty together)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon and/or cardamom

About 1 tsp. of fresh ginger if you have it on hand

1/2 cup ice

Blend until smooth. Add a bit of water or more almond milk if it's too thick to blend.

Source: Laurie Major

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

13/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger root

2/3 cup water

15 oz. can pumpkin puree

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1/2 cup oats

Heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugars and oil. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. In another bowl, stir together the wheat flour, white flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Add the dry mix and water alternately to the sugar mix. Fold in the pumpkin, chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

Sprinkle the oats over the bottom of the greased pan. Spoon the batter over the oats and bake. It should take about 50 minutes. Stick a chopstick or skewer in the bread. It's done when the chopstick or skewer comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes and up to 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. If you can, wait until it cools completely before cutting.

Source: Marisa Baggett