Start the Day Right

By Chef Bill Idell '89
September 2015

It's the start of another day, and you are resolved to eat healthy, but you are craving pancakes. You can have your pancake and eat it too. Substitute buckwheat flour and soaked oats to create a healthier base for your batter. To get that simple sugar out of our lives, instead of maple syrup, I use low-fat yogurt, mixed with either strawberries, raspberries or blackberries that are naturally packed with ellagic acid which is a great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant – both important for heart health.

Or you may want to start your day or have for lunch a nutritious smoothie. One of my favorites is a Mean Green Smoothie. The kale and organic spinach, loaded with phytochemicals and micronutrients, are full of fiber, which helps lower low-density lipoproteins in your body - a fancy word for bad cholesterol. When you add blueberries to the smoothie, you incorporate lots of antioxidant properties to fight free radicals which can lead to cardiovascular disease. Throw in a banana for potassium because you need those electrolytes. This is a great meal replacement with about 300 calories.

Tempeh, made from pressed soy, and seitan, which is wheat gluten, make great meat alternatives. They look like ground beef and taste like it too. By using them as meat substitutes, you get a great protein without the saturated fat. Saturated fat should be less than 10% of our diet.

Try incorporating a few of these recipes into your diet, and you're going to find that heart healthy is good to eat.