This morning, for a moment, I panicked…

There was a pit of a panic in the kitchen this morning. For the past five years, today happens to be one of those totally rare occasions when there was no milk in the fridge. Or juice. Or oranges to make a juice. Well, basically, there was nothing I could make my shake with. Apart from water, but I was just not ready to go that far. Not today. Hey, it is a weekend afterall and, if I was not going to have a smooth, delicious, nutritious chocolate mocca shake, I’ll try to make the most delicious but equally nutritious breakfast. Regular breakfast that is.

I set off on the quest to feed my body with something as nutritious as my shake would be and this is what I came up with:

100gr of low fat Cottage Cheese: 12gr of protein/ 114 cal (low fat cottage cheese is an excellent dairy option as it contains a fraction of fat compared to other cheeses and is high in protein)

2 medium Scrambled Eggs in a pan sprayed lightly with olive oil: 15 gr of protein/ 200 cal (Eggs can significantly contribute towards intake of B2, E, Nicotinic Acid. Iron is present, but not well absorbed. High in cholesterol, but most experts agree that this should not be a problem for those who watch their diet, limit weekly intake of eggs and whose blood cholesterol is normal)

Medium 1/2 Avocado: 75 cal (very good source of vitamin E and monosaturated fats, and contains many other vitamins and minerals)

Slice of granary bread: 5gr protein/ around 200 cal (for people following a calorie restricted diet, dark rye bread is a good choice as it has medium glycaemic index, unlike wheat loaves which have a high glycaemic index, and so keeps hunger at bay for longer. I was not concerned about that as long as it is wholesome)

1/2 a Red Pepper (While green peppers are one of the best vegetable sources of vitamin C, red peppers are much higher in beta carotene and are also very high in vitamin C. I have recently read that they contain natural painkiller capsaicin, clinically proven to be effective when rubbed on joints as a cream; the same effect may be gained by eating peppers and may be useful against arthritis pain)

1 long Celery Stick (a phytochemical in celery can lower blood pressure)

5 Fresh Cherry Tomatoes (Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, the antioxidant phytochemical which is important to prevent heart disease and cancers. Tomatoes also contain the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E.

Naturally, I also had my Formula 2 Multivitamin supplement, 1500mg Vitamin C Tablet, 2 x Omega 3 Herbalifeline Tablets and XtraCal Tablets.

All in all, I consumed just over 600 calories, which would mean that after regular lunch and dinner on top and after a few days of that regime, I would definitely start puttinf on weight, which is what happens to the most of the people. Without bread and avocado, I could have had breakfast with 400 calories, but my aim was not to eat low calorie meal as the only such meal I would attempt to have is Herbalife meal replacement shake. If you cut on calories, you cut on nutrition too. How can anyone think that a bowl of porridge has even closely enough to FEED your body, or a couple of toasts, etc? I say FEED, i.e. nourish, not just fill up the stomack! No wonder one already feels peckish by mid morning!

I then went and compared what I have consumed with what one gets from one shake:

Vitamin A = (equivalent to) 120g cheddar cheese (47% EU RDA)
Vitamin C = 100g boiled cabbage (29% EU RDA)
Vitamin D = 50g tinned tuna (50% EU RDA)
Vitamin E = 50g dry roasted cashew nuts (51% EU RDA)
Vitamin B6 = 100g cooked lentils (33% EU RDA)
Vitamin B12 = two raw eggs (154% EU RDA)
Calcium = 80g tofu (52% EU RDA)
Zinc = 85g cooked crab (32% EU RDA)
Magnesium = 248ml carrot juice (18% EU RDA)
Iron = 155g cooked beef steak (38% EU RDA)
Potassium = 100g cooked soya beans (NA)
Copper = one avocado (NA)
Selenium = 90g cooked liver (NA)
Dietary Fibre = four slices wholemeal bread (20% EU RDA)

All that for 220 calories! It really has everything your body needs in the morning, energy, nutrition, hydration!

One of the recent comments I had when mentioning the shake was that they prefer to eat “normal” food and have something to chew. Well, we definitely are on different planes of existance. There is nothing one can say to that (and I will not repeat what my husband’s comment to that was), perhaps apart from – “I value my health very much and appreciate the nourishment I get from the shake.” No, there is no point saying anything…

When people say that, they obviously enjoy food as I do, but they think of immediate pleasures that food give them, while I, on the other hand, always project what my health will be when I am fifty or sixty and beyond and I am prepared to invest whatever it takes in my health and make healthy choices at any given time to make sure I have healthy heart, enjoy healthy digestion and, eventually, that I age healthily.

On the other hand, there are people I mention the shake to and they automatically switch on and see it as a brilliant replacement for one of their meals they most struggle to get right. Sometimes it is breakfast for busy mums, sometimes lunch for busy professionals.

One thing I do know – You can not say the wrong thing to the right person!

OK, I hope I made my point. I really had to get this one out as it was a different breakfast and a whole new experience for me in a long time, I am talking years now. It is good to make a change every once in a while, although, I think I will stick to my morning shake for a long while now. Because, for me, it just makes the whole lot of sense. That is all!

Off to stock up on milk now, I know what I’ll have for lunch!

P.S. By the way, it is past midday and I am still full after that breakfast. So, protein and complex carbs combination works, shake or otherwise, but I prefer to save on breakfast calories and be able to “go wild” with my lunch or dinner, or both! I really LOVE my food, can’t you tell?