This is a quick breakfast, but because you don’t see arugula used much, it seems kind of elegant.

3 eggs
1 cup arugula

1/2 tomato, diced
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup dry quick oats
1 1/3 cup water
1 cup skim milk

First, get your oatmeal & water cooking in the microwave. Chop the arugula & tomato roughly. Scramble the eggs. Spray a nonstick frying pan with Pam and preheat to medium. Stir-fry the arugula just until wilted, maybe about a minute, then toss in your eggs. Stir over medium heat until almost cooked, and stir in your tomato for the final minute or two. Top with about a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese. Serve alongside the oatmeal and milk.

48 g carbs (39%)
36 g protein (29%)
20 g fat (32%)

Flikr image courtesy rianpie

Abs Diet Recipe Smoothie

This is a new smoothie, with an Abs Diet and Zone Diet compatible recipe. Enjoy…

4 oz Naked brand pomegranate/acai juice
2 oz frozen mangos
2 oz frozen blueberries
2 oz frozen strawberries
3 Tbs almond butter
2 scoops protein powder (I like EAS Advant Edge)
4 oz nonfat milk

1. Add the juice and milk to the blender first
2. Then add the fruit, protein powder and almond butter
3. Blend it up
4. Drink it up!

Some people are turned off by the almond butter, but I think that it adds a nice subtle nutty taste that goes really nice with the juice.

52 g protein (25%)
92 g carbs (44%)
31 g fat (30%)

A fritatta like this is a great make-ahead breakfast. Put it together while your making dinner the night before, and you can just pop a slice into the microwave in the morning, and get rolling out the door!

4 eggs
3/4 cup cooked chopped spinach (1 pkg. of frozen spinach)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tbs. margarine
4 chopped green onions
1 tbs. chopped hazelnuts, walnuts or sesame seeds

Beat eggs. Combine with spinach (make sure it’s well squeezed first!), parsley or cilantro, garlic and sea salt. Saute the green onions in a medium oven proof frying pan, using the margarine. When the onions are slightly wilted, add the egg mix. Cook over a high heat until the egg starts to set up, shaking constantly to prevent burning. Finish under a broiler for several minutes. Top with the chopped nuts. Makes 2 servings.

Cal 263
Carb 10g (15%)
Pro 18g (28%)
Fat 18g (57%)

Breakfast #1: Served with 1 cup hash browns, 2 slices turkey bacon and a 12 oz. glass of skim milk:

Blocks 5
Cal 570
Carb 50g (39%)
Pro 39g (30%)
Fat 20g (31%)

Breakfast #2: Served with a glass of tomato drink and a 12 oz. glass of skim milk:

Blocks 5
Cal 530
Carb 50g (41%)
Pro 34g (28%)
Fat 18g (30%)

A nice hearty fall breakfast…

2 cups skim milk
1 cup quick oats
1 apple, grated
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients except for the honey in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes until creamy. Stir in the honey and serve. Serves 2.

Calories 313
Carb 51g (72%)
Protein 14g (20%)
Fat 3g (9%)

Breakfast #1: Served with 2 scrambled eggs topped with an ounce of lowfat cheddar cheese:

Blocks 5
Calories 544
Carb 52g (42%)
Protein 35g (28%)
Fat 18g (30%)

This is another great make-ahead breakfast or lunch, especially if you make these in the jumbo muffin tins. Pop the extras into a ziplock bag in the freezer, and you can just grab one on your way out the door to work. 60 seconds in the microwave, and you’ve got breakfast.

The fritatta:
4 eggs
1 small onion
4 tbs. chopped Jalapenos
2 medium potatoes (about 1 lb. total)
8 oz. turkey chorizo sausage
2 oz. shredded lowfat Monterrey Jack cheese
2 oz. shredded lowfat Cheddar cheese
3 tbs. fresh cilantro

The rest of breakfast:
1 14 oz. can black beans
2 tbs. sour cream
4 tbs. salsa
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped

Clean and dice the potatoes, then boil them with the skins on until cooked. At the same time, fry up the sausage in a nonstick skillet. You shouldn’t need any added oil.

When the sausage is done, cut into small chunks. Drain the potatoes, and mix in a bowl with the sausage pieces. Chop the onion & peppers, and add them to the bowl.

Scramble the eggs in a separate bowl with the cilantro and a little salt & black pepper. When the eggs are well beaten, add to the other bowl, along with half of the cheese and half of the tomato. Mix everything well.

Spray either a muffin tray (Jumbo-sized if you have one) or a pie plate with cooking spray, and pour in the mix. Add the remaining cheese to the top, and bake at 350 until the top is set and a fork stuck into the middle comes out clean. This should take about 20 minutes. Serve with the beans, lettuce & chopped tomato, and topped with the sour cream and salsa. Serves 6.

Blocks 3
Calories 342
Carb 30g (39%)
Protein 23g (30%)
Fat 12g (31%)

This is a great brunch item, with its Italian spice mixture combined with the turkey sausage. Hearty, yet packed with veggies.

2 whole eggs
3 egg whites
1/2 cup diced celery
3/4 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup tomato sauce
6 oz. Italian turkey sausage
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. fresh parsley
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tbs. dried basil
pinch salt

2 cups frozen hash browns

Slice the sausage into bite-sized pieces, and saute in a skillet until about half done. Drain any grease. Add in the tomato sauce, celery, red pepper, lemon juice, parsley and oregano. Cook over medium heat until thickened.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350, and combine the eggs and corn in a bowl. Add the black pepper, basil and salt, and beat until the eggs are mixed. Cook this egg mixture in an oven proof skillet after spraying it with nonstick spray. When the eggs have started to set on the bottom, gently add the tomato sauce mixture on top. Don’t stir, and keep the tomato sauce away from the edges.

Bake the omelet at 350 until done, about 10 minutes. While that’s baking, cook the hash browns. Serves 2.

Blocks: 4
Calories: 440
Carb: 40g (40%)
Protein: 31g (31%)
Fat: 14g (29%)

Stuffed french toast…sounds decadent, right? But with the whole grain bread, fresh berries and the cottage cheese, it’s really quite healthy.

2 slices whole wheat bread
1/3 cup cottage cheese
1 tbs. raisins
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. margarine
6 fresh strawberries (or other berries)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix the cottage cheese, raisins, vanilla and brown sugar in a bowl. Chop the strawberries finely, then mash with a fork.

Spread the cottage cheese mixture on one of the slices of bread, the strawberries on the other, and combine into a sandwich. Soak the sandwich in the beaten egg for about 5 minutes, flipping half way through.

Melt the margarine in a small frying pan, and cook the sandwich until it’s a nice golden brown color on both sides. Top with the cinnamon.

Cal: 350
Carb: 40g
Pro: 21g
Fat: 13g

Breakfast #1: Served with 3 slices of turkey bacon and an 8oz. glass of skim milk:
Blocks: 5
Cal: 540
Carb: 52g (42%)
Pro: 38g (31%)
Fat: 16g (27%)

An old family favorite, now part of a zone diet breakfast!

3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbs. butter
8 slices whole wheat or oatmeal bread

Beat eggs, milk, nutmeg and vanilla together. Melt half of the butter in a large nonstick frying pan. Dip 4 of the bread slices in the egg. Let the extra egg drip off, and fry the slices until golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the butter and bread. Makes 4 servings.

Cal: 320
Carb: 34g (47%)
Pro: 12g (16%)
Fat: 13g (36%)

Breakfast #1: With 4 slices of turkey bacon and a 12 oz. glass of skim milk:
Blocks: 5
Cal: 540
Carb: 52g (42%)
Pro: 36g (29%)
Fat: 17g (28%) 

Whether you make it with fresh tomato juice or store-bought, this recipe gives it that fresh kick. This is a great companion to scrambled eggs…

2 cups tomato juice
1 medium cucumber
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
dash salt
dash ground pepper
dash Tabasco

Peel and seed the cucumber, and toss everything in a blender until smooth. Makes 2 servings.

Calories:  95
Carb: 22g (85%)
Protein: 4g (15%)
Fat: 0g (0%)

Breakfast #1: For a really quick light breakfast or snack, scramble an egg with about 3/4 of an ounce of lowfat cheese. Serve with a glass of the tomato drink:
Blocks: 2
Calories: 240
Carb: 2g (40%)
Protein: 16g (29%)
Fat: 8g (30%)

Note: If you have a juicer, this is even better with fresh tomato juice. For 2 cups of juice, you’ll need about 6 tomatoes.

I met this dish at a place called Dot’s Diner that I used to eat at all the time when I first moved to Boulder. Fun dish…

1 egg
1 slice whole-wheat bread
1 slice (1 oz.) lowfat Swiss cheese
1/2 small avocado
2 slices turkey bacon

Fry the bacon in a nonstick skillet, then drain. Top the bread with the bacon slices, then the avocado, then the cheese, and put under a broiler until the cheese melts. Meanwhile, scramble the egg and cook in the skillet. When the cheese is melted, top with the egg and serve.

Calories: 360
Carb: 15g (18%)
Protein: 24g (29%)
Fat: 21g (52%)

Breakfast #1: Served with 2/3 cup hash browns and a 12 oz. glass of skim milk:
Blocks: 5
Calories: 360
Carb: 48g (37%)
Protein: 39g (30%)
Fat: 21g (33%)