PTI Tucson Blog

So here is what I find to be the most interesting fact about breakfast: If you skip breakfast you are 4.5 times more likely to be OBESE! That is one of the top indicators for adult obesity. So if you don’t have time to eat breakfast, make sure you make lots of time for either working out or doctors visits. Personally I would prefer a good breakfast. So what is a good breakfast? Here are the keys to making a good breakfast:

1. It should be your largest meal of the day. This only makes sense. You have not eaten anything for 8-10 hours and have a full days work ahead of you. You need to fill up the tank and get you body out of fat storage mode!
2. Roughly half of your breakfast should be protein. Protein helps keep you full. Good lean protein is you best choice. (egg, egg white, skim milk, canadian bacon, turkey, protein powder if you have too) Make sure it also includes some good fiber (real oatmeal, whole grain bread, whole grain cereals, fruit)
3. You should eat it shortly after rising. Just because you are eating breakfast foods, it doesn’t count as breakfast if you are eating it at 11am and you got up at 7am. Breakfast should be eaten within an hour of rising; sooner if possible.
4. In a hurry: While toasting a whole grain english muffin, scramble an egg in a small dish and microwave for 1 minute. Make a sandwich of the egg, some low fat cheese and a slice or two of canadian bacon. Grab a piece of fruit and head out the door. You can do that faster than you can pick up fast food and it is a near perfect breakfast!

Did you know that you can swap applesauce for vegetable oil one of one when you are baking and eliminate a lot of unhealthy fats from your baking. I use natural, unsweetened applesauce to avoid the additional sugars as well. Combine this with using granulated Splenda or Splenda Brown Sugar Blend you can really reduce the caloric content of your baking while still tasting delicious! Give these a try in you favorite recipe and let me know what you think!

Directions

Here is a lighter version of a Green Chili Tamale Pie. I have to admit that when I first read the recipe and ingredients I was a little skeptical, but I am here to tell you that it is absolutely amazing! Don’t change a thing in it! I don’t care for lima beans but they really work here. Let me know what you think! Serves 4.

Green Chili Tamale Pie

Ingredients

• 1 cup masa harina
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces ground sirloin
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 poblano chile, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces tomatillos (about 8 small), chopped
• 1 cup frozen baby lima beans
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled queso fresco
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 lime wedges

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°.
• 2. Combine the masa harina, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and ground red pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Add 1 cup boiling water to masa mixture, and stir until a soft dough forms. Cover until ready to use.
• 3. Heat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion, garlic, poblano chile, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Add tomatillos and lima beans to pan, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• 4. Add butter and baking powder to masa mixture, stirring until smooth. Dollop batter over filling, and spread into an even layer. Cover pan with foil; bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned around edges. Remove from oven; let stand 3 minutes. Sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco and cilantro; serve with lime wedges.

Salsa Chicken!

Ok, so you are looking for a great, easy dish that is oh so simple, low cal, delicious and make your house smell wonderful while it cooks? Look no further! Here it is!

Ingredients

Directions

Quick Power Breakfast!

So you think that you only have time to prepare and eat oatmeal on the weekend because you are slow cooking some steel-cut oats. You are missing one of the best ways to get a whole grain, fiber rich meal in during the week. As it turns out an oat is an oat, whether it is steel-cut, rolled flat or even pre-steamed so that it will cook in 90 seconded instead of 15 minutes or longer. Flattening and steaming do not remove the whole grain benefits. You still get all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber! Sure the steel-cut kind is so nutty, chewy and yummy but the instant is so convenient for a quick hearty filling breakfast on the go. I often add a scoop of vanilla whey protein powder for a quick breakfast that is full of fiber and protein and it can be ready in under 3 minutes! My only words of caution are with the prepackaged flavored oats:  you have to watch their added sugar and salt! There are good choices but make sure you are reading the labels! Get you oats on!

Well, here we are getting ready to be heading into the Fourth of July weekend soon. We are in the grilling season. Lets take a quick look at the most common of the grill foods – the Burger!

• A quarter pound of lean ground sirloin and a hearty whole grain bun start you out at about 250 calories. Here are some suggestions for some 100 calories burger toppings:
• Traditional: 2 tsp ketchup, 3 dill pickle chips, 1 thin slice sharp cheddar, green leaf lettuce and 1 tomato slice.
• Mediterranean: 1 tbsp pesto, 2 heirloom tomato slices and 1 tbsp crumbled feta
• Egger: 1 poached egg, 1 tbsp salsa, green leaf lettuce and 1tbsp queso fresco
• Summer: 2 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup fresh spinach, 1 oz. goat cheese
• Caprese: 1 oz. fresh buffalo mozzarella, 1/2 tsp EVOO, 2 tomato slices and 6 basil leaves
• Greek: 1 tbsp chopped red onion, 2 tbsp crumbled feta, 1/4 cup fresh spinach tossed with 1/2 tsp EVOO, 1 oz tzatziki sauce
• Island: 2 thin slices avocado, 2 tbsp mango salsa, 1 tbsp chopped cilantro, 2 tbsp shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Add a fresh greens salad or some grilled veggies and you got a great meal!