 Trying
To Lose Weight? Bring Back Breakfast
- By: Holly Clegg for the Louisiana
Sweet Potato Commission
(ARA) - Skipping breakfast has
become a common habit among adults in recent years. Whether due
to lack of dedicated eating time in the morning or an attempt
to lose weight, skipping breakfast can be harmful to health and
actually cause weight gain.
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According to a study that appeared
in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who skipped
breakfast for two weeks developed higher "bad" LDL
cholesterol levels and were less sensitive to insulin than women
who ate breakfast every day. The same study showed that women
who ate breakfast burned 100 more calories and ate lighter meals
throughout the day.
Not eating breakfast can also
cause a drop in blood sugar, which may lead to fatigue and lethargy
throughout the day. A great way to break into the day with energy
to burn is to bring breakfast back into your daily routine. Not
only will it rejuvenate your body, it can aid in the battle against
weight gain.
When dieting, try incorporating
healthy foods into breakfast, such as the sweet potato. The sweet
potato contains vitamins A, C and B6, four times the recommended
amount of beta-carotene, iron, potassium and fiber. Sweet potatoes
are also low in fat and sodium. |
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In fact, the Center for Science
in the Public Interest named sweet potatoes as the number one
most nutritious vegetable.
An excellent, nutritional breakfast
recipe is Nutty Yam Banana Bread. This delicious, moist breakfast
bread is the perfect way to start your engine for the day. When
preparing Nutty Yam Banana Bread, try using Louisiana sweet potatoes
for the sweetest flavor. Here's the recipe:
* Nutty Yam Banana Bread
(Makes 16 servings.)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup mashed bananas (about
1)
- 1 cup fresh, mashed sweet potatoes
or 1 (15-ounce) can sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Coat a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, mashed sweet
potatoes, brown sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs. In a separate bowl,
combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir
the flour mixture into the banana mixture, mixing only until
combined. Stir in the walnuts. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or
until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. |
