School Morning Breakfasts

I have no kids, but I can't help but notice that it's back-to-school season. It's been so hot around here it seems really odd, but the notebook and pencil displays are in the stores, the flyers for school clothes are in the local paper, and those stupid talking Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheat squares are talking about keeping kids "full and focused" again.

I hope, I trust, that you will not be giving your kids sugary, starchy processed garbage before they head off to school. There is more than a little research indicating that not only will a low glycemic load breakfast make them less hungry for the rest of the day, lessening the chances that they'll eat whatever junk food the world throws their way while they're out of the house, and helping them avoid the scourge of childhood obesity, but also that it will improve their memory, attentiveness, and frustration tolerance, improving their school performance. Not to mention relieving the load on their teachers.

If the kids will sit down and eat bacon and eggs, it's hard to do better. Eggs even contain brain-friendly DHA. But what if the kids want to dash out the door? Or just don't like bacon and eggs? Better have some other breakfast ideas in the wings.

* Smoothies. What's not to like? You can make them in infinite flavors, spike 'em with protein powder (or even raw eggs if you're not afraid of them,) put them in one of those super-popular steel water bottles, and let the kid take it on the school bus. Heck, you can even make these the night before and stash them in the fridge, for a grab-and-go breakfast. My favorite basic formula is:

3/4 - 1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar-free coffee-flavoring syrup of some variety -- I have a huge stash on hand
4 ice cubes
1 teaspoon guar, xanthan, or glucomannan

But think of the other stuff you can add! Use chocolate or caramel syrup and throw in 1/4 cup peanut or almond butter for extra protein and fat. Or add a tablespoon of instant coffee, regular or decaf, for a latte-lover. Use fruit-flavored syrup and add 1/2 cup frozen unsweetened berries or peach slices. Add a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder for extra chocolate-y flavor. Try caramel syrup, a teaspoon of vanilla, and a half-teaspoon of butter flavoring for a butterscotch smoothie. It's hard to imagine a kid who wouldn't be pleased with some version of this.

* Hard boiled eggs. If the objection to eggs-and-bacon is the time it takes, boil a dozen or more eggs over the weekend and stash them for quick grabbing.

* Hamburger patty. Throw it in the electric contact grill while the kid's getting dressed; shouldn't take more than five minutes. You can even buy pre-made hamburger patties, just read the label to make sure they're 100% beef. If you're not putting it in a bun, this will require sitting down to eat, but there are plenty of kids who like hamburgers better than they do eggs.

* Sausage. Sausage patties also cook well in the electric grill.

* Leftovers. If the kids liked last night's supper, no reason not to warm up leftovers for breakfast. Nowhere is it written that one must eat breakfast foods for breakfast and dinner foods for dinner.

* Apple slices spread with natural peanut butter or almond butter.

* Low carb/high fiber toast with peanut or almond butter and low sugar jelly.

* Low carb/high fiber toast with cottage cheese and low sugar jelly, or a sprinkle of cinnamon and Splenda or Truvia -- a more-nutritious alternative to cheese Danish.

* String cheese or other individually wrapped cheese sticks or chunks. Go in a book pack, and are easy to eat on the run.

* Energy bars. Again, make 'em over the weekend, then let the kid grab one or two on the way out the door.

* If you make a double batch of any of my low carb pancake or waffle recipes for Sunday brunch, you'll have leftovers to warm up the rest of the week. A warmed-up low carb/high protein waffle with PB&(ls)J (low sugar jelly) makes an awesome grab-and-go breakfast! Or you could roll up the same PB&(ls)J in a couple of leftover pancakes.

* Make some ...Cocoa-Peanut Porkies!

* If your kids like sweet breads, try this zucchini bread. Each slice has as much protein as two eggs! Toast it and spread it with a little cream cheese and you'll add a teeny bit more.

Zucchini Bread

1 pound zucchini
1 tablespoon sucanat
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 cup erythritol
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup almond meal, homemade
3/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup Splenda
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 375, placing a rack in the middle position. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan well with non-stick cooking spray, then use a tiny bit of flour or a little extra almond meal to "flour" the pan, tapping out any excess.

Using the shredding disk of your food processor or your box grater, shred your zucchini, and put it in a big non-reactive bowl. Sprinkle it with the sucanat, and toss. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and toss again. Let this sit for a while, while you continue assembling your bread.

Chop your walnuts and spread them on a baking sheet. Slide them into the oven and set your timer for 5-7 minutes. (Don't skip the timer, or you'll burn 'em, sure as you're born.)

While the nuts are toasting, assemble the almond meal, vanilla whey protein powder, flax meal, erythritol, baking soda, baking powder, the rest of the salt, and the Splenda in a mixing bowl. Use a whisk to stir the dry ingredients together till everything's well-distributed.

The timer went off! Pull the nuts out and throw 'em in with the dry ingredients. Give the whole thing another stir.

In a separate bowl or a big glass measuring cup, whisk together the plain yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and melted butter. Set aside for a moment.

Remember that zucchini you shredded? A fair amount of liquid will have drained off of it by now. Drain it well, squeezing it a bit with clean hands to get extra moisture out.

Now dump the zucchini and the yogurt/egg mixture into the dry ingredients, and use a whisk to quickly combine everything, stirring just until there are no pockets of dry stuff left. Don't overmix! Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan, and smooth the top with your rubber scraper if you think it needs it. Slide it into the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes.

When the timer goes off, turn the pan around (this helps it bake evenly) and give it another 30 minutes. Test with a wooden toothpick or skewer in the center -- it should come out clean.

Cool your zucchini bread in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn it out on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Wrap in a plastic bag or plastic wrap and refrigerate to store.

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15 slices, each with: 204 Calories; 14g Fat ; 13g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber, 4 grams usable carb

Note: Sucanat is to sugar what whole wheat flour is to white flour: It's unrefined sugar cane juice that's been dried and ground to a coarse powder. It's a concentrated carb, but at least it has a few vitamins and minerals. Available in health food stores, and if you put it in a snap-top container or a tightly lidded jar it'll keep just about forever. Tastes a lot like brown sugar.

Keep in mind that a lot of the sucanat will actually be discarded in the water you drain off the zucchini. Indeed, it and the salt are mixed in with the zuke to draw off moisture, so your bread isn't hideously soggy.