Healthy Breakfasts (That Keep You Full Until Lunch!) From Daphne Oz

Daphne Oz has had a love affair with food for as long as she can remember.

“I grew up cooking dinner almost every night with my mom, so I love cooking and I love eating because of that experience,” the co-host of ABC’s The Chew told us during an event hosted by Arla Cream Cheese. “I was never a picky eater since I was always excited to see what my mouth could explore through food.”

The daughter of TV’s Dr. Mehmet Oz believes that everyone has the ability to tap into their inner chef. “Start small, do something minor — like make a soup or salad dressing — and notice how rewarding it feels to make something great, even as simple as it is,” she says. “I think once you start going through the motions, it all clicks together, and you’ll start to feel more comfortable and more confident in the kitchen.”

Her latest book, The Happy Cook: 125 Recipes For Eating Every Day Like It’s The Weekend, contains a number of her tips and tricks for making healthy dishes easier throughout the week. “I don’t want health to be black or white — it’s not, either you’re healthy or you’re unhealthy,” explains Oz. “It’s all a balancing act, and it really has to be something that’s functional, easy, and accessible for you to do.”

And since we shared our first bite of the day together, the 30-year-old New Jersey native offered her thoughts on how to approach the morning meal.

“Everyone always says breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” says Oz. “Personally, I think it sets the tone for how the rest of my day will go, in terms of healthy and balanced eating.”

Below are three of her simple yet satisfying breakfast tips.

Blend it

The Princeton graduate and wife and mother of two (Philomena, 2 1/2, and Jovan Jr., 1) regularly relies on a smoothie made with avocado (a slow digesting “good” fat), yogurt (which has protein that promotes fullness), frozen banana (a resistant starch, a type of fiber the body cannot absorb, which ends up hanging out in your digestion system for a while), and spinach (a nutrient powerhouse veggie that also contains fiber).

“I’ll use that base and give it to my kids and they love it — I call it the Green Monster Smoothie!” she says. “It’s like an ‘insurance policy meal’ for them. For me, I take my portion and add all my supplements in, and it becomes my superfast breakfast on the go.”

Cook up the incredible, edible egg

When she’s not racing out the door, Oz will whip up an egg dish because eggs are a high-quality protein. “I love a frittata!” she states. She likes to add spinach, olives, and chicken sausage — another protein food with staying power. In fact, a 2013 study concluded that consuming an egg-based breakfast curbed hunger through the morning hours and may “help women feel full until lunch time and potentially avoid overeating and improve diet quality.”

Choose breads made from an alternative flour

Oz opts for hearty breads made from Ezekiel sprouted whole grain (some of the ingredients in the store-bought versions include barley, millet, lentils, soybeans, and spelt — making these products rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and natural fiber). She’ll also bake homemade breakfast goods using either whole-wheat flour or almond flour (a gluten-free, low-carb flour that is packed with protein and fiber to boost satiety).

And when you’re craving something sweet before noon, her “Better Brownies” — made with sweet potato and black bean purée — can serve as a guilt-free treat.

“The black beans add a lot of moisture and density, and at the same time adding tons of protein and fiber,” she says. “Likewise with the sweet potato, which is also adding beta-carotene and vitamin A — tons of great nutrition while helping the flavor with natural sweetness.”

“This is one of the recipes I’m most proud of because it uses no flour at all,” adds Oz. “When anyone eats these brownies, they don’t even know it’s good for them!”

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