Donuts for Breakfast

Well…..sort of.

Kinda.

Not really.

Certainly not those sticky gluten laden greasy globs sold at gas stations. (That could be a fun tongue twister with the kids though!)

No, the donuts that I had this morning were Donut Peaches  – organic and fresh off the tree of local farmer David Miskell. These peaches are heavenly. I bought them to make a salsa for dinner, but when I got up this morning, I just couldn’t wait that long to savor their juicy sweetness.

So obviously, that got me thinking of how I could enjoy them sooner. It got me thinking a lot about the next 5 minutes and how to eat them for breakfast. Now a lot has been said about breakfast being the most important meal of the day, and I just want to add my seal of approval to that sentiment.

Breakfast Rocks!

Whether you are looking to lose or maintain your weight or want your kids to head off to school with the best possible start for learning, nothing is more important than a delicious, nutrition packed breakfast. The right foods will give you energy, help you focus, and keep you feeling satisfied for hours. I always aim to include some protein, healthy fats and nutrient dense carbohydrates to breakfast.  Having lots of fiber is always a plus too.

So this mornings breakfast needed to be centered around these gorgeous donut peaches.

I decided to make some oatmeal. I had my carbs, covered, but I still needed to be sure to have protein and some fats added. I could have opted for eggs on the side, but decided to add almond butter to the oats and a spoonful of coconut oil for healthy fats. Of course, I added some cinnamon and nutmeg for a hint of spice too. I could have been quite happy with this combo, but then I looked out the kitchen window and saw our Mulberry tree. That was when I knew this breakfast would be worthy of writing about!

We are so blessed to have two Mulberry trees on our property. Most of the berries are too high to harvest, but the birds sing us some extra sweet songs each morning in thanks for their fancy diet. For those of you who have never seen a Mulberry tree, here it is – the tree directly behind our hen house.

The fruits grow mostly on the under side of the leaves and branches, so that when you look directly at the tree you only see a small fraction of the berries it is holding. Here is an example. The pink and red berries are not yet ripe. When they are ready to be picked, the berries are a dark purple very similar to black berries

I have had a difficult time harvesting any this year because every time I go out top pick, I just stand there and eat instead! They are so sweet and delicious. It’s like having a candy tree in the backyard!

Unlike candy however, they are packed with Vit C (95 % of RDA in 1 cup!), Thanks to the website Nutrition and You, I was able to discover what an amazing nutritional powerhouse mulberries really are.

Check out their mulberry facts:

• Delicious, fleshy, succulent mulberries are low in calories – just 60 per cup.
• Mulberries have significantly high amounts of phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals called anthocyanins. Scientific studies have shown that consumption of berries have potential health effects against cancer, aging and neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes, and bacterial infections.
• The berries contain resveratrol, another polyphenol flavonoid antioxidant. Resveratrol has been found to be protective against stroke risk by alteration of molecular mechanisms in blood vessels, reducing susceptibility to vascular damage through decreased activity of angiotensin (a systemic hormone causing blood vessel constriction that would elevate blood pressure) and increased production of the vasodilator hormone, nitric oxide.
• In addition, these berries are an excellent source of vitamin-C, which is also a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents, counter inflammation and scavenge harmful free radicals.
• They also contain good amount vitamin A, vitamin E and in addition to the above mentioned antioxidants also contain many other health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin, ß-carotene and ?-carotene in small but notably significant amounts. These compounds help act as protect from harmful effects of oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease process.
• Zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions in the retina of eyes.
• Mulberries are excellent source of iron, which is a rare feature among berries, contains 1.85 mg/100 g of fruits (about 23% of RDI). Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.
• They also good source of minerals like potassium, manganese, and magnesium. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase.
• They are rich in B-complex group of vitamins and vitamin K. Contain very good amounts of vitamin B-6, niacin, riboflavin and folic acid. These vitamins function as co-factors and help body in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

When you pick them, the tiny little green stem comes along too. It is almost impossible to remove this without crushing the berries, but since they are very small and tender, you just eat the stem right along with the fruit.

So back to the oatmeal story. I cooked my oats with some almond milk, almond butter, coconut oil, cinnamon and nutmeg, I placed it in a bowl and topped it with cut up donut peaches, a handful of mulberries and then a drizzle of local raw honey.

WOW! This was amazing. Absolutely delicious even. It was packed with nutrition and as an extra bonus, it has been 4 hours since I ate it and I still feel satisfied! Who could ask for anything better than that?

Served along side a mug of hot green tea, this was a FABULOUS start to my day. If I hadn’t decided to go mulberry picking right in the middle of this, the entire cooking process would not have taken any longer than 5 minutes. This is my kind of fast food! Healthy, Organic, Gluten free, mostly Local, Economical, Fast and Deeply Satisfying.

Aaaahhhhhh, Breakfast.

Donut Peach Oatmeal

½ cup gluten free oats

1 cup almond milk

2 Tbsp almond butter

1 Tbsp coconut oil

dash of cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

1. Mix all of the above in a pot over med heat approx 5 minutes – stirring occasionally.
2. While oatmeal is cooking, slice 2 donut peaches on crescent slices than halve.
3. Divide cooked oatmeal into two bowls.
4. Top each with sliced peaches.
5. Divide 1 cup mulberries on top each bowl.
6. Drizzle with local raw honey.

* note: if you do not have access to donut peaches and mulberries, this would still be yummy with fresh peaches and blackberries or blueberries.

Bon appétit!

As the school year approaches I will be making up my list of favorite go to breakfast ideas so that I can start my kids days off right. What are some of your favorite breakfast ideas? Contact me at www.itsallconnected.com – I would love to hear from you!

Maureen Wheeler is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and owns It’s All Connected Natural Health & Living. She received her training at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC. Maureen coaches individuals and families looking to improve their health and well being through whole food nutrition, cooking classes and natural lifestyles. She lives in Charlotte, Vermont with her chef husband David and their sons, Ian in the 9th grade, Ross in the 7th grade and Finn in the 4th grade at the Lake Champlain Waldorf School. Connect with Maureen at It’s All Connected or her FaceBook Page.