Broccoli for Breakfast?!

Broccoli for breakfast! I ate broccoli for breakfast. A whole bunch. And when I say a whole bunch, I mean a whole bunch … a 1 lb. bunch of broccoli … for breakfast. That’s a first for me. I steamed it and drizzled some thai peanut sauce over it. By the time I got to the last couple of bites I was second guessing my decision, but I got through it. And I tell you, my two blueberry muffins tasted so much better afterward. Good thing I ate the broccoli first, ‘cause there’s no way I would have gotten to it after the muffins.

So, you may be wondering what prompted this particular breakfast this morning. Or, maybe not … maybe broccoli, or other veggies, are the norm for you when breaking your fast. Not me … I’m an oatmeal and fruit kinda gal. Anyway … I watched a Facebook live with Chef AJ and she mentioned how she eats 2 lbs. of green veggies every day, before other foods, and in addition to other veggies that she has with meals. And, regarding calorie density and satiety, it makes perfect sense to me to fill up on veggies before going to the more calorie dense foods like fruit and starches. And, as I already said, there wasn’t any way I would have chosen to eat broccoli after my blueberry muffins. Certainly not at breakfast, probably not at any meal. Once I’ve had something slightly sweet, that signals the end of it for me. Unless, however, I am not satisfied, fullness wise (satiety). And then ... I will go back, and back, and back to the sweet stuff.

I wasn’t clear if she eats the 2 lbs. all at once before breakfast, or splits it up through the day. I only had 1 lb. of broccoli (thank goodness!) so I just had that before breakfast. At lunch time I had only 10 oz. of broccoflower left, so I air fried that and ate it with some more thai peanut sauce. I actually wasn’t hungry for my entrée after that (kale and chickpea curry) and didn’t even eat it until about 2:30 p.m. I did notice today that I wasn’t snacking at my desk in the afternoon, nor did I come home at 4 p.m. feeling like I had to have another snack before dinner.

She (Chef AJ) also talked about the food addiction aspect, which really, I haven’t found addressed elsewhere. Not in the McDougall program, not at Forks over Knives. I am definitely going to do more research on her ultimate weight loss program. I do believe I am a food addict. Even eating plant based, and forgoing so many foods that I used to eat, I can still overeat, and have been doing so recently, on nuts, dried fruit, avocados. There’s something about sweet and fat (and salt) together that does something in my brain that is hard to turn off.

So that’s why I ate broccoli for breakfast this morning. And why I may do it again …probably will do it again. Veggies for breakfast. Makes sense to me. What about you? Do you veggie for breakfast?