The VFB (Veggies For Breakfast) Experiment Begins

Monday's breakfast: 1 lb. of veggies and 1 cup brown rice.

So today is day number five of veggies for breakfast or VFB, as Chef AJ calls it. To be precise: 1 lb. of veggies for breakfast … an experiment I started last Friday. I’m calling it an experiment, because I don’t want to commit at this point. Maybe I'll give it 30 days and see how it goes.

Friday I had broccoli. Saturday I had cauliflower. Sunday I had a mix of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. I tell you, frozen bags of veggies have really made this easy. Good thing, ‘cause I haven’t done much food prep. Yesterday (Monday) I again had broccoli, but it was only a 12 oz. microwaveable bag, so I sautéed some fresh onions, carrots and celery and riced cauliflower and added the broccoli after microwaving it. Kind of a fried rice dish, adding, of course, my thai peanut sauce (recipe below). I also added about 1 cup of cooked brown rice to that, but couldn’t finish it. Had the rest for lunch.

And this morning I brought a bag of microwaveable brussel sprouts to work, along with some thai peanut sauce and some leftover green beans from dinner. I figured I’d cook them when hungry and chow down. Along with the veggies for breakfast, I am trying to eat only when hungry. I have found that I am not always hungry first thing in the morning and that I often eat breakfast, and even lunch, when not hungry, but just because I think it’s the appropriate time to do so.

So, I did start getting hungry about 10:15 a.m. but then decided I’d rather wait until I go home at 11 a.m. for my two hour lunch break (I know … awesome huh?!) so I could saute or air fry the brussels (my favorite way of eating them!) instead of steaming … my least favorite way of eating them.

It’s now 11:15 a.m., I’m home and I am ravenous! Or, at least really, really hungry. I ate dinner last night early, before 6 p.m., so it’s been awhile. Yeah … I’m hungry. Strange feeling and even stranger realizing I haven’t felt this in, probably, years. Time to get cooking!

********************************

Simple Low Fat Thai Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup PB2 powdered peanut butter

2/3 cup water

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. ginger root, minced

1 tsp. sriracha sauce

1 tsp. maple syrup (optional)

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)

All all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. I use my Vitamix and so do not have to mince garlic or ginger first. Makes approx. 18 servings of 2 tbsp. each. For a rice bowl I will probably use 1/4 cup. I list the maple syrup as optional because the PB2 does have some added sugar itself. The xanthan gum helps to thicken the sauce, but is also optional.

Recipe adapted from www.yummymummykitchen.com