Orange Spice Whole Grain French Toast

I found a delicious french toast recipe that is nutritious, simple and easy to make. Be willing to step outside of your comfort zone to begin preparing nutrient-dense hearty meals. Don't be afraid. I learned how to prepare my own meals at the age of 23. Who taught me? Several cook books :)! So if you're not a cook and are afraid to mess up food, don't worry! If you follow the directions, you can't go wrong! You just have to learn how to season food according to your taste. So if you've prepared a dish and are not to fond of the taste, don't worry, you're not a horrible cook! It just needs the right seasonings :)! At least this is what I tell myself in order to build up courage and prepare a dish for a 2nd time. In general recipes provide you with basic ingredients that can be substituted or changed. Just have fun and experiment!




Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites, 1/2 cup egg substitute or egg
• Splash of 100% orange juice (or apple juice)
• Pinch of cinnamon (in addition, I've added the following spices: nutmeg, ground clove, & ginger)
• Dash of pure vanilla extract (Note: I purchased the imitation vanilla extract and didn't realize it has added sugar (not that it's a significant problem). Pure vanilla extract doesn't contain sugar. If you're tight on a budget and purchase the imitation version, use minimal amounts.)
• 1 or 2 slices of Whole Grain bread (make sure the first ingredient says "Whole" grain or "Whole" wheat)
• Fresh berries (choose strawberries, blueberries and blackberries)
• Syrup (optional)
  

Preparation:

• Mix the egg whites, orange juice, spices and vanilla extract
• Soak the bread in the mixture until it has absorbed most of the liquid
• Heat a nonstick pan lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray
• Cook bread over medium heat for 3 minutes per side or until brown
• Top with berries

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dietary Modifications:

Watching sodium intake

• Nutrition labels become important when reducing sodium. Breads tend to be higher in sodium (>140 mg per slice) than other grains- oats, barley, Bulgar and whole grain flour contain 0 grams. The amount of sodium in a slice of bread can range between 160 mg-200 mg (or higher). If you want to reduce your sodium intake, choose a bread that has <140 mg.

Need more calories

• Breads on average contain 100 -120 calories per slice. If you're trying to increase your caloric intake, for this recipe, eat two slices instead of one. Add non-hydrogenated (meaning no trans fat as long as the ingredients doesn't list partially hydrogenated oil) margarine and syrup. Use an egg (60-70 calories) as oppose to egg whites (25 calories per 1/4 cup). Add raw chopped walnuts for additional calories (1/8 cup = 90 calories; 1/4 cup = 180 calories)

Diabetic

• Select whole grain bread, which can be a good or excellent source of fiber (good= 2-4.9 grams fiber; excellent= 5 or more grams fiber). Whole grain bread has a low glycemic index (tool used to measure the absorption rate of carbohydrates) in which the carbohydrates will be absorbed at a slow rate. Instead of syrup, consider using low-fat plain or vanilla yogurt (without added sugar) to top off your french toast. If you use regular, 1 tbsp is one serving of carbs. You may be able to use more syrup if it is sugar free.

Gluten Intolerance

• Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and other grains. For this recipe, you may want to choose a gluten free bread. If allergic to gluten, it is important that you get the minerals and vitamins that you need- particularly iron, calcium, fiber, B vitamins and more. Foods that are naturally gluten free are the following: fruit, meat, fish, poultry, nuts, eggs and more.
• Processed foods and ingredients that may contain gluten www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=4294967394
• Alternate Grains that are gluten free www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=4294967395

Calorie Control

• If you're watching calories and don't want to starve yourself, considering using a low-calorie whole grain bread. Weight Watchers has a low-cal bread at 70 calories per slice. Fill up on fruit, add a dollup of low-cal yogurt and a lean protein (e.g. scrambled eggs).

High Lipids (Cholesterol or Triglycerides)

• If you have high cholesterol (> 200 mg), you may consider using an egg white instead of an egg. An egg white is fat free and cholesterol free. It is recommended that a person with high cholesterol who consumes food from animal origin, eat no more than 200 mg of cholesterol. The yolk of a medium egg contains minimial saturated fat (1.5 g) and is high in cholesterol (> 190mg - >200 mg). The fiber in the whole grain bread will help to lower cholesterol.

Test the recipe and let me know what you think! If you've added or substituted additional ingredients, please share. Enjoy!