by Judy Fitzgibbons, MS,RDN, LD
Dietitian, retired

Two ideas related to healthy eating caught my attention during a nutrition webinar I attended in early October: salad for breakfast and pistachios for protein.

Having trouble getting in the recommended 3 cups of vegetables a day? Consider eating a breakfast salad. The person suggesting this didn't give any specifics so I'm trying to imagine how this might look on my plate at 7:00 am...I'm assuming we're talking about lettuce and raw vegetables, nontraditional breakfast foods for Americans. (We do put vegetables in omelets.)

A breakfast salad would provide a vehicle for eating healthy fats as oil-based dressing. Nuts and seeds would add more healthy fat and some plant protein. Hard-cooked egg, cooked lean meats could bump up the protein for staying power. (I can't face tuna or salmon before noon.) As I write, we're approaching the first frost of the season and cold lettuce in the morning doesn't sound appealing. But then, again, who says a salad has to be cold?

Since the webinar was sponsored by the Wonderful® pistachio and pomegranate company, pistachios had to come up. According to the Wonderful® presenter, pistachios are the only tree nut that provides complete protein. This means they contain all 9 of the essential amino acids that humans need from food in order to build our bodies' necessary proteins. Their total protein content is also on the high end for tree nuts at 6 grams in about 2 tablespoons or one ounce. On the downside, they're a pretty expensive source of protein, running between $15 and $25 a pound. Rather than focus on the protein, I think pistachio's greater benefit is their healthy fat and fiber. Like most nuts, they're high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and low in detrimental saturated fat. They're also an excellent source of copper, a nutrient we don't hear much about, but that is essential for humans.

Pulling the two together, up your veggie intake by trying a breakfast salad including a tablespoon of pistachios (or other nuts) for good measure.

Note: I am sharing Spirited Living ideas 2 to 4 times a month. If you would like to receive all of those by email, send me a note at: judy@fitzgib.net.