New years are like breakfast. . .

With the promise of breakfast you may be thinking of muffins or pancakes.

And with a name like “breakfast hash”, the breakfast I want to introduce you to today, you could certainly be conjuring piles of potatoes.

Yet for most of us, when the clock struck midnight on Sunday, we realized that the time had come to lay the end-of-year indulgences to rest and start the new year off fresh. After all, the first days or even month of the new year are just like breakfast—the opportunity to begin anew. (Can you feel the thrill of it? I can!)

A CNN poll released several years ago showed that over 50% of us lay caution to the winter wind when it comes to our holiday season eating. Sadly, some of us will feel the gluttony right in our guts—not necessarily with weight gain, but with the digestive disturbances that can come with these seemingly festive allowances.

These past few weeks, I’ve returned to a seasonal twist on my usual breakfast routine and I’ve been loving it. Talk about a fresh start!

While a green smoothie might meet my summertime breakfast needs, I often crave something more hearty and less chilly for my winter morning meal. My winter favorite was originally inspired by my trip to Israel several years back. I’ve come to call it breakfast “hash” and it’s gotten me all excited for the first meal of the day in this first month of the year.

It opens a new world of breakfast possibilities.

My breakfast “hash” is different each day. Many days it includes the base of an Israeli salad, which consists of fresh chopped tomatoes and cucumbers. As these vegetables aren’t always available in the colder months, I’ve been experimenting with other options, which I’ll share with you so you can start to create your own daily sunrise surprise.

First let me tell you some of the different ingredients that have gone into my “hash”:
(not all together and not every day, but all dressed & roughly mixed with pourable tahini*)

• chopped cucumbers

• chopped tomatoes

• roasted eggplant

• shredded carrots

• pitted olives

• chopped apples

• chopped walnuts

• sultan raisins

• medjool dates

• pomegranate seeds

*If sesame tahini doesn’t suit your fancy or your immunity, try liquefying any other nut or seed butter of your liking to a pourable texture or use a yogurt of your choosing to mix into your morning bowl.

The dressing-like texture works splendidly to turn your cornucopia into a heavenly “hash”. And just like your green smoothie, your breakfast “hash” allows you to check several servings of your healthy fruits and vegetables off your list right from the start.

If you’d like more ideas and support to kick the year off with a fresh start, join me for my celebrated elimination detox—Good Riddance: The Real Remedy that Rids you of your Symptoms.

Happy New Year to you! May 2018 be filled with splendor and good health.

Warmly,

Winter Breakfast Hash

Now it’s your turn to get creative and get chopping. Don’t worry about perfect slices, dices or chops. Just make it rough, easy and delicious. That’s my ticket to healthy eating—quick, simple and yummy.
You can even get a smorgasbord going for the family. Leave piles of chopped goodies on the cutting board and let each person fill their bowl as they choose.
Feel free to stir some honey or cinnamon into your pourable “cream” or go savory with some sea salt and garlic. Two of my favorite additions that I discovered while in Israel are pomegranate syrup for my sweet tooth and turmeric oil for my more tangy taste buds.

Here are some “hash” combos to jumpstart your creative engine of possibilities:

• orange, pomegranate, spinach, arugula, fresh herbs and chopped walnuts

• quick sautéed kale and cabbage ribbons, shredded carrots, apples and raisins

• roasted Brussels sprouts, chopped hazelnuts and shredded beets

• roasted cauliflower, arugula and juice-sweetened cranberries

• chopped apple, radish, roasted onions and Romaine chunks

• baked or small-chopped raw kale, grapefruit chunks and avocado

• roasted sweet potatoes, spinach, pine nuts and apples

As the possibilities are endless, and you will undoubtedly come up with your own winning combo. Don’t forget you can add a whole grain (quinoa, millet) or source of protein (salmon, bacon) to your bowl. Make this “hash” and this year your own – with all the ingredients that suit your fancy and result in your success. Post your favorites over on the FxNA Facebook page!

By: Andrea Nakayama, FxNA Founder & Functional Medicine Nutritionist

Functional Nutrition Alliance provides the comprehensive online Functional Nutrition training in the Science & Art of the Functional Nutrition practice. Learn to address the roots of your clients’ suffering with client education, diet & lifestyle modifications.