There’s no better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than with a healthy, delicious brunch. Invite your Mom (aunts and grandmothers too!) and make it clear the guests won’t be doing a bit of the cooking — or the clean-up! We’ve made it easy for you to prepare a nutritious, South Beach Diet–friendly brunch your whole family will love. Simply follow the healthy guidelines below:
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Prepare
a healthy frittata or quiche.
A frittata, simply a “crustless” quiche that is topped with chopped vegetables,
reduced-fat cheese, or other ingredients such as natural uncured, smoked ham,
is ideal for Phase 1 dieters. If you’re preparing a traditional quiche on Phase
2, be sure to choose whole-wheat or whole-grain pastry flour rather than white
flour when making the crust. Other fresh egg ideas? Bake eggs with spinach and Canadian
bacon or cook up a mushroom soufflé.
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Avoid
honey when glazing ham
and instead use sugar-free fruit preserves or jams, such as apricot or orange.
If you want a slightly sweeter glaze add a little agave nectar (which is fine
on Phase 1) to the fruit preserves, but be sure to count the preserves and nectar
toward your Sweet Treats daily limit of
75 to 100 calories. If you prefer other lean meats, try Cornish hens, lean lamb
chops, or sliced pork tenderloin medallions, which all lend themselves to
glazing.
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Season
meat using fresh or dried herbs,
such as parsley, basil, thyme, mint, oregano, and/or rosemary, to boost flavor.
All of these are also great for flavoring baked chicken or turkey, and for
soups, stews, and salads.
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Add
vinegars to flavor marinades.
For example, mix balsamic vinegar with extra-virgin olive oil, herbs, and
garlic to create a delicious steak marinade. Or use champagne vinegar (a mild
wine vinegar made from champagne) for marinating fish and poultry.
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Roast or
grill vegetables using healthy oils, not butter. Extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil are unsaturated oils that
bring out the natural flavors of roasted and grilled vegetables such as
asparagus, zucchini, sweet onions, and bell peppers.
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Forgo
the white rolls and bake some healthy scones. Flaky and flavorful, scones are classic brunch treats. You
can bake South Beach Diet–friendly scones using healthy ingredients such as
whole-wheat pastry flour, trans-fat-free margarine (vegetable oil spread), 1.5%
buttermilk, and a dried fruit of your choice.
- Delight in dessert. Special occasions and dessert go hand in hand. A great choice on Phase 1 is a delicious ricotta cheese custard or crustless sugar-free cheesecake topped with chopped walnuts or toasted pine nuts. On Phase 2, enjoy fresh fruit; look for what’s seasonal at the market. If you want to celebrate with something more decadent, cut yourself a small piece of cake or pie, or enjoy a piece of dark chocolate. Savor it slowly, enjoying small bites.
