Rise and Shine

Traditionally, a balanced meal includes all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. Half of your plate should be vegetables and fruits, about 1/4 of it should be whole grains, and the rest should be protein. You should also have a cup of low-fat or fat-free milk with your meal and avoid eating extra fats and sugars. To make a balanced meal, I have decided to come up with the healthiest breakfast menu possible while still considering flavor. Given the option to choose between making a burrito and a quesadilla, I've chosen the quesadilla. I originally thought to make it sweeter, but I decided to go with a more savory and fulfilling option. I will be going off of a recipe for a baked ham and cheese quesadilla that I've found. I felt as though baking it would be a healthier option than frying. You also get plenty of protein and dairy, as well as some of your vegetable options all in one dish with a quesadilla. To add some of my lacking nutrients, I found a very exciting side dish that will serve as a side salad for my quesadillas. It's on the sweeter, tangier, side because it has fruits like cranberries and oranges, and then it also has honey. It's based off of a cranberry orange quinoa salad recipe that I found online. This will provide me with more than half of the grains I need since the flour tortillas won't be complete grains. The side salad also has protein with some kale and mixed nuts. It will give me most, if not all of the fruits and vegetables I need, plus I have green onions and tomatoes in the quesadilla. To top it off, I will have a breakfast smoothie that will include rolled oats, blueberries, yogurt, ice, brown sugar, and ginger. That will complete my dairy needs and provide me with more than enough fruits and grains. After eating this complete breakfast I'll be ready to take on anything the day brings! Happy cooking! (Picture to come)