GEORGIA PECANS FOR BREAKFAST

21 Speedy Ways to Bring Georgia Pecans to the 21st Century Breakfast Table
 

• Add pecans to your favorite granola recipe, or add to store-bought granola
• Stir pecans into waffle batter
• Or pancake batter
• Or into fruit or pumpkin muffin batter
• Sprinkle pecans atop an English muffin spread with peanut butter
• Atop a bagel smeared with low-fat strawberry cream cheese
• Atop oatmeal garnished with sliced peaches
• Atop your favorite cold cereal
• To ready-to-eat grits, add a sprinkle of shredded cheese and a handful of toasted pecans
• Smear a banana with peanut butter, then sprinkle on pecans and raisins
• To vanilla yogurt, add sliced bananas, a spoonful of honey and a handful of pecans
• Try cinnamon applesauce topped with pecans
• Blend pecans with milk, fruit and yogurt for a breakfast shake
• Try a handful on last nightıs cold pizza
• Or a handful on last nightıs cold pasta
• Scatter pecans on top of a toasted cheese sandwich
• On top of a scrambled egg sandwich
• On top of a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich
• Roll leftover pancakes around sliced bananas and pecans and warm in the microwave
• Roll tortillas around sliced pears, pecans and a spoonful of sour cream
• Make a healthy breakfast bar on the kitchen table ­ ready to eat cereals, raisins, fruit, low-fat milk, yogurt, and Georgia pecans.

ATLANTA (Winter 1999-2000) - Mom was right. Breakfast is brain food, the most critical meal of the day especially for growing children, according to the nationıs leading health professionals.

Breakfast has been proven to boost school performance for children, and the reasoning is simple: This morning meal serves to "break" the "fast" the body has been on since dinnertime, supplying children with much-needed fuel for the new day. According to the Chicago-based American Dietetic Association, the worldıs largest professional food and nutrition organization, this should be a wake-up call to parents. Children who eat breakfast perform better in school through increased problem-solving ability, memory, verbal fluency and creativity.

Breakfast also helps to control body weight because it discourages snacking, and it contributes to lower blood cholesterol and lower heart attack risk in adults, adds the ADA.

Georgia pecans are right at home on the breakfast menu, for pecans meld effortlessly with hot and cold cereals, hearty muffins and pancakes, easy overnight coffee cakes, as well as do-ahead casseroles that make breakfast a breeze to assemble. Pecans are also easy toppers to peanut butter sandwiches, bagels, breakfast shakes, even pizza for those who prefer breakfast-on-the-run. The ADA notes that breakfast is considered healthy because typical breakfast foods like cereal, fruit, juice, and breads are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber.

And itıs not just schoolchildren who need these goodies. Nutritional surveys have revealed that young adults in their 20s who skip breakfast are less likely to meet the daily Recommended Dietary Allowances compared with the young adults who begin their day with breakfast.

In addition, breakfast is psychologically healthy. It is a time for families to be together and connect before the start of the hectic day. The ADA says breakfast is becoming the new mealtime together as dinner has given way to busy afternoons and longer work hours.

There should be plenty of Georgia pecans for turning into your favorite breakfast recipe. The recent harvest yielded an exceptional crop, more than 110 million pounds, twice last yearıs harvest, according to Buddy Leger, chairman of the Georgia Pecan Commission. And no matter how you plan on using those pecans, remember that a healthy and hearty breakfast with pecans doesnıt have to be boring or time-consuming.

Georgia pecans add crunch to coffee cake, a nutty earthiness to pancakes, and color and flavor to your favorite casserole. And remember that pecan halves and pieces store beautifully in the freezer for up to nine months, so add them frozen right to your recipes.

What? No time to cook breakfast on busy weekday mornings? Prepare coffee cake batter, pancake batter, or even a pan of comforting French toast the night before and youıll have minimal assembly the next morning. Prepare those recipes over the weekend, and youıve got even more free time.

Recipes such as the Pumpkin Pecan Muffins can be baked ahead and frozen for an impromptu breakfast, or stashed in your briefcase or backpack for a breakfast on the go. Georgia Pecan Granola tastes far better than store-bought, and it stores for up to two weeks on the pantry shelf.

Whether youıre a growing child or a stressed-out adult, your body craves a good meal at the dawn of a new day. And thatıs a powerful reason to think breakfast and Georgia pecans all year long.