Best Way to Start the Day Breakfast!, the

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DID YOU KNOW THAT VITAMIN C REVS UP YOUR ENERGY? A new study suggests it does it by producing carnitine-a substance that helps your body burn fat for fuel. Maybe that's why citrus foods like oranges and orange juice are such natural choices for breakfast. It's a great way to get going in the morning.

ORANGE DATE MUFFINS

These muffin recipes are great on the go. Make them ahead of time and freeze. Then just heat in the microwave and serve with Florida's Natural® brand orange juice for a quick, delicious breakfast.

1 (16.6-ounce) package quick bread-and-muffin mix with dates

1 cup Florida's Natural® brand orange juice

½ cup butter, melted

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Stir together all ingredients; spoon batter evenly into lightly greased muffin pans, filling three-fourths full.

Bake at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Remove muffins from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks.

Makes 1 dozen

VEGGIE SCRAMBLE

This hearty recipe requires just a little cooking and gives you the nutrition from fresh vegetables, eggs and cheese. Serve with Florida's Natural® brand orange juice for some vitamin C.

½ small red bell pepper

½ small green bell pepper

¼ small sweet onion

Vegetable cooking spray

8 large eggs, lightly beaten

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat

sharp Cheddar cheese

Chop bell peppers and onion. Cook in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Whisk together eggs, salt, and pepper. Add mixture to skillet, and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across bottom of skillet to form large curds. Sprinkle with cheese, and continue cooking until eggs are thickened but still moist. (Do not stir constantly.) Remove from heat. Serve immediately with whole-grain toast.

Makes 4 servings

BANANA-PEACH BUTTERMILK SMOOTHIE

If you don't have time to cook it, blend it! This smoothie combines fresh fruit and juice into a quick meal in a glass. Pour some to take with you and keep the rest in the refrigerator for later.

2 large ripe bananas, sliced and frozen

2 cups frozen peaches

1 cup fat-free buttermilk

¼ cup Florida's Natural® brand orange juice

1 tablespoon honey

Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 cups

BANANA-PRALINE MUFFINS

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon light sour cream

3 small ripe bananas

1 large egg

1 ½ cups pancake mix

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Vegetable cooking spray

Stir together pecans, brown sugar, and sour cream. Set aside.

Mash bananas in a medium bowl; add egg and next 3 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Place paper baking cups in muffin pans, and coat cups with vegetable cooking spray.

Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling three-fourths full. Carefully spoon pecan mixture evenly in center of each muffin.

Bake at 400° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks.

Note: You can freeze muffins, if desired.

To reheat, microwave at HIGH for 1 minute.

Makes 1 dozen

Eating a good breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If we skip breakfast, we are likely to become tired when our brains and bodies run low on fuel. By mid-morning, we grab a cup of coffee, or wolf down a sugary candy bar to wake up again. This helps for only a few minutes, but by lunch we are hungry, crabby and more prone to making unhealthy choices. Eating a healthy breakfast including Florida's Natural® brand orange juice is a great way to make sure you start the day off right.

Florida's Natural® brand 100% Pure Orange Juice Plus Calcium with added vitamin D is a great way to get vitamins from a quick drink.

For more recipes that include orange juice as part of a healthy meal, visit floridasnatural.com.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jun 2006
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