Bob Green's healthy Chocolate French Toast

Yum!  I'm currently gluten free, so I can't test this healthy version of a classic brunch food, but the folks at

TheBestLife.com recommended it for a healthy alternative at Easter brunch and it sounds terrific.

It's from Bob Greene, Oprah’s diet and fitness expert, author of the bestselling The Best Life Diet and founder of TheBestLife.com, where he shares some favorite recipes.  

 

Recipe for Chocolate French Toast from The Best Life:

Makes 5 servings

 

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Total Time: 20 Minutes (if griddle fits four slices)

 

With whole-grain bread and lots of fresh strawberries, this is a healthy spin on the classic.

 

Ingredients:3 large eggs
3/4 cup 1% milk
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, such as Hershey’s Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon
10 slices whole-wheat bread (with about 80 calories and 15 g carbohydrate per slice)
1 second spritz vegetable oil cooking spray (to coat pan)
2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
10 teaspoons soft margarine (containing no partially hydrogenated oil, such as Smart Balance Buttery Spread)

Directions:1. Beat eggs, milk, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in large bowl until smooth.

2. Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Coat pan with a thin layer of cooking spray. 

3. Dip bread in egg mixture and place a few slices on griddle. Cook about 2 to 4 minutes on each side. Repeat until all slices are cooked. Serve immediately with equal portions of strawberries and 1 tsp soft margarine per slice.

Nutrition Information

1 servingCalories:  332

Protein: 13 g

Carbohydrate: 47 g

Dietary Fiber: 9 g

Total Sugars: 18 g

Total Fat: 12 g

Saturated Fat: 3.0 g

Cholesterol: 113.4 mg

Calcium: 126 mg

Sodium: 338 mg

 

The healthiest foods at fall farmers markets

Fall in Silicon Valley is a wonderful time if you like end-of-season heirloom tomatoes, but do you know what other crops are at their prime in the fall?  

The team that works with Bob Greene of  The Best Life diet plan sent along Greene's picks for the best outdoor market picks this fall and I thought I'd pass it along..

Enjoy!

Top Fresh Market Finds to Add to Your Grocery List This Fall:

•  Apples: They’re high in fiber, plus they contain quercetin, which has cancer-fighting properties.
•  Pears: A medium pear contains an impressive six grams of fiber. Be sure to eat the skin; it’s high in antioxidants.
• Grapes: Red and black grapes are a great pick because they contain heart-healthy anthocyanins as well as resveratrol, another phytochemical that protects the heart and helps fight cancer.
•  Oranges: One 60-calorie orange delivers 100 percent of your daily value (DV) of vitamin C, three grams of fiber and 10 percent of the DV of folate, a B vitamin that helps fight cancer and birth defects. (You’ll typically find these in orange-growing states, such as Texas, Florida and California.)
•  Rapini (broccoli raab): This versatile veggie looks like broccoli and can be used in many different kinds of cuisine, including Italian and Chinese. It’s a great source of vitamins A and K, plus it provides cancer-fighting “phenolic compounds.”
•  Shelling Beans: These fully matured beans in the pod have to be shelled before eating, but they take only about 15 minutes to cook. They come in many varieties, including black-eyed peas and cranberry beans, and are a good source of protein and fiber.
•  Celery Root (celeriac): This knobby-looking brown vegetable that’s available from October until March contains compounds that help lower inflammation (a trigger for heart disease and other chronic conditions).

 If you are already a Bob Green fan and want to find out more about The Best Life, check it out here:

• Facebook at The Best Life http://facebook.com/oprahstrainer
• Twitter: @bestlifediet
• You Tube: http://youtube.com/bestlifediet