something sweet

“As a food writer, cook and an urban farmer, most people assume I eat well all the time. It is my job to test recipes, eat out  and harvest seasonal produce – and any day finds me doing any  combination of these work tasks. While it is likely true that I do  eat well (comparatively speaking) for someone who grows and  cooks food for a living I am often astonished at my poor  nutrition. There are plenty of occasions where I will skip a meal,  forget to drink water the entire day or succumb to ‘Popcorn  Dinners’ because I am too tired or lazy to cook after a long day  running around. Breakfast, for the most part, is my downfall.  My mornings are full with answering emails and getting organized for my day, a cup of coffee in hand. It is often the case that I’m flying out the door, laptop in one hand, bow rake in another before I remember that I forgot to eat. I hate those mornings because inevitably, I’m already late and don’t have time. And to be perfectly honest, I don’t even like breakfast. I never have. Eating a meal in the morning is often too much for my stomach and if anything, I want something light and digestible, especially because we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When I’m in a rush or don’t feel like sitting down to eat, I whip up a nutritionally dense and super easy “breakfast-on-the-go” – a batido.

Batidos are Latin American chilled drinks made with fruit and milk. I add some fiber to mine by shaking in flax meal and – every so often – I’ll add a raw egg. Yes, a raw egg. Eggs add protein and calories to an already light meal and also give the ‘shake’ body and froth. I make certain to purchase eggs from local, organic farmers and I’m still alive to tell you about it so I must be doing something right. Just try it – you’ll like it. Here is one of my favorite batido combinations.”