My breakfast of choice for all my clients (and myself) is a combination of high quality protein, good fats and veggies. This is going to guarantee a great start to the day, ensuring high energy, stable blood sugar levels and a revved up metabolism!

These Zucchini and Sundried Tomato Meatloaf Muffins contain some amazing macro and micro nutrients as well as being a great way to get an extra portion of veggies into your day without even realizing it!

The grass-fed beef is not only a great source of protein that will keep you satiated for hours, but contains the following health boosters:

• Taurine – an amino acid that helps to lower the stress hormone cortisol (it facilitates the production of the neurotransmitter GABA, in turn helping your body to manage anxiety), encourages the body to metabolize fat so you can use it as an energy source (vital for a lean physique) and it protects the heart and lowers blood pressure.
• Omega 3’s and CLA – the ‘good’ fats found in grass-fed beef (not cereal fed), Both of these fats offer properties that can reduce inflammation and insulin resistance, help prevent CVD and high blood pressure and improve body composition.

Zucchini contains a high amount of potassium, a mineral essential for a healthy heart. It also has significant amounts  Vitamin A and beta-carotene, and the lesser known lutein and zeaxanthin, micronutrients essential for eye health!

A fun fact about tomatoes, botanically speaking they are a fruit, technically they are a berry, and legally they are a vegetable! Whatever you call them, when they are cooked they are the ultimate source of lycopene, a compound that has shown to both prevent prostate cancer and reduce the severity in sufferers. Research shows lycopene can also protect against other cancers, and has been shown to lower blood pressure.

Finally, regular readers will know about my love for tigernuts due to their fiber rich, gut friendly properties. Tigernuts are the number one source for prebiotic fiber, the fiber that feeds the probiotic fibre in the gut.

Best of all, these meatloaf muffins are not only super good for you, but they are easy to make, keep well in the refrigerator or freezer, and are portable so make a great breakfast or snack on the go. And they are delicious too!

Ingredients

• 1lb grass-fed ground beef
• 1 cup grated zucchini (squeeze out moisture)
• 1 egg (or flaxseed egg)
• 1/4 cup tigernut flour (almond or coconut flour is fine too)
• 1/4 sundried tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a food processor or large mixing bowl (I use my hands)!
• Separate into 8 equally sized balls and put into muffin tin.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until brown on top.