If you have plans of hosting a healthy brunch party with your inner circle, here are some tips on how to make it as hassle-free as possible.
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but for those who want to get more shuteye during the weekend, partaking in Sunday brunch is the next best option. But attending a brunch party is one thing, and hosting one is a whole other challenge. It's even trickier if you're planning a brunch party without mimosas and quick eats.
Simple and Healthy: Make good use of eggs
Brunch wouldn't be complete without eggs being the star of the show. Not only are they scrumptious, but they also offer a slew of health benefits such as stronger muscles, better brain health, healthier immune system, and enhanced energy production. If you're planning on serving poached eggs, it would serve you best to prepare them the night before. Poach them as normal and under-cook them ever so slightly, ideally only a minute off your normal cooking time. Make sure the whites are set before straining them and putting them into a refrigerator. Now if you don't feel like putting in much work, you can always resort to whipping up a batch of scrambled eggs. You may think they're boring, but there are several delicious variations for you to try and serve your guests.
Prepare for shortages
Sometimes, even if you think you've prepared everything you could the night before, mishaps are still bound to happen, and you may run out of crucial parts of your brunch like bread or rice. You can avoid this by having a backup plan. Rice is an especially good choice and is something that likely goes well with a ton of the food you're serving for brunch. You don’t have to panic either if you run out halfway through, as it's easy to have a small batch ready and fresh with a small rice cooker in your kitchen. This assures that you never run out and that the next batch you serve up is always new and delicious. If you want to be extra healthy, you may want to opt for brown rice or ancient grains instead of white rice. Brown rice is an excellent source of folate, riboflavin (B2), potassium, and calcium, while ancient grains like quinoa and millet are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Look for alternatives to staple dishes
Some well-known brunch dishes like crepes and souffles are undoubtedly a crowd favorite, but making them demands your full attention at the stovetop and may make you miss out on all the brunching fun. For a fuss-free affair, a smart alternative is opting for make-ahead meals like breakfast casserole, breakfast strata, a breakfast bake, breakfast nachos, and quiche instead. The same rules apply to things like French toast and pancakes. You can skip stove time by making a batch of baked toast instead. Using a toaster oven is more time and energy-efficient than a regular oven, and best of all, it's capable of browning and crisping foods in a way a microwave can't. And if your main goal is healthy munching, you can opt for fiber-enriched sweet potato hash browns instead of the usual potatoes, baked banana oatmeal instead of pancakes, or smoked salmon toasts instead of grilled cheese. All these easy recipes are easily accomplished with just your toaster oven!
Allow others to help
The point of brunching, after all, is spending quality time with your friends and family. Instead of fussing about the meals by your lonesome and taking on too much stress by yourself, it would be nice to assign someone to help you with running the kitchen. It's a good opportunity for bonding, and you'll get to cross off your tasks faster, which allows you to join in on the fun earlier. Most of all, you won’t be as stressed and tired after preparations, so you can still actually enjoy your Sunday brunch. You may also want to ask them to contribute to the party by asking them to bring their own healthy recipes to share with everyone. The more healthy goodies, the merrier, right?
For other brunch ideas, check out our collection of recipes.
Article specially written for heavenlyhomecooking.com by guest contributor Rae Jo
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