How to level up your morning meal to achieve your health goals.

Working toward your health goals can be a long process, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable. A small change to your diet, for example, can make the journey fun and worthwhile.

Here’s an idea: how about making plant-based milk drinks a part of your morning meals? Ready-to-drink milk brand Vitasoy is here to help you level up your breakfast with its range of delicious and nutritious plant-based milk drinks.

The brand offers three great-tasting, nutrient-packed milky variants: the soy-based Vitasoy Plus Milky and two new milk options: Vitasoy Plus Milky Almond, made from 100% almonds and oat-based Vitasoy Plus Milky Oat. What you’ll love about them is how they are nutritional powerhouses — packed with calcium, protein, and Vitamin D. Vitasoy Plus products are heart and gut-friendly as they are cholesterol and lactose free and low in saturated fat. With proper diet and exercise, these Vitasoy plant-based milk drinks will surely keep you strong and healthy while you enjoy that familiar milky goodness.

Don’t know which plant milk to choose? Vitasoy Plus Milky is soy milk that’s milky and creamy, even vegans couldn’t believe it’s plant milk! Vitasoy Plus Milky Almond has a creamy texture and roasted almond taste, while Vitasoy Plus Milky Oat has the rich, oat-y flavor and a milky texture and aroma. You can enjoy these plant-based milk drinks on their own, mix them in your morning cup of coffee or tea, or use them to elevate your breakfast game.

Check out some ideas below:

Milky Overnight Oats

Level up your overnight oats with Vitasoy Plus Milky Oat.

In need of a quick breakfast? Prep one the night before! Just mix Vitasoy Plus Milky Oat, oatmeal, chopped fresh fruit, and a sprinkle of nuts in a jar, place it in your fridge, and enjoy it the next day. For your fruit and nut toppings, you can try bananas or apples and cashews or walnuts. The creaminess of Vitasoy Plus Milky Oat enhances the various textures and tastes of this dish, making it a hearty and enjoyable meal.

Milky Breakfast Cereal

Enjoy your morning cereal with Vitasoy Plus Milky Almond.

Yes, you can level up your basic breakfast cereal with plant-based milk! Pour Vitasoy Plus Milky Almond over cornflakes, and add your favorite fruits like strawberries or mangoes. Vitasoy Plus Milky Almond’s delightfully nutty flavor will complement the crunch of the cereal.

Milky Korean Ramyeon

Experience Korean ramyeon the milky way with Vitasoy Plus Milky!

Balance out the heat in your Korean ramen by adding the creamy goodness of milk! Pour in some Vitasoy Plus Milky into your favorite Korean ramyeon recipe, further level up its protein content with egg! Mix in some chopped vegetables and enjoy your healthy Korean breakfast!

You know what they say, there’s nothing better than starting your day with a healthy and hearty breakfast. It’s time to make Vitasoy Plus’s plant-based milk drinks a regular part of your morning!

Follow @VitasoyPH on Facebook and Instagram to learn more. 

McDeliverBack: Breakfast for Heroes | McDonald’s and their customers surprise over 30,000 delivery riders.

A year into the lockdowns, delivery services have become a way of life. We rely especially on delivery riders to make our everyday lives easier.

Delivery riders, lockdown heroes.

It is in honoring and thanking these unsung heroes for their service that McDonald’s invited its customers to treat delivery riders to a FREE breakfast meal as a way to say thanks for braving the streets every day to keep Filipinos happily fed and safe indoors during the pandemic.

A simple but meaningful surprise for our delivery riders.

Through McDonald's McDeliverBack program, delivery riders who delivered a McDonald's breakfast on March 16— from McDelivery, GrabFood, and foodpanda— were also treated to a breakfast from McDonald’s. With the help of thousands of Filipinos who decided to McDeliverBack, over 30,000 delivery riders nationwide received the special treat of a free Cheesy Eggdesal meal with Minute Maid!

Thank you, riders!

Watch the video on McDonald’s Facebook page and see how McDonald’s and their customers gave back to the everyday heroes of the pandemic.

Watch the video on McDonald's Facebook page!

Don’t forget to thank your riders the next time you have your McDonald’s favorites delivered! Download the McDo PH App at the App Store and Google Play or order via mcdelivery.com.ph.

McDeliverBack: Breakfast for Heroes | McDonald’s gives thanks to those who deliver.

Amidst widespread transportation restrictions and numerous community quarantines over the past twelve months, Filipinos have increasingly relied on delivery riders for their everyday meals and needs. On March 16, McDonald’s will be paying tribute to those who deliver — the unsung heroes of the pandemic— by giving them a warm breakfast for their unwavering service throughout the year.

Through the McDeliverBack program, McDonald’s will be celebrating the delivery riders who have unfailingly delivered McDonald’s favorites — and everyone is invited to join by having their McDonald’s favorites delivered between 6AM-10AM on March 16. In doing so, your delivery rider will be treated by McDonald’s to a free Cheesy Eggdesal meal with Minute Maid!

“Delivery riders have been our lifeline in these challenging times, and their sacrifices and hard work have made the past year much easier for everyone. As we mark the first year of the lockdown, McDonald’s honors and gives thanks to these delivery riders with a hearty breakfast to start their day,” said McDonald’s Philippines Marketing Director Oliver Rabatan.

You, too, can show your appreciation to your delivery driver for their service.

Order a McDonald's breakfast on March 16 from 6AM-10AM via McDelivery, GrabFood, or foodpanda to McDeliverBack a delicious breakfast for your delivery rider. For more information, be sure to follow McDonald’s on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Foodie Goodie | Chocolate Chip Muffins.

I live next door to my brother, and right now there's a wonderful smell wafting from their kitchen. Apparently, he's making Chocolate Chip Muffins, and yes, my brother knows how to bake!

And because I can't concentrate on anything else but those yummy muffins (and sinking my teeth into them), I'll skip on writing a product review for now and just share the muffin recipe instead. :)

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄3 cup light-brown sugar, packed
1⁄3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2⁄3 cup milk
1⁄2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package (11 1/2 ounce) milk chocolate chips

Procedure:
1. Grease twelve muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt.
3. In another bowl, stir together milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla until blended.
4. Make a well in center of dry ingredients.
5. Add milk mixture and stir just to combine.
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7.Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean.
8. Remove muffin tin to wire rack. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from tins to finish cooling. Serve warm or completely cool.

Foodie Goodie | French Toast with a Twist.

Nothing says weekend like a big hearty brunch of French toast, fried eggs, and a tall glass of orange juice (or a cup of coffee for coffeeholics like me). Now if you're planning on making French toast for tomorrow's breakfast (or brunch), here's a different take to the usual pan-toasted soggy bread.

French Toast with a Twist

Ingredients:
1 loaf of bread (if you can find cinnamon-swirled ones, that would be great)
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 ounces of cream cheese, cubed
1 1/2 cup whole milk
5 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
pinch of nutmeg

Procedure:
1. In a medium saucepan, melt together butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and cinnamon.
2. Cook until sugar is dissolved.
3.Pour in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
4. Remove bread crusts and cut into large cubes. Place bread on top of brown sugar mixture in the pan. Top with cubes of cream cheese.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and nutmeg.
6. Pour the mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with maple syrup, fresh fruits or bacon and eggs.

Happy weekend cooking, everyone!

As seen on Spoonful. Shared with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday.

Foodie Goodie | Grilled Cheese and Pepperoni.

It's a sunny Friday morning here in the Philippines, and the little man and I just had breakfast. We had Grilled Cheese and Pepperoni this morning, a dish I learned not too long ago from Spoonful. I'm sharing the recipe with you, in case you run out of breakfast ideas and would like to try something other than your usual morning meal.

Grilled Cheese and Pepperoni

Ingredients:
12 slices white or wheat sandwich bread
6 slices cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (5 ounce) package Hormel® Pepperoni Minis

Procedure:
1. Divide pepperoni evenly among 6 slices bread; top each with a slice of cheese. Top with remaining 6 slices bread.
2. Heat large griddle over medium-high heat (375ºF.).
3. Meanwhile, spread top of each sandwich with butter.
4. Place sandwiches butter-side-down on hot griddle. Spread butter on top of each sandwich. Reduce heat to medium (300ºF.).
5. Brown bottom of sandwiches 2 to 3 minutes; turn sandwiches to brown other side until cheese is melted. 6. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles.

Pretty easy, huh? It'll only take you about 15 minutes or so to prepare this simple yet satisfying treat. :)

Shared with Food Trip Friday and Food Friday.

Rise and Shine, Breakfast Time!

Good morning, sunshine! Time for breakfast!

A glass of milk, a bowl of oats, and carrot cupcakes.

That breakfast is the most important meal of the day is a timeless adage. Not only is this common knowledge to most of us, it also has a scientific claim to it.

Studies show that kids who eat breakfast perform better at school. Moreover, breakfast-eaters are most likely to:

• be emotionally healthy compared to those who skip morning meals
• be physically fit, with bodies that have more strength and better endurance
• avoid snacking on sweets and junk food, thereby maintaining a healthy weight

My son was never a fussy eater to begin with, so getting him to eat breakfast has always been a breeze. Of course there were days when he'd wake up on the wrong side of the bed and refused to eat. But serving food on his Ben10 dinner set and letting him watch his morning cartoons always did the trick.

I'm not really a morning person, and breakfast for me is usually just a cup of coffee. But even so, I see to it that Yue and I have breakfast together. While I chug down my coffee, he feasts heartily on a bowl of oats or cereal, a few slices of bread, and a glass of milk or taho (soybean curd). 

Breakfast of champions.

Setting a good example to your kids is the most important factor in getting them to eat right. I guess this is why the little man was never a reluctant eater; I was always there to cook for him, feed him, and eat with him. It's nice to hear Yue's praises for the food I cooked, but it's even more wonderful to see his hearty appetite and satisfied smile. That, for me, is the perfect way to kickstart my day.

Carrot cupcakes! 

Sharing the Blues and the Yellows! Linking up with the 366, too!

Also pitching in for Food Trip Friday, Food Friday, and Yummy Sunday. :)