This Is What the Chef of Whole Heart Provisions Eats for Breakfast
Rebecca Arnold has a recipe to share, too.
We don’t need to tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In this series, we’re asking top doctors, fitness pros, and dietitians for a sneak peek into their kitchens, so we can see what’s on their breakfast tables.
Image provided
Rebecca Arnold
Claim to Fame:
After attending UMass Amherst and studying nutrition, Rebecca Arnold realized there was a disconnect between nourishing cuisine and food that tasted delicious. She attended the culinary school at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City to hone her skills and in 2015 presented a concept to the MassChallenge, a startup accelerator program, that would soon turn into Whole Heart Provisions. The chef and co-owner of the fast casual, vegetable-forward restaurant has had culinary experiences across the country, including local stints at Alden & Harlow and Sarma.
What She Ate:
She makes a smoothie almost 4-5 times a week for breakfast, as she can make enough for two servings and sip on it throughout the morning and early afternoon. If she doesn’t make a smoothie, she will have two brown rice cakes with almond or peanut butter (always crunchy), sriracha, and chia and flax seeds sprinkled on top. The recipe for her smoothie is the following:
1.5 cup almond milk
1/4 cup coconut yogurt
1/4 avocado
1 T tahini
2 T chia seeds
1 T hemp
1 cup frozen berries and plums
4 1/2 inch thick slices frozen zucchini
2 dates, pitted
2 tsp. cocoa nibs
4-5 ice cubes
Why She Chose It:
“A well balanced breakfast keeps my mood balanced throughout the day, gives me energy, allows me to focus on my work, and gets me through our busy lunch rush,” Arnold says. “I usually don’t get to sit down and eat again until 2:30, 3 p.m. so my breakfast is really what keeps me going throughout the day and through my workout.”
The chef says she is working on building strength and rehabbing a bad knee (from years of standing for long hours) through semi-private personal training. She also says she likes to get in a yoga class at least once a week, but that it’s been harder to do with the opening of Whole Heart Provision’s second location in Central Square.
“Even if you don’t feel hungry or aren’t a breakfast person, I think it’s important to have something small,” she says. “I think you’ll find that it impacts your mood and outlook on the day greatly.”
