A snack maker's 5 favourite ingredients for a healthy breakfast and snack
Amy Zheng of Amazin' Graze wants you to add, mix and match
What comes to mind when you hear the word “snack”? Or even “breakfast”?
If you ask me, a snack would have to be something that I reach for in between meals. It would also have to be bite-sized (most of the time) and totally addictive. I wouldn’t be able to stop munching, nor would I want to.
And breakfast? What breakfast? (Hehehe.) If I did manage to have them, I can tell you that it would probably have been something fattening and unhealthy. (I was always stressed and burnt out back then, you see.) But it would definitely have been yummy, at least to me.
Unfortunately, that can be kinda bad sometimes.
But you know the feeling. How can something so bad be so good? It’s food!
I have here Amy Zheng, the co-founder of Amazin’ Graze, who can relate (somewhat).
“Before Amazin’ Graze, I was working a pretty full-on corporate job with 12- to 14-hour days, carrying a few different mobiles just to remain contactable,” she recalls.
“For breakfast, it was usually coffee and an omelet. I snacked a lot because the hours were long and the stress levels were high. We often ate late, albeit at amazing restaurants, which meant one often ate food that was high in fat and cholesterol, if one wasn’t careful. I did manage to eat more vegetables and more wholesome food after a few years into the job.”
What were some of her favourite breakfasts and snacks then?
“I love the Middle Eastern breakfast spread – hummus, yogurt and eggplant spreads, cheese, olives in different shades of green and brown, plenty of freshly baked pita bread, and, of course, a drizzle of fresh honey and a sprinkle of goat cheese on top,” she answers.
“For snacking, I tend to be much more traditionally East Asian. I love anything with red beans (azuki beans), yam, candied sweet potato, and a bowl of cold, silky smooth Tau Foo Fah with all my favourite toppings just mentioned.”
That sounds heavenly
And Amy sounds like someone I could get a lot of breakfast and snacking tips from. Amazin’ Graze is, after all, a brand of tasty, preservative-free and freshly made vegetarian snack alternatives to help people lead a healthier lifestyle.
Founded in Malaysia in 2015, with a branch set up in Singapore in 2016, Amazin’ Graze actually started with a range of granolas and nut mixes, before branching out and producing instant oatmeal, palm oil-free nut butters and brownie chips, among others. They also offer bundles, care boxes and different-sized packages for customers’ convenience.
What’s more, they use natural sweeteners, fruits and other superfoods, plus local ingredients; you won’t find added refined sugars. They’re also aiming to become vegan or keto-friendly – so expect a new line of products soon.
In the meantime, though, and as we wait for that to happen, I want to know Amy’s five favourite ingredients to create or add to her breakfast items and snacks – because I already have my eye set on her suggestions above, as well as that of Amazin’ Graze. I just need a few more touches to turn them into something different every time, for variety. But it already looks like the taste can’t be beat.
#1 Banana
“Banana makes everything taste good. It’s high in potassium (electrolytes), super easy to prepare, and can help sweeten your dish and decrease your usage of other sugars,” Amy says.
#2 Oats
“This is a pretty magical grain that can be cooked in so many ways (both sweet and savoury) with a comforting texture. A small portion keeps you full for longer, and its high beta glucan content can help lower cholesterol too.”
#3 Plant protein
“I try to eat a mostly plant-based diet, which means that it’s harder to hit my protein requirements (especially if I’m doing weight training). Plant proteins, such as pea protein, really help to provide that extra boost in protein nutrients, and are easy to prepare when I’m on the go.”
#4 Plant milk
“I love oat, almond and soy milk in my coffee, and also as a milk substitute for breakfast and throughout the day. They are also great substitutes for dairy milk when I’m baking too. I love how they are more sustainable than dairy milk and definitely as tasty.”
#5 Chickpeas
“I cannot live without chickpeas. I use them to make hummus, or just use them whole as a replacement for rice or other starches. They are fun to eat, have a great texture and flavour, and also provide a good source of protein.”
Amy does have a few more breakfast and snack rules that she lives by, the ultimate being this:
“I try to get 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up (see Tim Ferriss’ slow carb diet in his book The 4-Hour Body). This could be a plant-based protein shake if I don’t feel very hungry or don’t have much time for breakfast, or I make myself a two-egg Japanese omelet with nori flakes and this magical seven-spice Japanese seasoning,” she says.
“Snacks must be satisfying, do not spike blood sugar, and help me feel good afterwards. Examples would be hummus dip and veggies, low-sugar banana bread and Greek yogurt, a plant-based protein shake with a banana, almond butter and a pinch of cacao or cinnamon (yum!).”
Yum indeed. Is there anything she hasn’t tried yet?
“Definitely cricket powders or insect snacks. I’m fascinated by their high protein content and how they’re more environmentally friendly. But I still can’t get myself to eat it or add it to my smoothies.”
Me neither. In the future, maybe.
The kind of breakfast items and snacks she’d love to see and taste in the near future would probably be more to our liking.
“I would love to wake up to a high-protein banana and peanut butter smoothie, or a high-protein stack of pancakes with no added sugar,” she muses. “Both will have plant-based protein blends that can support muscle growth and recovery, and help me feel satiated until lunch time.
“For snacks, I would love to munch on healthy brownies or banana bread – again with no added sugar and high in protein, with ingredients such as almond flour and coconut flour. Full of indulgence with no guilt!”
Yup, none whatsoever.
Well, it seems I have more than enough options for my next and future breakfasts and snacks – enough to change my definitions and ideas, and make them flexible. I hope it’s turned out the same for you.
Can’t be bothered to go out, buy and prepare any one of these? Or even anything we’ve said and written above? Not to worry – you can just order from and reach for Amazin’ Graze, and experiment with their products as your ingredients… at least for now.
Find Amazin’ Graze here and on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.