Top Breakfast Ideas

As important as it is for me to eat healthy, the food I eat must be interesting and of course taste good. Below I'm going to share the benefits of of eating breakfast, what a good breakfast consists of, and then share some of my favorite breakfast recipes.

Is breakfast still the most important meal of the day?

There is research to indicate those who eat breakfast generally have better health. On the other hand, for some individuals there are benefits to fasting as well, which might result in skipping breakfast. Generally, I advise my clients to do what works best to meet their goals. Having regularly scheduled meals does give you the opportunity to stabilize your blood glucose and minimize cravings if the meal is balanced. Feel free to combine any of the breakfast ideas below if you need a more substantial meal.

Keys to a health promoting easy breakfast:

• Ingredients are whole foods, minimally processed

• Quick to prepare, ideally less than 15 minutes

• Less than 5 ingredients, common household foods

• High in fiber, high quality protein, and healthy fat to sustain you for at least 4 hours and maximize nutrient intake

SAVORY IDEAS

1. Avocado and salad with veggies

2. Deconstructed lox and bagels salad

3. Eggs Benedict (use whole grain and/or bagel thins version or portabella mushroom as base)

4. Avocado toast

5. Flaxseed muffins with almond butter

6. Egg muffins

SWEET, but not TOO SWEET ideas

1. OATS, NUTS & BERRIES

(Health benefits: *whole grain from oats, *hearty healthy fats and minerals from flaxseed and nuts, *antioxidants from berries, *protein from pea protein milk- Ripple)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of oatmeal (cooked per package instructions)

• 1-2 tbsps of ground flaxseed - mixed into cooked oats

• 1/2 cup of berries

• 1/4 cup of nuts or seeds

• Sprinkle of cinnamon

• Optional: Sweeten with monk fruit or other no calorie sweentener of your choice

• Optional: Splash of pea protein milk (or milk of your preference)

2. CHIA PUDDING

(Health benefits: *fiber, protein, omega 3 fats from chia seeds, *heart healthy fats from nuts, *antioxidants from berries)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of milk ( I prefer coconut milk for this recipe, because it has a natural sweetness and it's thickness results in the better texture than other milks)

• 2 tbsp of chia seeds

• 1 tsp of vanilla extract

• Optional: Sprinkle of cinnamon

• Toppings: nuts, berries or other fruit

3. SWEET POTATO TOAST

(Health benefits: *fiber and antioxidants from sweet potatoes, *heart healthy fats from almond butter, *antioxidants from berries, *protein from eggs, *heart healthy fats from avocado and hemp hearts )

Ingredients

• Half of a very large and wide sweet potato, cut into "toast size slices -1/3 inches thick" (roast the slices in the oven on 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Bake until fork tender, but not soft.)

Topping ideas:

• Sliced avocado sprinkled with hemp hearts

• Egg: fried or sliced hard boiled sprinkled with parsely

• Almond butter, berries, sprinkled with chia seeds

4. LOW SUGAR SMOOTHIES

(Health benefits: *antioxidants from berries and spinach, *protein from powders, *heart healthy fats from avocado, nuts, seeds )

Ingredients: Blend all ingredients together until smooth

• 1 cup of liquid of your preference (my unsweented favorites: pea protein milk, coconut milk, almond milk)

• Handful of frozen berries or frozen acai puree

• 1/2 cup of ice and and/or 1/2 of small avocado to get to your desired consistency

Optional add ins:

• 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed, chia seeds or hemp hearts or 1 tsp of MCT oil or 1/4 cup of nuts (my favorites: pecans, macadamia, cashews, walnuts, almonds)

• Handful of fresh or frozen spinach or other leafy greens

• 1 scoop of pea protein powder (or other protein per preference)

• If desired, sweeten to taste with monk fruit or other no calorie sweentener of your choice

For other flavors use the above ingredients as the base of your smoothie and add these ingredients to change the flavor.

• Chocolate or Mint Chocolate Chip or Almond Chocolate or Almond Cinnamon: Use 1-2 tbsp of cacao powder to taste or 2 squares of 85% dark chocolate and/or 1 tsp mint extract or 1 tbsp of almond butter or sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. Chocolate flavored protein powder instead of cacoa powder.

• Green: leave out berries and add spinach, 1/2 of green apple, 1/2 cup of celery and/or cucumber, 1 tsp of matcha powder, 1/2 tsp of maca powder,

5. GRAIN OR GRAIN FREE, NO SUGAR GRANOLA

(Health benefits: nuts/seeds are high in fiber, heart healthy fats, and a source of minerals and protein.) This granola mix should ideally be made ahead of time. The serving size is 1/4 of a cup. I generally have this with pea protein milk and a 1/2 cup of berries.

Ingredients: Mix all ingredients together, spread on a single later in a parchment lined baking sheet at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until dry. Let cool. Break it up. Store in a an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months.

• 2 1/2 cup of nuts and/ seeds of your preference (my favorites are the pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, and chopped pecans) and 1 cup of chopped unsweetened flaked coconut

• 1/4 cup of Lakanto maple flavored syrup mixed with 1/4 cup of coconut oil (optional) and 1/3 cup of nut butter ( I use almond butter)

Optional: 1-2 cups of uncooked oats, 1 tsp of cinnamon or pumpkin spice and or 1 tsp of vanilla extract

WHAT ELSE TO ADD TO BREAKFAST?

Breakfast salads: essentially a regular salad eaten at breakfast

Green matcha tea: full of antioxidants

NOW WHAT?

Please comment below to let me know some of your favorite healthy recipes.