Eating A Healthy Breakfast

Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is undoubtedly important.

You may have noticed trends come and go about when and what to eat. Yet we will always abide by the evidence-based reality that eating a healthy breakfast is crucial. When thinking about what to eat, it is important to remember our nutrition principle: balance.

Creating a balanced breakfast is NOT having one egg, having half of an avocado, or just having a bowl of dry cereal. For breakfast to properly fuel you, we must learn how to balance our meal.

To do this, we need to include all our macronutrients, and at least three food groups. What does this mean? We need a protein-rich food, a carb source, and a nutritious fat. Our food groups include grains, protein, fruit, vegetables, and dairy.

When we eat a balanced meal to start the day, we are likely to sustain our energy levels, support our metabolism, and prevent overeating later in the day. Oftentimes, people who struggle with excessive snacking in the evening are not breakfast eaters.

Making this habit change can pay off in all areas of our lives promoting a stable mood, healthier relationship with food, and healthier metabolism. Starting to incorporate breakfast does not need to be a complex & time-consuming endeavor. We’ll discuss some simple breakfast recipes to help you plan for a better breakfast tomorrow!

If you need further assistance with your lifestyle, we are here to help when you’re ready to book.

First, lets look at some examples of balanced meals.

This can include:

• oatmeal with yogurt & blueberries
• whole wheat english muffin with egg & avocado
• breakfast potatoes with scrambled eggs, peppers, and onions
• cereal with milk & almonds
• a protein shake + cup of berries & granola

Some recipes to try:

Overnight Oats—2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 1.5 cups of milk of choice
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl

2. Refrigerate overnight and enjoy with toppings of your choice

Variations/toppings

Pumpkin pie: Add 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree, 1⁄2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, and 1 tablespoon of chopped crystallized ginger

Blueberry muffin: add 1⁄2 cup of wild blueberries, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar

Lemon poppy seed: add lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of poppy seeds, and top with raspberry jam

Cooked Oats- 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 cups of water
• Pinch of salt
• 1⁄2 mashed banana
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• Dash of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Toppings:

• Peanut butter/Toasted coconut/Dark chocolate

Directions:

1. Acquire a small saucepan, and add oats, water, and salt to the pan

2. Place over medium heat

3. Cook until the water heats up and the oats begin cooking

4. Stir in honey, banana, cinnamon, and vanilla

5. Cook until oats thicken

6. Serve in a bowl, and top with peanut butter, toasted coconut, and dark chocolate

Chia pudding- 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1⁄4 cup of chia seeds
• 1 cup of milk of choice
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl or food storage container

2. Stir consistently until chia seeds begin to expand to prevent getting chunky

3. Let sit for 15 minutes or overnight

Asian-Inspired Avocado Toast– 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1⁄4 cup sliced shiitakes
• 1⁄2 cup kale torn off of the stem, ripped into small pieces
• Sesame oil
• Scallions
• Sesame seeds
• 2 slices whole-grain toast 1⁄2 avocado
• Honey
• Red pepper flakes Salt

Directions

1. Heat sesame oil in a non-stick skillet on high heat

2. When hot, add kale, mushrooms, and a little salt

3. Cook for 2-3 minutes until starting to cook and get crispy

4. Turn heat down to medium-low and crack two eggs on top of vegetables

5. Cover and let the steam cook the eggs

6. Meanwhile, toast your bread

7. Remove the skin from your avocado half and slice it evenly

8. Spread avocado on each slice of bread, drizzle with honey and top with sesame seeds, scallions, and red pepper flakes

9. Check on the eggs, and when the yolks have developed a white layer on top and the whites are not jiggling, remove them from the heat

10. Guide the eggs and vegetables onto a plate and top with scallions and sesame seeds

11. Add toast to your plate and enjoy

Veggie Frittata– serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• Red onion
• Kale
• Olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup Half and half
• Cypress Grove lavender and fennel goat cheese (or plain)
• Chopped mushrooms
• Salt
• Sugar
• Dried lavender
• Toast for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat

3. Caramelize the onion in the pan with a little bit of sugar and salt

4. Add the mushrooms and kale to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes

5. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with half and half and a little salt

6. Reduce heat and add eggs to the skillet

7. Drop goat cheese throughout the frittata

8. Put into oven for 10-15 minutes

9. Remove when eggs are set

10. Serve with toast, and sprinkle with a little dried lavender

Smoked Salmon Toast– serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 slices of sourdough toast
• 4 oz smoked salmon
• 2 tablespoons Nancy’s probiotic cream cheese (or regular)
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs (dill, mint, parsley)
• 1 teaspoon capers
• 1⁄2 teaspoon of minced garlic 1⁄2 teaspoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon grated radish
• Salt
• Toppings
• Sliced cucumber Microgreens Dill
• Sliced radish

Directions

1. first make the herb cream cheese: combine cream cheese with herbs, garlic, honey, capers, and grated radish

2. Toast your sourdough bread

3. Top with cream cheese, 2 oz of salmon, and then capers, cucumber, dill, radish, and microgreens

Maple Sweet Potato Hash—Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 4 strips of turkey bacon
• 1⁄2 cup Diced onion
• 1 cup spinach
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Dice sweet potato, making sure all pieces are roughly the same size

3. Put bacon in the oven for 10-15 minutes

4. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot

5. Add sweet potato to skillet

6. Cook for about 10 minutes until sweet potatoes are

starting to soften

7. Add diced onion, salt, and cinnamon

8. Cook for another 5 minutes

9. Add maple syrup and stir, being careful not to burn

10. When adequately heated, remove from heat and mix in spinach

11. Remove bacon from oven and chop, then add to the hash

12. Serve in bowls and enjoy!

13. Optional: top with a fried egg, microgreens, and flaky salt

Veggie egg scramble and toast—serves 1

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs beaten
• 4 Sliced shiitakes
• 1⁄2 cup of torn kale
• 1 tablespoon of diced onion
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• 2 slices whole grain bread
• 2 teaspoons Kerrygold butter Salt
• Pepper
• Flaky salt
• Olive oil
• Directions

1.  heat your non-stick skillet over medium heat with butter and olive oil When hot and the butter is bubbly, add all of your vegetables
2. Cook for about 5 minutes until they are cooked down pretty well
3. Beat your eggs with milk, salt, and pepper
4. Turn the heat down and get yourself a rubber spatula Pout the egg mixture over your vegetables
5. Let it cook briefly, and start to scramble (slowly fold with a rubber spatula) over very low heat
6. If the eggs are cooking too quickly, then remove them from the heat and scramble off the heat until the burner cools down
7. Continue to scramble until the eggs are cooked but still moist
8. Remove from heat and put on your plate
9. Make your toast
10. Spread toast with butter
11. Top it all with some microgreens and flaky salt, enjoy!

Homemade Granola—serves about 12

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup coconut oil
• 1⁄2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup chopped nuts of choice
• 1⁄2 cup chocolate chips
• 1⁄2 cup toasted coconut
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 4 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper

2. Heat coconut oil in a saucepan until melted

3. Stir maple syrup into a saucepan until combined

4. Stir vanilla into maple-coconut mixture and set aside

5. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl

6. Pour maple-coconut mixture over dry ingredients and toss to combine

7. Pour the granola mixture onto the baking sheet

8. Bake for roughly 15 minutes, rotate and bake for another 5 minutes

9. Granola will be very fragrant and harden after cooling

Let me know if you make any of these breakfast recipes! If you need help creating a healthier lifestyle, then make sure you schedule a session with me here.