Have you heard of the saying breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper? The focus here is on the breakfast the part. Why? Because I genuinely believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day for people, especially for those people who struggle with sugar cravings, fluctuating energy levels and find themselves snacking throughout the day to keep themselves going.
The best way to set yourself up for the day and to help you avoid energy slumps, and to reduce your food cravings and the need for snacking is to eat a breakfast that contains protein, healthy fats and carbs. Protein helps to keep you feeling full and satisfied. Healthy fats help to keep you mentally alert and motivated and carbs, especially if you’re including plant-based foods, can help support the balance of your gut bacteria.
Unsure of how you can combine these three things to make a breakfast? Here are some ideas to give you some inspiration:
Pimped-up porridge
Porridge on its own can be boring and it may also send your blood sugar levels on a bit of a roller coaster as it doesn’t contain much protein to help balance them. So why not pimp it up and add some extras? This recipe uses protein powder, but not just any protein powder, chocolate protein powder. You can use any type of protein powder, just make sure its a good quality brand that doesn’t use any additives or sweeteners. I used Purition
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of porridge oats
1 cup of milk of your choice
1 tbsp of linseed
1 tbsp of chia seeds
1 tbsp of sunflower seeds
4 tbsp of protein powder
1 handful of frozen or fresh berries
Method:
Mix the oats with the milk and cook in the microwave for 2
minutes. Check regularly to make sure it doesn’t boil over.
Add the seeds, protein powder and berries. Stir to combine all
of the ingredients and enjoy
Overnight oats
This tasty breakfast recipe can be made the night before so its ready to eat in the morning. It takes less than five minutes to prep and is ready to eat the following morning. A perfect breakfast for those busy mornings.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant)·
3/4 cup of milk of your choice·
2 Tablespoons of protein powder (I used Puriton) ·
1 tbsp of chia seeds·
1 tbsp of flaxseeds·
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon·
toppings: berries, sliced almonds, mixed seeds, almond butter
Method:
Combine all of the ingredients (except the toppings) in a
container, cover and place in the fridge ready for the
morning.
In the morning, take it out of the fridge and add your choice of
toppings. Enjoy.
Breakfast frittata
You can make this breakfast on a Sunday for the week ahead and freeze individual portions. You can take it out the night before and reheat it in the morning. Perfect for those busy mornings.
Ingredients:
1 tsp of butter
20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
6 mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 large handful of spinach, rough chopped
6 eggs, beaten
1 tsp of mixed dried herbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.
Melt the butter in a fry pan over a medium heat.
Add the cherry tomatoes, mushrooms. red pepper and onion.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the vegetables to an ovenproof round dish.
Add the eggs, spinach and mixed herbs and mix all the
ingredients together.
Cook in the oven for approximately 20 minutes. It will be
cooked if the egg is firm to touch.
Scrambled Eggs on Toast
A classic breakfast that you can’t go wrong with and keep you going until lunch time.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 tsp of butter
1 slice of toast (bread of your choice)
1 tbsp of chopped chives
1 cup of spinach
½ cup of cherry tomatoes
Method:
Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk well. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and once hot, add the butter. Once melted, add cherry tomatoes, eggs to the pan and move them around with a spatula continuously. Keep pushing the eggs around the skillet until fluffy and barely set, about 2 minutes. They should still look slightly runny on top. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Divide the eggs onto toast, and top with chives, salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Berry Avocado Smoothie
This is perfect for those mornings when you’re in a rush. Packed with protein, fat and carbs from the berries. A fab way to start the day.
Ingredients:
150g of frozen berries
½ an avocado
100g of coconut yoghurt
25g of protein powder
1tbsp of chia seeds
250mls of water
Method:
Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy.
If you try one of these breakfast let me know what you think and how it makes you feel. Enjoy!