We’ve talked about WHY breakfast is important, and then WHAT makes a breakfast healthy. Here’s the last in this line of thinking – HOW to make a healthy breakfast. Here are a few ideas for making your healthy breakfast.
Not A Morning Person? Cold Oatmeal!
Let’s start with what seems to cause many people to skip breakfast or not make the most healthy choices: MORNING. Not a problem with this cold oatmeal idea! While cold oatmeal might sound odd to you, keep in mind that here at Fit and Psyched (1177 Clare Avenue, Ste 2, West Palm Beach, FL 33401) we’re at the height of a South Florida Summer – Do you really want hot oatmeal? Another benefit of cold oatmeal? You can make several days’ (or a week’s) worth so you now have breakfast ready ahead of time!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of old-fashioned (rolled) oats
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or water
- Protein powder
- Fresh fruit
- Cinnamon or your favorite oatmeal spice
At night, mix oats and almond milk or water and store in refrigerator.
In the morning, mix in protein powder and fresh fruit and/or spice.
Egg White and Oats Pancake
There are many recipes online for this easy breakfast. The basics are mixing together, in proportions of 2 to 1, egg whites and oats (for example, ½ cup egg whites and ¼ cup oats). Add a little water to make the “pancake” lighter, and cook in a frying pan (lightly sprayed with a spray oil) for a few minutes.
To make it more interesting,
- Mix in fresh berries or other fruit
- Mix in cinnamon or spice or your choice
- When cooked, top with veggies and spaces/herbs
- Fresh avocado and tomato and spices to taste (e.g., fresh cilantro, and/or cumin, cayenne). Don’t want to sit down to eat? Fold the “pancake” in half and eat as if it were a sandwich or taco.
- Fresh spinach and tomato.
- Leftover cooked asparagus.
You can also make this same pancake with cooked quinoa. Also, you can make several and store in the refrigerator for a few days, so you don’t need to make breakfast every morning.
Huevos Rancheros
Are you a savory breakfast aficionado? Like Mexican food? What about eggs and black beans and/or rice?
This is another breakfast idea where you go with what appeals to you. The basics are cooked egg whites (omelet style, scrambled, poached, etc.) and brown rice and/or black beans. (This is a great way to use leftover brown rice and you can use canned black beans.
- Cook the eggs in your preferred method.
- Serve them with warmed rice and/or black beans and top with salsa and avocado.
We at Fit and Psyched hope these ideas get you thinking about your healthy breakfast and make you WANT to have that breakfast. The key to a good breakfast is to combine a complex carbohydrate (such as oats or quinoa) and a protein plus some fruit or vegetables. Play with these ideas and see what you come up with!
