Healthy and Balanced Unique Breakfast Ideas

I don’t know about you, but when I have a proper breakfast it sets my eating habits on the right track for the day. When I have a meal first thing that is low in sugar, a good combination of protein and carbohydrates, and free of processed foods, I seem to crave a lot less salt, sugar, and caffeine for the rest of the day, and I tend to snack a lot less.

Today, I wanted to share with you three breakfast ideas using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, but in unusual ways. In addition, I wanted to make sure that the ideas I was sharing were easy for you to recreate. While I’m all for having a great breakfast first thing, I don’t have all the time in the world to put it together each morning. What I do instead is meal prep a component of my breakfasts that I can consume in different ways throughout the week.

Each of these recipes has at least one element that was prepped in advance and stored in the fridge for easy breakfast prep. What I like about having elements like these at the ready is not only the time they save me, but that they also allow for versatility as the week goes on. In this video I only share one toping per base, but I specifically chose these three because they allow for a ton of variety.

As an added bonus, all of these recipes are gluten free, and can easily be adjusted to be vegan.

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Savory Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS

  • Oats - any kind will do. I like steel cut.

  • Olive Oil

  • Leafy Greens

  • Garlic

  • Salt to taste

  • Pepper to taste

  • Red Pepper flakes to taste

  • Eggs

  • Avocado

  • Shredded Parmesan Cheese - the real kind!

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Cook the oats according to the package directions. Be sure to only use salt for flavor and no other seasonings, as this will allow you to change the toppings throughout the week.

  2. Sauté the leafy greens in olive oil and garlic until they wilt - about 2 minutes. For this video I used spinach, but anything other than lettuce will do.

  3. Transfer the greens to a bowl and add 3/4 cup of cooked oats. Mix well.

  4. Cook an egg to your liking. I used a non-stick pan and cooked the egg over easy, but sunny side up or even scrambled works well.

  5. Top your oatmeal with the egg and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

  6. Add a couple of slices of avocado for some creamy, healthy fat, season with shredded parmesan cheese & serve.

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Sweet Breakfast Quinoa

INGREDIENTS

  • Tri-color Quinoa

  • 1 tsp of Maple Syrup

  • Cinnamon to taste

  • Fruit of your choice - I used apples and blueberries

  • Nuts of your choice - I used pecans, but you can use almonds or walnuts

  • Peanut Butter

  • Milk - I used soy milk, any kind will do

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Be sure to cook only with a little bit of salt for flavor and no other seasonings.

  2. In a bowl, mix 3/4 cup of warm or cold cooked quinoa, maple syrup, and cinnamon to taste. Mix well.

  3. Top with fresh fruit. Most fruits will pair well with this breakfast.

  4. Add chopped nuts for some texture and extra healthy fat. I also added a tablespoon of peanut butter for extra calories.

  5. Top with a bit of milk for a cereal or porridge texture. I only do a little bit.

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Sweet Potato Avocado Toast

INGREDIENTS

  • Sweet Potato - select a large one that will give you good slices

  • Avocado

  • Goat Cheese

  • Salt to taste

  • Pepper to taste

  • Red Pepper Flakes to taste

  • 1 tsp of Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Peel the sweet potato, then cut into 1/2in slices. This is the hardest part! It is easiest if you have a mandolin.

  2. In a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place your sweet potato toasts in a single layer. Bake at 400F (200C) flipping halfway through, for about 25 minutes, or until fork tender. NOTE: The cooking time will greatly depend on the thickness of your potatoes and your oven. Check them often.

  3. Allow to cool, and once they are completely cold they can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge.

  4. When ready to use, heat the sweet potato slices on the highest heat setting in the toaster, until its brown to your liking. I like them on the darker side, usually takes about 5 minutes.

  5. Top with avocado, goat cheese, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and olive oil.

  6. I like to serve these with fruit, and an egg for some protein. They are also great with a fried egg on top!

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I enjoyed making this video for you guys. If you do try these, please send me a photo! My instagram handle is @vazq_fernanda.

As always, thanks for watching!




RecipesFernanda VazquezGluten Free, Vegan, BreakfastComment