My Top 4 Better Breakfast Recipes for Better Breakfast Month
September is Better Breakfast Month which I think is great! This is a month of transition for lots of us (end of summer, back to school, all that jazz) and is a perfect time to be more mindful and purposeful with what we are eating.
Every morning is a clean slate for a new day and since breakfast is Meal #1 of the day for most of us, this subject speaks to me!
What Do I Mean When I Call Breakfast "Meal #1"?
It technically means it’s the first meal fo the day ;) BUT it also takes the label of "breakfast foods" out of the equation. If you can have "breakfast for dinner", surely we can have non-breakfast foods at breakfast, too!
Meal #1 could also mean that it’s the most important meal of the day. I won't debate the physiology of this but:
Meal #1 sets the pace for the rest of the day! I try to make it my super most healthy, most-loaded-with-the-good-stuff meal because it feels good to fuel good!
Whether you have time to sit down to breakfast in the morning, you grab-and-go or wait until lunch time to have Meal #1, here are some nutrient-dense ideas for all seasons and reasons. Some of these recipes require a little bit of time to prep up front and some don’t. Just FYI :)
Let's get going!
Fiber Bowl: Seasonal Roasted Veggies With Your Choice of Eggs
There is a variety of fiber-filled and nutrient-dense veggies all year round but the nice thing about fall is that we can really enjoy the rich and filling flavors we put to the side during the summer
My choices would be: Sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and beets (each about 4g of fiber per cup). Cut 1 large sweet potato, 3-4 beets (wear gloves if you're going to use red beets OR you can use equally-as-delicious and way less messy golden beets) and 1 lb of Brussels sprouts into halves or quarters. Toss in 1-2 tbsp olive oil, some salt and seasoning to taste. Roast at 425 for 10 minutes; shake up the pan and put in for another 10 minutes (the smaller the beets and sweet potatoes are, the less time you’ll need; keep the sprouts at 1/2 or 1/4 cut so they don’t burn)
Make eggs (two/day) any way you’d like. My personal choice is a good 6-minute egg (you can make all of them ahead of time for the whole week!)
Scoop out a good cup+ of your roasted veggies, heat up and serve with your eggs on the side or on top!
Veggie Frittata
Preheat your oven to 425.
Dice the veggies of your choice. Toss them in a tsp of olive oil, salt/pepper/herbs to taste and place them on a cookie sheet to roast for a quick 10 minutes. I LOVE grape tomatoes and shallots because they're sweet and really quick to roast. You can ALWAYS sauté your veggies or add them in raw!
While that’s happening, whisk about two eggs/day in a bowl
Lightly oil either a square or rectangular pan. Assume you'll get 4 servings in a square pan and 6 servings in a rectangular pan so you can use 8 or 12 eggs respectively. You can also use 1-2 cartons of egg whites (honestly it’s all about what fits into your baking pan.)
Once the veggies are done, spread them out into your pan and top it off with your eggs. Turn the oven down to 375
Bake for 30-35 minutes
Greek Yogurt With Fruit
Measure out about 1 cup Greek yogurt (% of fat is up to you!)
Stir in 1/2 to 1 cup of your choice of berries mixed in. Hot tip: One of my favorite former clients Kelly loved putting in frozen berries in for texture
For extra crunch (and if you think you'll need more bulk to stay fuller longer, add in 1/4 cup of low-sugar granola or nuts. These are two items that are EASILY over-served and calorie-dense so I'll say it again: Measure it. You can even stir in chia seeds for some good fiber and omega-3s!
My Take-Everywhere Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean With a Banana
NOTE: I am typically vehemently against cereal but have introduced it into my life this year for time-restraint reasons. Traveling for conferences and meetings over the years has taught me that I prefer eating breakfast in my room while I get ready AND it saves me a bunch of money!
Fill a cereal bowl and spoon (which you can get from guest services) with Kashi Go Lean. I'll tell you why I choose this specifically below
Mix in whatever milk you choose
Cut up a banana to put in the bowl (which reminds me of eating Cheerios and bananas as a kid)
Enjoy! If you want a bigger boost of protein you can even mix in some unflavored collagen protein powder
Kashi Go Lean includes 9g of protein, 13g of fiber (and relatively low sugar) and your banana adds in tons of other vitamins and minerals
These breakfast options are obviously the tippy tip of the iceberg but they're my go-to favorites. I hope you enjoy them!
Do you have a favorite healthy recipe for Meal #1? Share in the comments below!
