Starting the day with a healthy and delicious breakfast is an excellent practice. Because most of us don’t want to spend 45 minutes cooking and another half-hour washing dishes afterward, we’ve decided to unveil some of our favorite simple and healthy breakfast ideas and recipes.
Chocolate Salad Shake
This is perhaps my favorite breakfast. It’s delicious and super-healthy. My kids gave it the funny name of “chocolate salad shake.” However, if you didn’t know there were two cups of spinach in this chocolate shake, you’d never suspect it.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 to 4 frozen bananas
- 2 cups fresh organic spinach leaves
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- Pinch of sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Put all the ingredients into your blender and blend on smoothie mode. You may have to run two blending cycles to pulverize all the greens successfully.
Options: If you’re a peanut butter fan, add a couple of tablespoons of smooth peanut butter after the shake is blended and pulse it a few times. Similarly, you can add chocolate chips. Finally, if you’re into mint and chocolate, add a small amount of mint extract or a few fresh mint leaves.
Overnight Oats
I love oatmeal. Overnight refrigerator oatmeal combines all the goodness of oatmeal with a super-easy preparation and no major oatmeal dishes.
INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
- 3/4 cup milk (plant-based or dairy)
- 1/2 teaspoon natural sweetener
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir well and cover it. Store in the refrigerator overnight and for up to three days. You can eat this cold ― straight out of the refrigerator.
Options: The sky is the limit with options on this one. If you like fruit in your regular oatmeal, you may like fruit in your overnight oats too. Berries or any bite-sized fruit is excellent on top. Mini chocolate chips and coconut flakes are also nice. Dried fruit and nuts are a good addition as well.
Banana Egg Pancakes
A friend of mine told me about this. I tried making them for the first time the other day and I’m hooked. They are gluten-free and grain-free. They have a custard-like consistency in the center.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ripe banana
- 2 eggs
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Mash the ripe banana well while in the peel, then squeeze it into a bowl and continue mashing. Add the two eggs and beat the ingredients all together. Add in the baking powder and salt and stir well. Pour three-inch circles of the mixture onto a preheated, oiled griddle. Allow them to cook until the bottom is slightly golden brown. Then, flip the pancake and cook the other side in the same way. Serve hot.
Options: Blueberries are excellent stir-ins for these fruity pancakes. Cocoa powder is also a nice addition. I like to add cinnamon to mine.
Bell Pepper Egg Rings
If you read this site much, you know we’re big fans of vegetables in the diet. The best way to get more veggies into your diet is to start in the morning. If you’re an egg and bacon type of person, you’ll love this easy way to add in some vegetables to your breakfast.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 eggs
- 2 full-ring slices organic bell pepper
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in your pan over medium-low. Slice through the entire pepper to get about one-inch thick pepper rings. Put the pepper rings in the pan. Crack one egg over a pepper ring and drop it into the center of the ring gently. Repeat for the next ring. Then, add salt and black pepper to taste. Once the egg is cooked to your liking, flip the entire egg-filled rings carefully to cook the other side.
Options: This is an excellent dish to make with thick-cut red or white onion rings as well. Follow the same procedure.
Oatmeal With Toppings
For all of the goodness and nutrition oatmeal provides, not all of my kids love eating it as much as I do. If you’ve got picky eaters in your household, don’t worry. Our oatmeal topping bar will help.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups of water
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons natural sweetener
Toppings
- 1 cup thawed frozen blueberries
- 1 cup chopped strawberries
- 1 sliced banana
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup raisins or dried cherries
- 1 cup granola
DIRECTIONS
Pour the water into a medium saucepan. Then, add in the oats, coconut oil, cinnamon, and salt. Heat this mixture over medium-high heat, stirring often. Allow it to heat until it’s bubbling. Let it cook for about 30 seconds. Then, reduce the heat. Add in the sweetener and stir again. Keep heating and stirring until the oatmeal has reached your desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the thicker the oats will become.
Put each topping in an individual bowl with a spoon. Use them to top your oats any way you like to add flavor and texture to your oatmeal.
Options: For chocolate lovers, add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the oatmeal while you’re cooking it. Also, you can use milk instead of water to increase the calcium content of your breakfast.
Topped Avocado Toast
Avocado toast has become a favorite of health-conscious breakfast eaters everywhere. Whole grains and healthy fats are a great combination for a satisfying breakfast. We’ve taken an avocado toast to another level with added toppings to complement the already rich and delicious flavors.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 slice whole grain bread
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 slices fresh tomato
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 slice red onion
- Juice from 1/2 lime
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Toast the whole-grain bread lightly. Top with avocado slices or mashed avocado, and then with tomato slices, cilantro, and red onion. Squeeze the juice from half a lime onto the top and add salt and black pepper.
Options: Switch out the whole-grain toast for a rice cake if you’d like to cut down some of the carbohydrates. Also, for a more Italian flavor, sub basil leaves for the cilantro and leave out the lime juice.
Scrambled Eggs With Vegetables and Avocado
Eggs are a great source of protein, but they can be a little boring. Adding some vegetables gives them more flavor and texture.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced bell peppers
- 1/8 cup diced onion
- 1/2 avocado
- Pinch of garlic powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil
DIRECTIONS
Heat the cooking oil in a pan over medium-low heat for three minutes. Beat the eggs and water in a bowl for about one minute by hand. Add in spices, bell peppers, and onions. Pour the mixture into the preheated pan and let it cook until the bottom and sides of the eggs seem to firm up a bit. Then, go around the pan with a spatula and flip the cooked parts. Cook until the eggs are as firm as you like them. Put the eggs on a serving dish and top them with sliced avocado.
Options: Adding sliced jalapenos is terrific if you like it a bit spicy. You could also sub tomatoes for the bell peppers. Chopped cilantro leaves also make for a nice addition.
Easy Breakfast Burrito
There’s nothing like combining breakfast and Mexican food. These easy breakfast burritos are delicious and full of good, nutritious ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 whole wheat flour tortilla
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon cooking oil
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1/2 sliced avocado
- Pinch of sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Heat the cooking oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Scramble the egg, add salt and pour it in the pan. Cook the egg until it’s done. Put the tortilla on a plate. Spoon in the cooked egg. Pour the salsa over the top of the egg and add the sliced avocado. Wrap it up like a burrito. Eat it as is or heat the outside of the burrito in the pan on each side first.
Options: If you’d like the flavors more incorporated, add the salsa to the uncooked egg and cook them together. If you’d like to get more vegetables into this breakfast, consider adding shredded cabbage to the burrito.
20-minute Granola
Granola is wonderful for breakfast. However, store-bought granola tends to have loads of sugar and often other undesirable ingredients to preserve and stabilize it. If you thought to make your own granola at home was too time-consuming, think again. This is my recipe for 20-minute granola. It’s delicious, and it makes your house smell great too.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix the oats, salt, cinnamon, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds. Set the bowl aside. In a smaller bowl, combine the oil, honey and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir well. It’s best to oil your hands and use them to combine all the ingredients fully.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spread the granola mixture over the two pans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and stir the mixture well. Return the pans to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the granola is just slightly golden brown. Remove both pans. Allow the granola to cool. After it’s cooled completely, transfer it to a container. Store covered for up to a week.
Options: Use chopped almonds or any combination of nuts and seeds in place of the walnuts. If you prefer a maple flavor, use half honey and half maple syrup in this granola.
For your guide to the best foods to heal your body, check out The Best Foods that Rapidly Slim & Heal in 7 Days, here!
