Now that we’ve all pretty much established that breakfast is in fact the most important meal of the day, one of the questions I’m most frequently asked as a health coach is, “what should I eat for breakfast?” My answer is usually, “that depends.” Truly, I wish I could give a more definitive answer but the fact is, we are all built differently and one person’s fuel could very well be another person’s poison. Here’s a perfect example: Oatmeal is a healthy breakfast option and many people love it and make it their breakfast of choice. But for me, I simply can’t eat oatmeal for breakfast. No matter how many mix-ins — fruit, protein, flax seeds, etc — I use, it leaves me zapped of energy and less than two hours later my stomach feels emptier than before I ate.
As part of my health coaching program, I work with my clients to determine their own best breakfast and it’s one of the exercises my clients find most valuable. There is nothing better than discovering a breakfast that truly works for you! It literally sets you up for a glorious day!
With the weekend right around the corner, it’s a great time to experiment. Here are a few of my favorite breakfasts:
- Banana Protein or Green Smoothie (as if you couldn’t guess!) As my readers know, this is my absolute favorite go-to breakfast. I have my boyfriend drinking these after our morning runs and it sustains us both until lunch.
You can experiment with the recipes but a basic one may look like this:
1-2 frozen bananas
1 Tbsp almond butter
1 cup almond milk
1-2 tsp flax seeds
1 handful of kale or other greens ( can leave this out if making banana smoothie)
1/2 cup frozen or fresh berries of choice (if you want to cover up the green-ness or omit if making banana smoothie but it’s also a wonderful addition to a banana smoothie)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
Other add ins like Amazing Grass (use checkout code MWAH for 20% discount), macha, hemp oil, etc
- Green Juice: This is a perfect option if you like a lighter breakfast. One of my favorite combinations is spinach, apple, blueberry, lemon. If you are just starting to drink green juices, kale, apple, carrot is delish! Juicing facilitates the absorption of the nutrients and enzymes available in vegetables that aren’t as fully available to us when we eat the vegetables themselves. Both juices are shown here and can be pressed at home or purchased from a juice bar.
Eggs, Greens and Toast: Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it! Sauteed swiss chard with a hard boiled Farmer’s Market egg on a slice of whole grain sourdough or gluten free bread hits the spot and is one of my favorites on a Saturday morning. The eggs seen here are called pullets and they are the first eggs a chicker lays. Definitely worth a try!
Apple with Nut Butter: Sometimes I want a simple breakfast so I choose an apple with nut butter. Justin’s makes these great travel packs of almond butter which are good when you’re on the go but they have added palm oil. I prefer nut butters that include only nuts in their ingredients list. What is your favorite kind of nut butter?
Whole Grain Porridge: The perfect way to use leftover grains like brown rice or millet. Heat the grains on the stove a you would oatmeal with almond or coconut milk and then add chopped nuts, fruit, flax seed, nut butter, shredded coconut or any toppings of your choice. For great flavor cooked chopped bananas, apples or pears with the grains as they heat.
What is your go-to breakfast?
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