We have all heard it so many times – breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it fuels your daily energy… Still, many people think they need to munch on heavily fatty and intense food to provide them with this energy. Not true. What you need is a combination of all essential macronutrients (fats, proteins, and carbs) in the purest form possible. So, avoid the bakery goodies, so-called “healthy” oatmeals packed with sugar, and massive sandwiches stuffed with mayo and processed meats.
The smarter choice to jumpstart the day
You should not skim on calories, that is for a fact. Instead, choose a smarter way to get your needed calories. So, instead of ready-made oats, make your own. Instead of a greasy croissant from the bakery, bake your peanut butter & fruit bars.
Just like the “junk” options, the healthy ones can be extremely yummy and abundant in flavors. Check out these simple, tasty, and healthy breakfast ideas:
Healthy homemade sandwich
A perfect sandwich is rich in flavors, yet poor in processed and unhealthy groceries. To stay full until lunchtime, choose whole grain bread (since it is packed with fibers) and make sure not to skip the protein intake. Instead of buying a spread like hummus, make your own. If you like vegan cheeses, make your own. These are some essential differences between a truly healthy and better than junk food.
Here are the ingredients for a tasty sandwich:
- 4 slices of bread – preferably a whole grain one with seeds
- Homemade hummus or other spread
- Homemade sunflower cheese (recipe coming soon)/low-fat cheese
- Fresh veggies:
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Carrot
- Arugula
- Beetroot
- Ginger
The possibilities are endless, whether you’re opting for a vegan or non-vegan option. As long as the sandwich is full of vitamins or accompanied by a salad, you will get your needed energy boost.
Overnight or regular unprocessed oatmeal
I honestly never understood why people choose premade oatmeals instead of just scrambling their own. If you can mix ingredients, you can make the perfect tasty, filling, and healthy oatmeal for breakfast, instead of eating way too much-hidden sugar and preservatives. Again, the difference between a really healthy meal and the one which is just a lesser evil than a complete junk is on the ingredient list. If you like oats, be creative with your favorite fruits, nuts and other toppings and enjoy a delicious morning meal.
To make an amazing homemade oatmeal, you need:
- Rolled oats, regular or whole grain
- Plant-based milk or water. If you’ll go with the milk – make your own 🙂
- Fruits or dried fruits of choice
- Nuts or seeds (hazelnuts, almonds, sesame, sunflower…)
- Chia seeds
- Spices – cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom
- Raw cacao per taste
Make sure not to go overboard with the dried fruits, or choose an option without added sugar. Mix all the ingredients and let it sit for at least 20 mins. Bon appetit!
Easy peanut butter bars
Ah, those oats… so amazingly versatile! If you don’t feel like having oatmeal for breakfast all the time, try baking this cereal with a bunch of fantastic additions. Like nut and nut butter, coconut flakes, bananas… it is equally “difficult” to prepare your whole grain healthy bar as it is to mix ingredients in a bowl.
Check out this recipe for a truly delightful treat – peanut butter bars.
Savory chickpea pancakes
If health is important to you, inform yourself from trusted sources about how beneficial chickpeas are for our wellbeing. This incredible legume is a perfect ingredient for any dish, from falafel to soups, desserts, baked goods, and Indian curries. And it is widely spread and affordable!
Instead of buying a ready besan (chickpea flour), I am using dried chickpeas which I grind in my blender. Whatever may be your choice, try to incorporate this legume into your daily diet and you will be pleasantly surprised with the magical flavour-places chickpeas can take you!
One of them are the savory chickpea pancakes, which can be made with variety or veggies preferred by your family.
To make chickpea pancakes you will need:
- Besan flour
- Spices as per your taste: turmeric, garam masala, cumin for an Asian flavor or basil, oregano, thyme for a more Mediterranean twist
- Olive or other healthy option oil
- Plant-based milk or water
- Veggies like spinach, carrots, onions, peppers…
Mix all the ingredients to get a thick batter. Bake the pancakes for a few minutes on each side, or until they become firm and get a golden color. Serve with traditional Indian raita salad.
Banana pancakes
No banana should ever be thrown away. No matter how dark they get. Just use them as the main ingredient for banana bread or pancakes, both great breakfast meals for a whole family.
My favorite banana pancake-style means making thick and juicy ones in which you can taste the chunks of the fruit. I tend to add coconut flakes into the batter almost every time, just to round the exotic taste. With the remaining ingredients – healthy flour like oat or whole wheat, plant-based milk and a plentiful of spices (turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg), you have ensured a tasty and nutritious first meal of the day.
What should you serve them with? My proposal would be to skip on any sugary spread or syrup, and to opt for freshly mashed fruit such as berries, you have mixed with, say a handful of grinded walnuts and some cacao.
Get your perfect banana pancakes recipe here.
There are so many healthy breakfast ideas, whether you prefer your first meal to be sweet or salty. I hope these proposals inspired you for an even better start of the day and more interesting recipes. If so, do share!