Mix up your breakfast routine this New Year with simple, affordable and balanced recipes! Here are 5 breakfast recipes that are super easy making it easy to start off 2018 with your health and wellness in mind.
Since breakfast is breaking the fast from your hopefully long and restful night of sleep, it’s an incredibly important meal of the day! It is the meal that you choose to refuel your glucose stores with, the meal that jumpstarts your metabolism, the first nutrients of the day you give your body. Those who eat a balanced breakfast are proven to have a lower Body Mass Index, have better academic success, better focus and attention, improved moods and behaviors, and fewer illnesses and absences from work or school. Even though we know that breakfast is so important, with how hectic life can be it can be a challenge to stay on top of your breakfast game. So to start the New Year off right here are five simple, affordable and balanced breakfast recipes that will help keep you on track with one of the most important meals of the day- breakfast!
Strawberry Oatmeal
The fun thing about oatmeal is that you can really make it your own. You can add maple syrup, cinnamon, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds- the list goes on! This strawberry oatmeal recipe is extremely simple and includes just 5 ingredients, and takes only about 10 minutes to make! This recipe makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 4 cups water
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups strawberries
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon more to taste
- 4 teaspoons maple syrup more to taste
Directions
1. Boil water for oatmeal.
2. Slice strawberries.
3. Add oatmeal and a pinch of salt to the boiling water, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 5-7 minutes.
4. When oatmeal is done divide between bowls and top with cinnamon, maple syrup, and strawberries.
Avocado Toast With a Fried Egg
Avocado toast may seem like a fad right now, and maybe it is, but it’s also delicious and full of super healthy, monounsaturated fats- making it a heart healthy food! Pair with a fried egg and whole wheat bread and you have a simple, filling and healthy breakfast. This recipe makes 1 serving.
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 egg
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 slice of whole wheat bread
- 1/2 avocado
Directions
1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and swirl to coat skillet, then immediately crack egg into skillet.
3. Add 1 teaspoon of water to pan, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 1 minute.
4. Remove egg from pan, season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 with each egg.
6. While eggs are cooking toast bread and slice avocado.
7. Lay avocado slices on toast (or spread on if they are very ripe), sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and top with an egg.
Blueberry, Kale and Almond Butter Smoothie
Smoothies are a really easy way to get a lot of nutrients in during meal time. They’re also an easy way to get your veggies in if you’re not too keen on eating green.
This smoothie combines the natural sweetness of fruit with creamy yogurt and nutty almond butter that all together do a pretty good job of masking the kale- without losing out on the health benefits! This recipe makes 1 serving.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1/3 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/3 cup frozen pineapple
- 3/4 cup kale
- 1/2 cup water
Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and mix until smooth.
Chocolatey No-Bake Power Balls
These ‘Power Balls’ are a great way to prepare for breakfast if you are usually running out the door in the morning. They’re easy, delicious, and way healthier than they taste! Sub out chocolate chips for cacao nibs if you want to cut down on the sugar and boost the nutrients.
This recipe makes 12 servings.
Ingredients
3/4 cup large flake oats- 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Mix everything together, shape into balls and freeze. These taste best if you eat them straight out of the freezer!
Classic Omelet With Spinach And Basil
This omelet recipe is a great way to get in a filling and super simple breakfast- that tastes good! Making omelets with vegetables mixed in also makes it really easy to increase your veggie, fiber and nutrient intake. Try adding broccoli, mushrooms, onions, garlic or more! It can be a lot of fun to get creative with omelets and add your own spin on things. If you like things a bit more simple- that’s okay too! This recipe makes 2 servings.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 eggs, whisked
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons spinach, chopped
- 1/4 cup parmesan
Directions
1. Chop basil and spinach.
2. Grate cheese
3. For each omelet: Heat 1/4 of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high.
4. Whisk eggs with salt and pepper.
5. Pour 1/4 of whisked eggs in pan, reduce heat to medium and continue to cook over until eggs begin to set, but not cooked through, ~3 minutes (eggs will continue cooking off the heat).
6. Top half of the omelet with chopped basil, spinach, and cheese.
7. Fold, reduce heat to low and cook until basil and spinach are warmed through and cheese is melted, about 1 minute. 8. Repeat with remaining eggs.
The recipes in this blog post are taken right from Eat Well With Gina’s Meal Plans! These meal plans are designed for anyone who is trying to get to a healthy weight, adopt a healthier lifestyle, struggling to find a balance with food, or even if you are just trying to stay more organized with your meals. For more recipes for any meal of the day check out Eat Well With Gina’s Meal Plans!
