Healthy Breakfast Ideas – Part Two

I wanted to share a few more suggestions for nutritious breakfasts you and your children are sure to love:

Oatmeal is a great breakfast idea. Use steel cut oats or old fashioned (soaked overnight with one tablespoon of kefir or yogurt and one cup of water). Excellent add-ins are fruit, berries, nuts (walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, almonds), cinnamon, sesame seeds, chia seeds; adding some quinoa flakes bumps up the protein content and some oat bran makes it creamier and bumps up fiber content. Sweeten with either stevia or Lakanto for a satisfying and nutritious start to the day.

If your child likes cold cereal, look at the ingredients carefully and avoid anything that is sweetened, particularly with high fructose corn syrup or any artificial sweeteners. The fewer the ingredients on the side of the package, the better. Shredded Wheat, Shredded Wheat and Bran and Grape Nuts are good choices. You can add some Lakanto or stevia to sweeten if desired and top with fruit and almond or hemp milk.

A fruit and granola parfait is another great idea. Use organic granola, organic plain kefir or yogurt (plain Greek yogurt is especially thick and creamy); sweeten with a few drops of stevia and flavor with cinnamon and vanilla extract and layer in a pretty glass with whatever fruits your child especially likes.

Muffins can be a tasty, nutritious and portable breakfast on the go. These high protein muffins are special favorites of my husband and my children.

You can make regular sized or mini muffins and flavor them any number of ways. By substituting 3/4 cup of quinoa flour and 1/4 cup of coconut flour for white or even wheat flour, 3/4 cup of quinoa flakes and a scoop of whey protein you increase protein content. Here's the entire recipe:
Ann's High Protein Muffins:

Dry:
1 cup of flour: (use any combination you like)
3/4 cup quinoa flour and 1/4 cup coconut flour;
½ cup quinoa flour, 1/4 cup millet flour & ¼ cup coconut flour or 1 cup whole wheat (I also like spelt flour which is a type of wheat)
¾ cup quinoa flakes or old fashioned oats,
4 tbsp rapadura (unprocessed sugar) or Lakanto; 4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, Pinch sea salt, 3 tbsp ground chia seeds/flax seeds/sesame seeds, 1 scoop whey protein

Wet: 3 bananas mashed
3 eggs lightly beaten
4 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

Mix wet ingredients into dry just until mixed. Possible add ins: frozen wild blueberries, frozen cherries, chopped nuts, dark chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes for mini muffins – 20 minutes for regular sized muffins (3”). 12 regular and 12 mini muffins.

Variation #1:
Substitute ½ to ¾ cup of apple sauce for the bananas.

Variation #2:
Substitute 16 oz pureed pumpkin for bananas, increase rapadura to 5 tbsp., add cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice – add ins could be dried cranberries and walnuts!

Variation #3:
Substitute ¼-1/2 cup of oat bran for part of the quinoa flakes or oatmeal. I do this for my husband’s muffins since he has cholesterol issues. I also add ground flax and chopped walnuts for the omega 3’s.

Eggs are absolutely the best breakfast item - a perfect protein - whether hardboiled, scrambled, sunny side up or an omelet brimming with vegetables, most kids love eggs. Try making a "toad in a hole" - use a piece of whole grain bread or sprouted grain bread; cut a hole out of the middle; melt coconut oil in your pan; put the bread in and toast for a minute or two; break one egg into the hole in the center and cook to desired doneness. You can even decorate it with slices of cheese, veges or berries. You can toast the cut out or save and make small snack sandwiches with them.

Take a Step:

Get creative and offer some different breakfast foods to your children this week. I guarantee that they will have better focus and more energy. You will also notice more sustained energy when you take the time to eat a nutritious breakfast.

Until next time, I wish you vibrant health. Ann