There have been a lot of changes in the nutrition world around what constitutes a healthy breakfast or whether you even need to eat breakfast. As I’m currently following a very low carb, dairy free plan for the next few weeks this has made me delve into alternative breakfast options to my usual granola, yoghurt and berries. A couple of my favourites from this week are:
Smoothie bowl:
Almond milk, almond yoghurt, cucumber, lettuce, kiwi, kale, chia, pea protein, flax seed, maca, ginger, lime juice. Topped with pomegranate, coconut, cinnamon, cacao.
Filled egg pancake:
2 eggs and spoon of almond yoghurt for the pancake batter. Filled with sautéed leeks, mushrooms, tomatoes, flavoured with thyme, tarragon, dill, topped with tahini in almond yoghurt & lemon juice.
Some ideas for you to try with your favourite foods for a smoothie or pancake filling. To nutritionally balance and beat the boredom of the same breakfast every day:
- Pack in some protein: egg, nuts & seeds, Greek yoghurt, meat, fish, protein powder. Protein is very satiating and will keep you feeling full for longer.
- Rev up the veg & low carb fruit: spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, blueberries, kiwi. This increases the nutrient content of your meal. Nourishing your body and mind.
- Avoid added sugar, refined carbohydrates, sweeteners, over processed oats. These will cause a spike of insulin in your blood which delivers the sugars to your fat cells, which is why you can’t lose weight. Insulin then removes the sugar from your blood making you hungry again and craving sugar.
- Time restricted eating: Delay breakfast till mid-morning to allow a longer over-night fast. All you need in the morning is a glass of water. Fasting allows your body to repair itself and allows 2 key things to happen: lowering inflammation and improving insulin resistance.
Go wild and experiment. You might just surprise yourself!
