I love breakfast. It is my favourite meal of the day. Although, when I wake up and have no idea what I feel like to eat…it is hard. I will open the fridge or the pantry and hope something comes flying out at me so I don’t have to think about what to make.
“Without breakfast our brains and bodies are not nourished enough for our dreams to be accomplished for the day”
For many, many years my go-to breakfast was cereal. A big bowl of sultana bran, weetbix or weeties was always on the menu. With fruit because the fruit turned it into a healthy breakfast, of course. Occasionally I would have 2 boiled eggs with soldiers or eggs sunny side up (I absolutely adore runny yolk…delicious) with white toast and margarine.
Thankfully, breakfast is a bit more adventurous and certainly more nutritious than a bowl of cereal these days (thanks to my qualifications and desire to keep learning). And because I am obsessed with recipes and expanding my never-ending repertoire there is a lot more variety in my breakfast life too. I am also obsessed with lists so I have a notebook in my kitchen of recipe ideas for those days when inspiration is low and time is getting the better of me. The notebook is divided into 4 categories: Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Each morning is different. Some days I am woken up by my gorgeous 3-year-old alarm clock with the adorable sound of “mummy” ringing through the house or I wake up before she does and get to have a little lie in thinking about the day ahead; making a mental list of all the things that need to be achieved that day (knowing 90% of them will still be there tomorrow when I wake up). On the days I steal some precious moments for myself before the day begins are the days when I get excited about cooking something I haven’t tried before.
Even though most mornings it is only my daughter and I; and she doesn’t always appreciate my new breakfast dishes, I still want to be adventurous.
But there are also mornings where I am so tired I don’t want to make anything but we are both hungry and need to eat. This is when the notebook comes out and I find a really quick breakfast that is going to take me less than 10 minutes to prepare.
So, what are some quick breakfast ideas and what are some more adventurous ideas I hear you ask??? And, why should we make the effort to have a decent breakfast?
Firstly, breakfast needs to be thought of as your fuel for the day. Without the right fuel you will barely smoulder through the day when you ought to be setting alight a colossal blaze. With jobs, kids, housework, social life and everything in between stamina must be maintained.
“One cannot think well, love well or sleep well, if one has not dined well”
Virginia Wolf
To help maintan that stamina here are a few quick, but lasting, fuel ideas:
- Smoothie: green, chocolate, fruit
- Boiled eggs (keep a bowl of boiled eggs in the fridge)
- Porridge (oats or quinoa) with fresh berries and cinnamon
- Fruit kebab and yoghurt with LSA (ground up linseed, sunflower seeds and almonds)
- Homemade granola with almond milk or greek yoghurt and berries
- Avocado Pudding
- Wholegrain toast with vegemite, avocado and poached egg
- Pancakes
- Sweet potato waffles
- Mini breakfast quiche
- Banana bread
Wait…hang on a minute. Those last few ideas aren’t quick and easy. Well, no they’re not but when you make them for breakfast one morning always make double or triple the recipe so you can freeze the rest. Freeze in ziplock bags in serving sizes for ease. The pancakes, waffles and banana bread can all be toasted for a quick breakfast, while the breakfast quiche can be heated up and enjoyed with an herbal tea or homemade hot chocolate on a cold winters morning.
Adventurous Breakfast Ideas:
- Homemade Chorizo Baked Beans
- Quinoa Porridge
- Bacon and eggs in a muffin tin
- Sweet Potato Hash Browns
- Baked oat cups with peanut butter
- Sweet potato toast with eggs, bacon, grilled tomato and avocado
All of these breakfast ideas are interchangeable. I, myself, have a dairy allergy and intolerance to gluten so I understand how difficult it can be to find recipes to fit in with your dietary requirements.
I hope this makes your life a little easier in the morning when you aren’t sure what to cook, don’t have time for anything fancy or are too tired.
Eat Colourful. Live Colourful