Bringing breakfast back!

One of the most common things I’m asked as a Naturopath is for diet advice, particularly breakfast and snack ideas. We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after fasting overnight it provides the fuel to get going in the day, or at least it’s meant to. With our growing schedules and busier lives, breakfast seems to be getting further down our ever-growing list of priorities. I want to re-inspire you to bring breakfast back to the top of your priorities in the morning!

Traditional breakfast ideas of toast or cereal, while filling, don't provide many nutrients and don't release energy slowly. Many cereals are filled with refined sugar, so you get an immediate burst of energy that quickly drops, leaving you feeling hungry and tired by mid-morning. The ideal breakfast would have a good mix of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats to keep you feeling full for longer and to release energy slowly throughout the morning.

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The best tactic is to have breakfast prepared in advance as much as possible. Making things like breakfast muffins, granola bars and energy bars in advance and freezing them means you’ve always got things available that are full of nutrition and no hidden sugars. As always, homemade food as close to its natural form is best! Food that can be taken on the go is perfect for commuters or those perpetual late-runners (I’m working on that, too!)

Healthy muffins are great for taking on the go, such as...

Blueberry, banana and raisin muffins from Deliciously Ella. Now you can see why I'm a little bit obsessed with her blog! You can always reduce the date and maple syrup used for less natural sugars, for example if you're diabetic.

Some savoury muffins from Anna Barnett, these are gluten free too...

Finally, these sugar-free almond and berry muffins. You can add whichever berries you fancy!

Granola can be served as bars or you can crumble them up into organic cows milk/nut milk or natural yoghurt. Be careful with yoghurts, those advertised as 'low fat' often have a ton of refined sugar instead! Best to go for natural or goats milk yoghurt. You can even serve them in jars and take them with you to eat on the go or when you get to work...

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Some granola recipes to get you inspired:

A simple five ingredient granola bars from Minimalist Baker.

Banana, pumpkin seed and almond granola bars- another from Deliciously Ella.

Granola bars are great because you can swap ingredients around to suit your taste and make different flavours really easily. Try swapping these around...

The humble toast re-invented…

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Wholemeal, seeded bread is far better than white bread and particularly good if it's homemade. You can get really creative with toppings so the bread just acts as a holder for some delicious and nutritious ingredients. Why not try:

- Smashed avocado with lemon juice and pepper

- Grilled tomatoes

- Houmous with roasted vegetables

- Scrambled or poached eggs and spinach

- Banana and peanut butter

- Smoked salmon and cream cheese

- Nut butters

- Garlic mushrooms (easy on the butter, though!)

- Guacamole (avocado, tomatoes, coriander, lime juice and spring onions)
- Homemade baked beans/bean chilli

Porridge is a great start to the day, but the toppings/ingredients are the important part. For those on a gluten-free diet, quinoa can be used similarly to oats to make a porridge, or you can get certified gluten-free oats. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but often processed in an environment with gluten-containing grains.

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Porridge ingredients:

- Blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, strawberries, raisins...

- Shredded coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, cacao powder...

- Apples, pears, bananas...

- Roasted figs, dates...

- Nuts and seeds...

- A little agave syrup or maple syrup, rather than refined sugars

If you have more time available in the morning, take advantage of it and cook up a breakfast that’s delicious, but packed full of nutrients to set you up for the day. For example, a vegetable frittata such as this one from Food Matters.

You can add any vegetables you fancy, but the protein in the eggs will provide loads of energy for the whole morning and take you right through to lunch!

Hopefully this has inspired you to get creative in the kitchen in the mornings and make breakfast an important part of your day. I assure you, within a week you'll feel an increase in your energy, less energy lows mid-morning and over the long-term, you can increase your overall health with an extra dose of fruit and veggies in the morning!

What's your favourite recipe here? Have you tried any and how did it go? Do let me know in the comments below!

Zoë Clark is an Osteopath and Naturopath trained at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine in London.

Practicing in Howe, near Norwich (01508 558373) and Burston, near Diss, Norfolk (07543 557746).

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