Happy November, everybody! With the Holiday 500 quickly approaching (or encroaching, if your to-do list has already started) Today is the first part of our month-long “better” series. With so much focus on food during the holidays, being “good” is hard. So why not change our expectations and be better instead. Nobody is asking you to defer eating Thanksgiving casseroles, or avoid a gratuitous amount of leftover Halloween candy, but how about for the other 95% of the times that you’re eating this season, you (at least, maybe) try do better. Do you know what makes being “better” easier? Having more resources, options, and ideas at your perusal to keep things interesting. All this month, we’ll be featuring our favorite “better” recipes for you to keep on your back burner (as it were) for the other 95% of the time this holiday season. Today, and like all mornings, we begin with breakfast!
Don’t get us wrong, we are bouty bouty that pancake lyfe, and sometimes only a cruise through Starbucks’s pastry counter will do… but, the other 95% of the time, when it is business as usual, having an easy, delicious, nutrient-rich start to your day is the way to roll.
I am all about getting my veggies in at breakfast. When I put together that you don’t have to eat “breakfast foods” exclusively for breakfast, the world opened up to me. All of my suggestions are big-batch make-aheads (for when you can’t even) or (at worst) require a solitary pan. Because unless someone is cooking for me, or it is a special occasion, this gal likes her breakfasts easy.
- Cauliflower rice “oatmeal”: This one is a tough sell, but soooooo worth it. Cauliflower is so innocuous in taste, that it easily transitions into an oatmeal-like texture. And it has almonds which make it nuttier. Seriously, y’all. So good. I make mine in a pretty large batch so I have it for 4-5 servings. Like oatmeal, there are endless variations to keep your taste buds happy. Pumpkin spice? Yep. Blueberries and cardamom? Sure!
- Cabbage with Bacon and ACV: Although this is technically a vegetable side dish, the bacon makes it feel breakfast-y, but the splash of apple cider vinegar gives it a bright taste that wakes up your taste buds. I sauté mine for longer than recommended until it is nice a mushy.
- Chicken Sausage with Mustard and Arugula Almond Salad- Trader Joes has an amazing Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage in links (that I turn into patties) and I use the mustard to dip and make a really easy vinaigrette for the arugula.
- Smoothies are always a good option. Imma let Coralie talk about hers since she made me a convert. But, I wanted to mention two smoothie related things. Thing the first, I drink mine with a jumbo-sized boba straw. Since things settle in a smoothie, getting a straw is the way to go. Getting a boba straw so that you can get every chunky last bite? Pro-level. And remember, the easiest time to wash your blender is immediately after use. Do not start drinking. Do not start enjoying anything until you’ve rinsed your blender.
- Banana Pancakes: This is an easy one. Two ingredients (three if you count the butter in the pan): bananas and eggs. If you aren’t allergic to either of those, then this is a staple. If you are ketogenic-ing it (like me) these Vanilla Cream Cheese Pancakes are a similar delicious (and easy) breakfast.
- Quinoa Breakfast Bowl: Like the cauliflower oatmeal hack, quinoa can also be used for a dense, nutrient rich, easy breakfast!
- Pita Avocado Egg Toast: Avocado toast is a thing for a reason. A toasted whole grain pita, with an avocado spread, topped with a fried egg. How yummy does THAT sound. Customize it from there. Salsa? Pesto? Cheese? Will the wonders never cease?
- Low-Carb English Muffin: I’ve basically cut out sugar from my day-to-day routine, which only sometimes bothers me. Who doesn’t love a good English muffin? This low carb, almond flour, egg-y lifehack, when toasted, has all of the delicious nooks and crannies and a great texture.
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Breakfast Couscous: Remember MC’s awesome guest post. Like cauliflower and quinoa before it on this list, this grain typically associated with savory applications makes such a great breakfast.
- And who doesn’t love a good egg scramble. I know eggs are a polarizing food. I love ’em, but they aren’t for everyone. I recently discovered putting cream cheese into my scramble… and it’s amazing. But, mod-ed scrambled eggs are on my plate a majority of mornings.
Here’s the deal- breakfast is important. You have to crank your metabolism every morning and there is no cranking without sustenance. So, you gotta eat breakfast. And there are mornings that only the big-ass breakfast will do- but, def not every day. What is key to a better breakfast, to me, is protein because protein is ultimately what will fill you up and keep you full. My favorite breakfast protein is eggs! Bub and I both love eggs, Baby Bubs won’t touch them with a ten foot pole!
- Poached Eggs: My sister-in-law Monica taught me how to poach eggs- it’s all about adding a dash of vinegar to the almost, but not quite boiling water. Poached eggs are so yummy and a great, great alternative to a fried egg. And I have said lots of times that quinoa is a great substitute for grits. So, a poached egg over some quinoa- double protein whammy!
- Egg in the Hole: This is one of my favorite, favorite breakfasts. I love it. It’s simple, it’s easy and it’s tasty. Yes, you can butter it up and use a thick slice of french bread- but, it’s just as tasty in a nice, wheat bread slice. So yummy.
- All this talk of eggs is making me want eggs!
- So, let’s talk about those smoothies. I am telling you- a spinach and fruit smoothie is delicious! And spinach is not my favorite thing to eat but, it is a loaded with awesomeness. So, any way it can be hidden in something yummy- I’m for it. Also, it’s really easy to throw in some chia seeds for an added better punch!
Wow! So many easy, delicious, nutrient rich foods! And a month-long feature? Too cool. What do you think? Would you try cauliflower rice oatmeal? Can you wrap your brain around a spinach smoothie? As always, let us know in the comments!
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