Do you look forward to your breakfast every day? Does your breakfast make you FEEL GOOD? Would you like for both of these things to be true, without a lot of fuss? I got you. Today we’re talking simple, plant-based breakfasts. SIMPLE! That means no blender, no mess. These breakfasts help my family to start our days right, and stay on track with our health and nutrition goals. I hope they can do the same for you!
We’re going to make breakfast FUN
- Feel-Good, Uncomplicated, Nourishing
- Fabulous, Under 10 minutes, Nutrient-dense
- Fruity, Unfussy, N…. next level? Sorry, I’m out of acronyms.
The Guiding Principle: Focus on Fiber and Nutrient Density
Fiber makes you feel full and satisfied, nutrient density makes you feel full of energy!
Nutrient Density refers to the amount of nutrition provided by each calorie in a given food. Many nutrients per calorie = high nutrient density. Few nutrients per calorie = low nutrient density.
Personally, I hate talking about calories. I don’t count them and I don’t recommend it as a useful practice for most people. It is, however, extremely helpful when making food choices to understand the concepts of Calorie Density and Nutrient Density.
Below, please check out this Calorie Density chart put together by Chef AJ.
Simply put, whole, plant foods such as fruits and berries, vegetables of all varieties, whole grains and legumes come with a lot of nutrients and not a lot of calories. The caveat to this, of course, being high-fat plant foods like nuts, seeds, and avocado.
The average person eats between 3 and 4 pounds of food per day, regardless of the caloric/nutrient make-up of those pounds. Being strategic about what foods you choose to constitute those 4 pounds can have a huge effect on whether you’re on a path of weight gain, weight loss, or in a state of energy balance.
The 3 Common Components: Berries, ground flax, and whole grains.
Let’s take a quick peek at each.
1. Berries
Berries are high in antioxidants, and they pack in a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. They bring color, sweetness, and enjoyment to your meal.
My recommendation: Buy frozen, buy in bulk. Unless berries are in season where you are, big frozen bags will be the most affordable option. Keeping your freezer stocked makes boosting the nutrient density, enjoyment, and fiber of a meal a snap.
2. Ground Flax or Chia
Both ground flax and chia seeds are great sources of ALA, the “parent Omega-3” fatty acid that converts to DHA and EPA in the body. 1 tablespoon of ground flax per day is an easy, inexpensive way to add healthy omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. Additionally, they’re both very high in fiber.
My recommendation: To get the most ALA bang for your flax or chia buck, you need to grind it yourself and then store it in the fridge. Why? Because Omega-3 oils are volatile, they degrade over time. Buying ground flax will give you fiber, but not much ALA.
At our house we use a small spice grinder to grind enough flax to fill a mason jar that we keep in the fridge. Each day, we open it up and sprinkle a tablespoon on our breakfasts. When it’s empty, grind again! For us, this is usually once every 2 to 3 weeks. Unground flax lives in the pantry until we need it.
3. Whole grains
Countless studies have shown that whole grains fight inflammation, feed beneficial bacteria in the gut, reduce risk of type 2 diabetes, reduce risk of colorectal cancer, and they may even reduce risk of stroke.
My recommendation: Batch cook some quinoa (or other whole grain of choice) to have on hand for Breakfast Grain Bowls. Keep rolled oats in the pantry for No Cook Oats to Go. Keep a loaf or two of sliced, whole-wheat sourdough in the freezer. Again, buying in bulk reduces cost. Tiny packets of quinoa are expensive as hell at the supermarket, but a kilo of the stuff will cost significantly less at the bulk store.
And now for the Fuss Free Plant-Based Breakfasts!
I hope you found all that introductory information useful. It’s the WHY the drives the WHAT.
1. Super Charged Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
- Cook up a big batch of quinoa and keep it in the fridge.
- Spoon cold quinoa into a bowl and add berries, flax, and plant-based milk.
- Boost it further with raw nuts or seeds if you budget allows, or a sprinkle of goji berries if you like them.
2. No-Cook Oats To Go
This could very well be overnight oats, but I honestly whip this up most mornings that I go to work. I take it with me in a jar, then eat it when I’m hungry.
- Place raw, rolled oats in a jar.
- Cover with plant-based milk.
- Sprinkle in a tablespoon of ground flax or chia
- Fill to the rim with fresh or frozen berries.
- Boost further further with raw nuts or seeds if you budget allows, or a sprinkle of dried fruit if you like it. Adding dried spices like cinnamon and ginger will also increase anti-inflammatory power!
- Put on a lid and take it to go. Shake well before enjoying.
There’s a caveat to this one. Some people won’t like the chewiness of rolled oats that have only soaked for an hour or two. If that’s you, you have two options. First, buy quick oats. They’re more processed than rolled oats, which means they’re a bit higher on the glycemic index. But they’re still a great option, and you can eat them without any soak time. Second option; make this at night. The overnight soak in the fridge will soften up your oats and make them more enjoyable the next day.
3. Whole Wheat Toast with Nut Butter and Berries
I know, it seems too silly to share. That’s why I don’t post recipes for stuff like this, but it is something we eat regularly! And it’s a great breakfast.
- Toast some bread.
- Spread some nut butter on it.
- Cram a bunch of berries on top.
It’s good to know that sourdough bread has some health benefits over yeast-leavened bread. The fermentation process undergone by sourdough reduces phytic acid in the final product. Phytic acid is an anti-nutrient that blocks the absorption of certain nutrients, in this case, zinc. Zinc is a “nutrient of concern” on a plant-based diet, meaning it’s something plant-based eaters should pay attention to. Therefore, choosing whole-wheat, sourdough bread is a smart choice for plant-based eaters.
A slightly more involved version of this breakfast involves making your own Tofu Cream Cheese. I highly recommend it if you don’t mind getting out the food processor!
4. Boxed cereal upgrade
Yeah that’s right, just add some friggin berries and flax to your favourite boxed cereal. Choose a packaged cereal that is high in whole grains and low in sugar. Our favourites are from Nature’s Path. I love their minimalist packaging, and that they feature organic, whole grains. We regularly buy Heritage O’s and Heritage Flakes.
5. Berry Buckwheat Pancakes
Admittedly, this requires the most “fuss” out of all of these suggestions. There is cooking involved. Still, I wanted to share it because it ticks all the boxes of berries, flax, and whole grains. Additionally, leftover pancakes make for excellent snacks. Speaking of which, this Blueberry Buckwheat Pancake recipe makes a larger batch. Choose this one if you want to be sure to have leftovers.
That’s all folks!
Please let me know if you like posts like this. Share you thoughts in the comments, or shoot me a message. I would be happy to put together similar roundups for lunches, dinners and snacks if there’s interest! Much of what we eat on a day-to-day basis doesn’t involve recipes. It’s really about making an effort to include whole, plant-based, nutrient-dense foods wherever and whenever possible. It doesn’t always make for great blog fodder, but it’s definitely a sound foundation for a healthy diet, and a healthy relationship with food.
Be well everybody,
-lacey