healthy breakfast – Kelly Toups, MLA, RD, LDN

People often ask me for healthy breakfast ideas. Even though I eat the same thing nearly every day (see Kelly’s daily oatmeal), the good news is that there are plenty of nutritious options for the morning meal.

1. Classic oatmeal

Nine times out of ten, I start my day with old fashioned oatmeal topped with raisins and almonds (see this post for details). Porridge is an ideal breakfast because it’s filling, quick to prepare, and helps keep your cholesterol levels in check and your microbiome happy. (And whether you go for steel-cut or instant, all oats are whole grains.) Plus, oatmeal can be customized to fit just about any flavor profile. If you’re ready to branch out the classic combo pictured above, try adding bananas, blueberries, honey, peanut butter, pumpkin puree, cocoa powder, or chia seeds. The sky is the limit! See one of my favorite blogs, The Oatmeal Artist, for more ideas.

2. Banana Berry Overnight Oatmeal

One of the easiest breakfasts just got easier. Instead of preparing your oatmeal morning of, you just throw the ingredients in a jar and let the oats soften overnight. See my Banana Berry Overnight Oatmeal blog post for a step-by-step tutorial. Once you get the ratio down, feel free to experiment. Some of my favorite overnight oatmeal recipes are Skinny Pumpkin Overnight Oats, Tiramisu Overnight Oatmeal, Applesauce Overnight Oatmeal, and Overnight Grapefruit Coconut Oatmeal.

3. Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Shake

Because some mornings call for chocolate. Right? Right. Just blend 1 frozen banana with 1 Tbsp PB, 3/4 cup of milk, and 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder. With protein, healthy carbs, and healthy fats, this shake has all major nutrients needed to start your day off right. For more details, and to see an equally healthy Dark Chocolate Mocha Milkshake recipe, check out this post.

4. Green Smoothie

While the obnoxious whir of a blender is not what I want to hear first thing every morning, green smoothies are a great choice for many reasons. They’re portable, nutritious, quick, and easily customizable. Note that I said smoothies, NOT juices. My favorite green smoothie recipe is a fresh banana, 1 cup frozen strawberries, a large handful of fresh spinach leaves, and 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt. (I don’t use ice because of the frozen berries). I also highly recommend this “Stripped Green Smoothie,” which I make when I have the ingredients on hand.

5. Whole Wheat Bagel Half with Avocado & Tomatoes, plus Fruit

Toast half of a whole wheat bagel, then spread with avocado, and top with tomato slices and cracked black pepper. Serve with a pear (or any fruit) on the side. The healthy way to enjoy a bagel is to pick a whole wheat bagel, only eat half, and top it with something nutritious. Yes, avocado has fat, but not the artery-clogging saturated fat that cream cheese is made of. And by only having half of the bagel, the portion size is much more appropriate.

6. Leftover Veggies & an Egg with Toast

Got leftover roasted vegetables? Nuke ’em in the microwave, then top with 1 egg, any way (or scramble them with the egg). Serve with a slice of 100% whole grain toast.

7. Granola with fruit and yogurt

Granola parfaits can be a total calorie bomb, but not if you do it right. The key to keeping this healthy is to use an unsweetened yogurt (I used Stonyfield Farms Organic Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt) and using a lightly sweetened granola (the wheat-free classic granola from Whole Foods Market is totally #dietitianapproved!). Bananas and figs go great with yogurt and granola, but any fruit will do!

8. English Muffin with Peanut Butter and Bananas

English Muffins are perfectly portioned, which is why I prefer them to regular bread slices or bagels. Just make sure to get a whole grain variety. And when shopping for peanut butter (or almond butter), make sure that the only ingredients are nuts and salt, with no added sugars or oils.

9. Fruit with Ricotta

Top chopped fruit with a generous dollop of part-skim ricotta and cinnamon. This tastes best with leftover baked fruit (I used a mixture of apples, pears, peaches, and pineapples), but fresh fruit will work as well. I have also microwaved a soft pear and achieved similar results. Don’t have ricotta? Cottage cheese is another great substitution. This dish (which was inspired by a Giada recipe) also makes a delicious dessert!

10. Make-ahead Breakfast Bake

Want a sure-fire way to guarantee a nutritious breakfast? Make it the night before! This Baked Blueberry Oatmeal is my very favorite breakfast bake (and bedtime snack!), but healthy muffins or quick breads are also great make-ahead meals to tackle on weeknights, rather than weekday mornings.

What is your go-to healthy breakfast?

– Kelly

While many folks claim to be unwaveringly loyal to a warm breakfast, I have converted quite a number of oatmeal enthusiasts to cold porridge (at least during the warmer months) by offering them some of my famous overnight oats.

The allure of overnight oatmeal is that it is prepared ahead of time, so in the morning, you can just grab a spoon and dig in. Overnight oats have taken Pinterest by storm for well over a year now, but for those that are hesitant, I have created a step-by-step guide. Once you have the basics down, you can concoct any number of flavor combinations, from Pumpkin Spice to Tiramisu.

Ready to shake up your breakfast routine? Here it goes!

In a small bowl, mash half of a ripe banana with a fork.

Add 1/4 cup of raspberries to the bowl and mash them into the banana.

Add 1/2 cup (or 1 individual carton) nonfat plain Greek yogurt to the fruit mixture,

and mix well. Now you have naturally sweetened yogurt! (Note: If you find that the fruit and yogurt mixture is too tart at this stage, feel free to add the other banana half.)

Pour the fruit and yogurt mixture into a mason jar (or container that can hold at least 12 oz). Then add 2 teaspoons chia seeds, 1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats, 1/4 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup water, and 1/4 cup blueberries.

Shake up the jar (or stir well) so that the contents are evenly mixed. Then place in the refrigerator overnight. As you sleep, the mixture will thicken up and the oats will soften.

In the morning, enjoy your refreshing oats straight out the jar, or spoon into a serving bowl and garnish with berries.

Banana Berry Overnight Oatmeal

Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ ripe banana
½ cup raspberries, divided
¼ cup blueberries
½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (or 1 individual sized carton)
1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2 teaspoons chia seeds
½ cup water

Method:

In a small bowl, mash the banana half with a fork.
Add half of the raspberries (1/4 cup) to the bowl and mash them into the banana.
Add 1/2 cup (or 1 individual carton) nonfat plain Greek yogurt to the fruit mixture and mix well. This is how you make naturally sweetened yogurt! (Note: If you find that the fruit and yogurt mixture is too tart at this stage, feel free to add the other banana half.)
Pour the fruit and yogurt mixture into a mason jar (or container that’s at least 12oz). Then add the chia seeds, oats, blueberries, remaining raspberries, and water.
Shake up the jar (or stir well) so that the contents are evenly mixed. Then place in the refrigerator overnight. As you sleep, the mixture will thicken up and the oats will soften.
In the morning, enjoy your oats cold straight out of the jar, or spooned into a serving bowl. Feel free to garnish with berries.

Nutrition: 350 calories, 6g fat (1g saturated fat), 55g carbohydrates (12g fiber, 20g sugar*), 24g protein, 1% Vitamin A, 42% Vitamin C, 15% iron, 28% calcium

*All sugars are naturally occurring- none are the dangerous added sugars.

Looking for other overnight oats recipes? These are the four that I make most frequently:

– Kelly

Kelly Toups, MLA, RD, LDN

Tag: healthy breakfast

10 Healthy Breakfasts in Under 10 Minutes

Banana Berry Overnight Oatmeal (Step-by-Step)