Most people fall into two categories when it comes to breakfast, they either eat no breakfast, or they eat something very conventional. Pretty much what is on offer at your standard hotel breakfast buffet: Cereals, full English, buns etc.
I think that is boring!
And more importantly. It is a wasted opportunity.
Every Single Day!
Why not optimize your breakfast? Why not eat the most nutritious food you can get your hands on every single day?
If our human adventure is powered by our ability to maintain a healthy body. Why on earth are we starting the day fueling our body with bleached toast, sugary cereals and the likes. You wouldn’t pour kitchen oil in your car…
So, I decided to do something about it. I decided to start from scratch. To hell with convention! What should I be eating?
I was reading a book about nutrition a couple of years ago promoting the nutritional advantages of tubers and lots of olive oil.
My early “creative” breakfast ideas centered on sweet potatoes baked in the oven, mixed with spinach. I added some hemp protein powder for protein content and drenched the entire thing in olive oil.
Surprisingly this actually tasted really well, and I enjoyed eating something warm for breakfast.
However, this was during the pandemic, where I had lots of time to bake potatoes etc. I needed something quicker and I also wanted to further improve on the nutrients.
I tried endless computations, and over time I arrived at the following recipe.
- Base of green leaves (baby spinach, blended kale, Swiss chard or similar.
- Steamed cruciferous vegetables (brocoli or cauliflower), I like to keep a bit of a crunch.
- Hemp protein powder, chia seeds and flaxseeds.
- Blueberries
- Cocoa nibs
- Cinnamon
- Matcha tea powder
- Olive oil
- Whatever seasonal fruit I have got lying around chopped into small pieces (apple, pear, orange, pomegranate, kiwi, banana etc)
Once I got started on the above, I can now vary the content endlessly. I have tried all sorts of spices with perceived health benefits, various nuts and seeds for added crunch, alternative vegetables and various supplements.
You will be surprised what sort of weird combinations of ingredients actually end up tasting really nice. I find that as long as I have ingredients providing a sweet taste (e.g. fruits) and something to provide a crunchy texture (e.g. nuts), the end outcome is surprisingly tasty.
Please don’t take any of the above as nutritional advice. I have no authority on that subject, but to me it is common sense that if you mix up a selection of ingredients that are generally perceived to be healthy, you are probably going to have a breakfast that is healthier than traditional options. If nothing else, it is a lot more fun to make.