If I were a car, I would have one of those old diesel engines that need to be warmed up. My mornings start slowly, very slowly. I’m so grumpy that my son has given me a fridge magnet that reads “Just plain evil without my coffee.”
It is indeed only after a strong, sweet espresso that I can start to think, but still not enough to be creative about my breakfast. My upbringing doesn’t help either. In my family – as in most Italian families – breakfast was strictly sweet and most of the time consisted of milk and coffee with dry cookies.
Considering cereals the American equivalent of Italian cookies, my first instinct would be to turn to the classic bowl of milk and cereals. However, knowing how important variety is, this automatic choice can happen only once in a while.
Add to this picture my early bird of a husband who is famished by the time I wake up, and you’ll understand why I plan our breakfast the night before.
Over the years I’ve come up with a few choices and, if you are like me, they might not only introduce more variety in your first meal but also help you start your days better, knowing that your nutritious meal can be prepared without much thinking and in just a few, easy and simple steps.
- Soak ½ cup of muesli in water overnight, together with one dried fig or a couple of dates. On the next morning, add fresh fruit (my favorites are grated apple or banana), 1 Tbsp. of heavy whipping cream, some cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Dice one apple, one mango and one avocado, cover with fresh squeezed orange juice, add some chopped macadamia nuts and a handful of raisins.
Change fruit (all strictly organic, please) and nuts according to the season. - For a delicious fruit smoothie, put one mango, one apple, a handful of berries, and 2 Tbsp. of dried coconut flakes into the blender; add a cup of almond milk and blend.
- Cook an apple and a pear in little water, together with ¼ cup of raisins and a couple of dried prunes. Serve with a scoop of your favorite yogurt and some nuts.
- If you prefer a savory breakfast, spread some of your favorite nut butter (almond, macadamia or hazelnut) on whole grain bread and cover with braised lentils or hummus. A good alternative to nut butter is ghee (see recipe).
- In a rush? This is a classic, but still one of my favorites. Toast a slice of sprouted-grain bread; spread some unsalted organic butter on it and a couple of teaspoons of no-sugar-added jam or jelly.
- Omelets with vegetables are also a healthy choice. Dice half a bell pepper, wash a handful of spinach leaves, and slice a couple of mushrooms. Sauté in little coconut oil (or your favorite oil) in a shallow pan, add two beaten eggs and cook, moving the pan so that the eggs spread on all its surface and cook evenly. Fold in two and serve with half a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, to counteract the cholesterol in your eggs.
- And how about replacing Canadian bacon with avocado slices on your Egg Benedict made with toasted whole-wheat muffin?
- Leftover frittata? Serve a generous slice of it with some fresh goat cheese and a glass of carrot juice.
- Cook a handful of brown rice in almond or oat milk, let it cool down and refrigerate it. Just before breakfast, warm it up in your microwave for a few seconds, zest some orange rind on it, add a few drops of maple syrup, stir, and add some berries for an energizing breakfast.