Nourishing Breakfast Recipes

IDEAS FOR BREAKFASTS

*All these ideas are really just playing around to see what works. These are some ideas we use, but build a list that works for you and write down what’s available that week on a board on the fridge. That way the kids can see their choices without too much thought when they are rushed for time or can’t be bothered thinking.

1. Mini quiches (can be prepared and frozen) Reheat in oven for 10 mins. Add extra veg that the kids can’t see e.g. peeled zucchini or grated cauliflower. If they are ok with carrot for example, then add grated sweet potato as it looks similar. Be sneaky!! You can even smash some white beans such as butter beans or cannelloni into the mix. All extra veg portions for the day and extra protein.

2. Oat, rice bubble, quinoa slice – breakfast or a good snack.

3. Smoothies - The benefit of these is that you can hide heaps of the good stuff without the kids knowing. Freeze chopped zucchini, cooked cauliflower and cannellini beans. These all add creaminess and don’t change the colour. Add in a teaspoon of flaxmeal, chia or hemp seeds. These can’t be seen when blended

4. Freeze smoothies into ice creams for grab-and-go. See above for what to add in. They will never know it’s there!

5. Eggs - any way that you like them, poached, fried, scrambled with cheese on whole wheat toast or a good quality sourdough. Add extra vegetables or herbs into a scramble, or put any vegetable on the side e.g. cucumber, cherry tomato’s, carrot... Sprinkle on some seeds for extra protein and add avocado or

olive oil for healthy fats. It’s important to try to add vegetables to every meal, as just having them at dinner definitely does not meet the 5 a day they should be having. A half cup of vegetables is one serving

6. Healthy pancakes – cook and freeze and add toppings such as maple syrup and berries.  

7. Cooked apple with yoghurt or used for a quick crumble (you can keep crumble in the fridge for adding and then throw it in the oven) We just throw anything into the crumble such as oats, flax meal, seeds, coconut and a touch of maple for sweetness and to combine it.  Great for an after-school snack too.

8. Yoghurt pots. We mix natural Greek yoghurt with a few drops of maple and vanilla essence. The flavoured yoghurts you buy are packed with sugar. We layer it with granola and berries or mango in a jar. This is a great protein source and a good probiotic for their tummies.

9. Breakfast muffins. (Freeze and defrost in microwave for 30secs or put into a toasted sandwich maker) Try your favourite muffin recipes but cut back on the sugar and sweeten with banana, or cooked apple and swap out refined white sugars for coconut sugar or maple syrup. It is all still sugar but doesn’t give them the highs and lows as they are much lower GI. Play around with different recipes they love and cut the sugar content slowly over months. Also swap out part of the refined flours with pulsed oats or other flour such as almond meal or tapioca. I often use a 50/50 mix to avoid it tasting completely different.

10. Porridge with added seeds, nuts, dates etc… You can also mix the above-mentioned mashed white beans into the mix for added protein. We add cooked berries or apple which we cook in advance and put into the fridge for heating or using cold.

11. Creamy porridge made with full-fat milk or plant-based milk with added

seeds, nuts or nut butter. Add frozen or cooked berries or apples (precooked

and kept in the fridge)

CHEWY HOMEMADE GRANOLA

(This is a chewy granola as it contains banana) You can also substitute any nuts you like.

Ingredients:

½ cup of almonds (roughly chopped)

½ cup pecans (roughly chopped)

3 cups rolled oats

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

1Tbsp chia seeds

2 Tbsp sunflower seeds

A pinch of salt

1tsp vanilla

5 Tbsp coconut oil (Our girls like the tasteless one)

5 Tbsp of maple syrup

2 ripe bananas

2 Tbsp of almond or natural peanut butter (optional)

Method:

1. Whizz bananas in food processor or mash

2. Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and stir

3. Place maple, coconut oil, vanilla and nut butter if using into a pot and melt together slowly

4. Add the wet ingredients along with the banana to the dry mix

5. Spread out onto a tray and bake 190 degrees for 15-20 mins. Stir every now and then to prevent burning

6. Cool and store in a glass jar or container in a cupboard for up to a month

OVERNIGHT OATS

These are a great option if you need to grab and go. Mix them in small glass containers and

store in the fridge.

You can change the additions to suit your taste e.g. mango and coconut, chocolate and

peanut butter, and the seeds can be swapped out or cut down on for younger children if

needed.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of rolled oats

1/3 cup Greek natural yoghurt

1/3 cup of almond milk, oat milk or cow’s milk if you prefer

1 tsp each of chia seeds, sunflower seeds and pepitas

Optional 1 tsp of pure maple syrup

Berries of choice (Can be frozen or fresh)

Method:

1. Mix the oats, yoghurt and milk together in small glass jars

2. Add seeds and maple if using

3. Mix and top with berries

4. Store in fridge for up to 4 days

YOGHURT POTS

An excellent swap for store-bought yoghurt full of refined sugars. Store in glass containers in

the fridge. Remember once natural or coconut yoghurt is opened, it only lasts for 5 days.

Ingredients:

Berries (such as blueberries, strawberries or any other berry of choice) or

mango (Can be frozen or fresh)

½ cup of natural or coconut yoghurt

¼ teaspoon of pure maple syrup

1-2 Tbsp of berries or mango

Optional - a drop of vanilla essence

Method:

1. Squash the fruit with a fork and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla if using

2. Stir the mix through the yoghurt and place into glass jars in the fridge or reusable yoghurt pouches for lunchboxes.

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

These are great for breakfast or putting into lunches. We like warming them and placing into a

thermos for school lunch.

The mixture can be prepared and left in the fridge or freezer until you want to cook them or

cook and leave in the fridge to reheat if desired.

Ingredients:

2 large zucchinis (grated)

1 teaspoon of salt

2 large eggs

½ cup of cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp of nutritional yeast (see note below)

½ cup of almond flour or almond meal

3 Tbsp of tapioca flour (can be subbed out for plain flour)

1 finely sliced spring onion

1/4-1/2 tsp of garlic powder

¼ tsp of dried oregano

½ corn on the cob (cooked and cut o cob)

Method:

1. In a colander combine the grated zucchini and salt. Stir and place over a bowl to drain.

2. After 10 minutes, squeeze as much juice out of the zucchini as you can by hand or with a nut-milk bag.

3. Add all other ingredients to a mixing bowl and carefully stir through the zucchini. If the mixture looks too dry, you can add an extra egg. I often also add a pinch more of sea salt, however, this is to your taste.

4. Make into round, flat patties on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook for 20 mins before flipping and cooking another 10 mins in a 180 degree oven.

5. Nutritional yeast may not be a common ingredient kept in cupboards, but it is a staple once you start using it. It has a savoury, cheesy flavour and is lovely stirred through any pasta sauces you make as well. It contains B vitamins, trace minerals and protein. WIN, WIN!!

HEALTHIER PANCAKES

Ingredients:

½ cup of SR flour

½ cup of oats (whizzed in a nutribullet or similar) to a flour

1/4 cup of milk or choice, soured with a squeeze of lemon

2 Tbsp of natural yoghurt

½ banana

2 Tbsp of coconut sugar

1 heaped tsp of butter

More butter for cooking

Method:

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor or NutriBullet and whizz until just smooth. Be careful not to overmix. You can thin down the mixture with more milk if needed but a thick mixture produces thick, fluy pancakes.

2. Melt butter in pan and cook in batches. Top with berries, maple syrup, natural peanut butter or anything of your liking.

PREBIOTIC COOKED APPLES

Cooked and cooled apples are a great source of prebiotics, feeding those good gut bugs.

It’s great for adding to yoghurt bowls or having with some granola on top for breakfast or a snack

Can top with a mix of oats, seeds, nuts, butter or coconut oil, and maple syrup and bake in the oven for a healthy crumble.

Ingredients:

5 green apples (peeled and chopped)

2 tsp of flaxmeal

1 tsp of cinnamon

3 Tbsp of water

Method:

1.     Peel and chop green apples into small pieces.

2.     Place in a pot with all other ingredients and stir.

3.     Cook on medium heat with lid on for around 8- 10 mins or until apples are cooked to your liking.

4.     Stir occasionally and add extra water if needed

5.     Store in a glass container for up to 5 days.

BERRY JAM

Use to top pancakes, spread onto toast or in yoghurt or granola bowls.

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen mixed berries (or can use a single berry)

1 tsp of pure maple syrup. Add more if needed

1 Tbsp of chia seeds

Method:

1. Place all ingredients into a pot and cook on low heat with lid on until the berries have broken down and you have a jam like consistency. You can thicken it with a little cornflour if needed at the end.

IDEAS FOR TOAST

Try to always add a protein and healthy fat. Replace margarine for butter. Choose a good quality sourdough, a rye bread or a wholewheat bread. If GF, strange grains do a good buckwheat or sprouted quinoa bread that toasts beautifully.

• Avocado and eggs

• Cheddar or cottage cheese and tomato

• Guacamole and bacon (nitrate-free is best)

• Bacon and egg with rocket and sliced tomato

• Natural peanut butter and chocolate spread (Pana organic hazelnut is a good one)

• Pana chocolate, hazelnut spread with sliced strawberries and a sprinkle of seeds of choice

• Natural peanut butter with banana and a sprinkle of seeds of choice and cinnamon

• Honey with banana, strawberry, and granola on the side