Whole Health Wellness Blog | Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Massage, Nutrition | Denver, Colorado

My best breakfast tip is Rethink your ideas about breakfast.  The American breakfast – this notion of a separate group of foods served exclusively in the morning – is something of an anomaly.  For most of the world, breakfast consists of last night’s dinner leftovers.  Sound crazy?  Look at it this way: 1) Leftovers require Zero planning or preparation, 2) Having leftovers for breakfast eliminates those mystery containers shoved to the back of the fridge indefinitely, and 3) chances are they are full of good stuff like vegetables and protein (most of us don’t have donuts and coffee for dinner.)

Still not convinced?  How about modifying those leftovers into something a little more breakfast-y?  Here are some particularly adaptable leftovers…

Sweet  Potatoes

Take last night’s baked sweet potato and mash it Into your favorite hot cereal (like kashi or millet) Add a little cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice  f it’s too thick, add a little unsweetened soy or rice Milk and Enjoy!

Butternut or acorn squash work great too.

Or make a hash.  Chop sweet potatoes into a sauté Pan, add a handful of spinach (onions, bell peppers, Zucchini, etc.)  Serve with a poach or over-easy egg.

Vegetables – Any really…

Scramble 1 or 2 eggs with last night’s leftover Grilled asparagus (or zucchini, spinach, peppers… Etc.) Add a dash of your favorite seasoning, such as Italian seasoning or Fresh basil and garlic or Chipotle powder and cilantro For a vegan version, sub tofu (chop or crumble it) for the eggs.

Veg/Egg “Florentine”

Place a thick slice of tomato on a plate.  Topped with cooked chard (or any other greens) and a poached egg. Substitute kefir/Dijon mustard type sauce for hollandaise.

If hot cereal soothes your soul, try these:

Bob’s Red Mill brand – there’s over a dozen varieties to choose from, try the “Mighty Tasty GF Hot Cereal,” it’s gluten free and yummy.

Arrowhead Mills – also has a lot of varieties to choose from.  I especially like the “4 Grain with Flax.”

But leave out the butter and brown sugar.  Try some of these flavors instead:

Seeds – pumpkin and sunflowers are especially good
Spices – cinnamon, cardamom, and pumpkin pie spice convey a sweetness without the sugar
Nuts – almonds, pecans, or cashews
Herbs – Go for savory flavors, Basil or rosemary, perhaps with a little sundried tomato
Coconut – top your hot cereal with shredded coconut or add a little coconut milk
Some like it hot – diced jalapeno and pico de gallo or chipotle peppers (canned in sauce)

If you’re crunched for time…

1. Soups for Breakfast – Soups are fast.  They can be made ahead of time and can conveniently be consumed from your travel mug.  You’ll find several listed under the lunch recipes.
2. Rice cakes with almond butter
3. Chicken salad with Ryvita crackers, rice cakes, or Mary’s Gone Crackers – skip the coffee, skip the sweet stuff, you’ll get a bigger boost to your morning if you start with protein.
4. Finding cold cereals without added sugar could leave you reading labels in the aisles for hours.  These cold cereals have no added sugar.  Try them with unsweetened soy, rice or hemp milk: Arrowhead Mills, Shredded Wheat, Nature’s Path, Puffed Rice, Millet, Kamut, or Corn Weetabix, Erewhon’s Crispy Brown Rice, Uncle Sam’s Toasted Whole Wheat Flakes with Flax, Cascadian Farms’ Purely O’s and Multigrain Squares.

Or if you have plenty of time….

Frittata

• 3-4 small red potatoes, boiled and quartered
• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 c spinach or swiss chard, shredded
• Salt and Pepper. To taste
• 5 eggs
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Your favorite salsa or pico de gallo
• 1 lime quartered
• 1 avocado, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a small bowl, whisk eggs.  Set aside.

Saute the onions in the olive oil until slightly translucent.  Add the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes and sauté for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, if using.  Add spinach and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.  Transfer ingredients to a baking dish and pour eggs over top.  Bake for 3-5 minutes until eggs are cooked.

Serve with fresh cilantro, avocado, a squeeze of lime, and salsa.