Breakfasts On The Go
Updated: Oct 24
For me, a nutritious breakfast really sets the tone for how I feel throughout the day.
Having never been a morning person, I would allocate myself the bare minimum amount of time I needed in the mornings to get myself looking somewhat presentable before rushing out the door to work.
I would regularly buy something en route; a cream cheese bagel, some toast, a sugary pastry if I was feeling indulgent, or porridge if I wanted to be healthy.
As these breakfasts lacked protein, complex carbs, fibre or healthy fats, it was unsurprising that I would find myself snacking on whatever was available (usually chocolate or crisps) mid-morning.
Nowadays, a rushed piece of toast whilst I'm running out of the door just doesn't cut it for me! I need something that will keep me full until lunch so that I'm not snacking throughout the morning; something that will give me enough energy to start my day off right.
I found that investing some money in the right containers meant I could prep breakfast ahead of time, and (literally) throw breakfast into my backpack in the morning before heading out the door. I'm a huge fan of these and use them all the time (non-sponsored):
Thermos Stainless Steel - 470ml for keeping food hot or cold
Black + Blum Stainless Steel Lunch Box (microwave-safe) - 600ml
Summer Sun to Winter Warmth - Transition your breakfasts
In summer, it's easy to throw together a quick smoothie or a yoghurt bowl with some granola, fresh fruit and whatever seeds I have on hand. As the mornings are getting colder (and darker!), I need something a bit more warming, so I've adapted some of my breakfasts to feel a little bit more comforting.
Stewed Apple and Yoghurt Bowl
Ingredients:
Greek yoghurt
Very important that you get a thick Greek yoghurt for the protein content and beneficial gut bacteria. I like Yeo Valley Organic Greek Recipe 0% Strained Natural Yogurt.
Splash of milk of your choice
1 whole apple with skin
Keeping the skin means you'll be consuming more of the apple pectin, a soluble dietary fibre that helps to regulate blood sugar activity
Oats
Rolled or steel-cut, not the quick oats. Oats are rich in (soluble) fibre, it's rich in beta-glucans which have cholesterol and blood sugar lowering effects.
Seeds or nuts
You can use chia/ground flaxseed/pumpkin/sunflower/hemp for the seeds, or almonds/walnuts for the nuts.
If you need to be conscious of your fat intake, I would suggest using smaller quantities of these as despite their numerous health benefits, they are still high in (healthy) fat.
Method:
If using seeds, start by soaking them in the yoghurt with the added milk. The liquid content of the milk will be absorbed by the seeds and help you digest them better, and therefore absorb more of their nutrients. If using nuts, these can either be added to the pan with the oats or sprinkled on top.
Chop up your apple into small pieces. Add them to a pan with a little bit of water, we want the apples to be nice and stewed and for them to be slightly wet.
About half way through the process, add your oats and stir to mix. You can cover the pan to speed up the process and prevent the mix from drying out.
Once the mixture is sufficiently cooked, transfer to the bowl with the yoghurt. The hot apple/oat mixture and it's liquid will ensure that the yoghurt warms up a little so it's not cold to the touch.
Top with nuts (if using), cinnamon or ginger and enjoy!
'Overnight' Porridge
So whilst this may look very similar to the previous one, it's milk based rather than yoghurt and can be warmed up in the morning before you leave for the day. You can use the containers I've suggested above to keep it piping hot on your journey to work.
Ingredients:
Oats - Ideally rolled or steel-cut, not the quick oats. Oats are rich in (soluble) fibre, it's rich in beta-glucans which have cholesterol and blood sugar lowering effects.
Milk of your choice - I use the Plenish Almond Milk for this, it has 0 additives, oils or gums.
Seeds or nuts - You can use chia/ground flaxseed/pumpkin/sunflower/hemp for the seeds, or almonds/walnuts for the nuts. If you need to be conscious of your fat intake, I would suggest using smaller quantities of these as despite their numerous health benefits, they are still high in (healthy) fat.
Fruit to top - Banana, rasperries, blueberries
Optional add ins:
Cinnamon/ginger/nutmeg/nut or seed butter to top
Protein powder. I love the protein from the Organic Protein Company (non-sponsored), they have amazing tasting powders with very minimal ingredients and no nasties.
Dates for natural sweetness
Method:
Start the night before by soaking all of your ingredients apart from the fruit in the pan you'll cook this in the next morning. Soaking everything overnight means you'll be able to better digest any of the seeds or nuts you've added. It's also much more convenient to do the prep the night before so you aren't rushing in the morning.
In the morning, cook your porridge on a low heat, you may need to add more milk or water to this to ensure a good consistency.
If you're using the Thermos, you can fill it up with boiling water whilst the porridge is cooking. I find that this helps the food retain heat.
Once the porridge is cooked, you can add this into your Thermos (make sure to empty the water first!) along with any fruit you want to add. Cover immediately with the lid to trap in the heat.
Add a small amount of milk to whatever is left in the pan and heat it up.
Open up the Thermos lid and pour the hot milk inside, do not stir. This will prevent the porridge from getting stuck together, and you can stir it in once you're ready to eat.
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Ok so this isn't strictly a winter breakfast, but having chocolate for breakfast feels SO indulgent and comforting. Top with hot stewed fruit to make it a little more warming, this can be heated up in the morning.
Ingredients (2 servings):
40g protein powder - I use this one from the Organic Protein Company
250ml milk of choice - The amount will also depend on what protein powder you're using/its consistency and also the type of milk you use.
2 dates (pitted)
12g cacao powder - This is not the same as cocoa powder. Cacao powder is antioxidant rich and roasted at a very low temperature. It retains a lot of it's nutrients.
20g chia seeds - A tiny seed with a multitude of health benefits! They're rich in omega-3, fibre, antioxidants and amino acids.
2 tsp whole psyllium husk - This is a fantastic soluble fibre and prebiotic, great for your gut health. It'll help to create a pudding like consistency when the mixture sets.
Optional add ins:
Cinnamon, nut/seed butter, stewed fruit
Method:
Add all ingredients to a blender.
Blend until smooth, adding slightly more liquid if necessary. You don't want this to be too liquidy, so ensure you don't add too much.
Pour into your two containers and refridgerate overnight.
When you're ready to eat this in the morning, top with the add ins of your choice.
Granola
Don't let the marketing fool you on 'healthy granola' labels you see at the supermarket! Often very high in sugar and unhealthy oils, these so called 'health foods' aren't as good for you as they claim to be. Additionally, the serving size is often so small that with just 30g of granola, you're hitting high levels of fat and sugar by the end of the first meal of the day.
Making it is very straightforward and you just need one large bowl and a saucepan.
Ingredients:
250g oats
Rolled or steel-cut, not the quick oats. Oats are rich in (soluble) fibre, it's rich in beta-glucans which have cholesterol and blood sugar lowering effects.
50g organic coconut sugar
You can sub this with maple syrup or honey. Coconut sugar gives it a lovely caramel flavour
60g walnuts
60g almonds
50g unsalted sunflower seeds/pumpkin seeds
65g ground flaxseed
Nuts and seeds can be interchangeable depending on preference and allergies
They are a great source of healthy fats, omega-3s and various micronutrients depending on your choice of nut/seed
50g EVOO
85g egg whites
Egg whites give it a fantastic crunch and allow the granola to be broken into nice chunky clusters when it's completely cooled. Plus, it gives the benefit of a little extra protein
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 170C
Add all dry ingredients into a bowl. You can roughly chop or food process your nuts/seeds if you want them in smaller pieces
Warm up the olive oil and sugar/maple syrup/honey in your saucepan (don't boil, we just want this to be slightly warm). When it's warm, take it off the stove and whisk in the egg whites so the mixture is airy and silky
Stir into dry mixture
Spread onto a lined baking tray as thin as possible. This is very important! If the mixture is too thick then it won't crisp up as it bakes and you'll have soft clusters which you don't want
Bake until golden brown (about 25-30 mins), be careful as it can burn easily
Remove from the oven and leave to cool COMPLETELY before breaking into clusters. This is the hardest part because it smells so good when it comes out of the oven!
Store in an airtight container in the cupboard
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