It’s easy to let breakfast slip off your mind during hectic mornings. But what if having a healthy bite in the morning can actually help you shed pounds? This study shows breakfast eaters tend to gravitate less towards high-carb snacks during the day and better at maintaining their weight loss results.
So it seems to be a worthwhile idea to add a few minutes of breakfast time into your morning routine.
I understand the struggle. I tried just having a banana or a bowl of oatmeal, but that only made me crave more food around 10am. Today’s tips are for you if you are looking for ways to have a simple and balanced breakfast that will get you better energy and hold you over till lunch.
Build your own energizing breakfast using the Sweet & Savoury Breakfast Checklist (stay tuned for the complete checklist this weekend):
Tip #1: Make sure your breakfast is high in protein
Protein is a key nutrient to add to your breakfast. It promotes satiety by preventing blood sugar from taking a nose dive. My favourite easy-to-digest protein items are quinoa flakes, oats, eggs, avocado, nut & seeds. I find these items easy to digest, especially in the morning when the body is just starting to wake up. These options help me avoid feeling gassy and bloated.
Tip #2: Include some healthy fats
Yes, I’m not kidding. Healthy fats from a whole food source, such as hemp seeds, chia seeds and salmon are good fuel sources that burn slowly and keep you full.
Another reason to add a healthy fat to your breakfast is that fat is essential for better brain power. 60% of our brain is made up of fat. This nutrient is constantly needed for maintaining the brain’s integrity and keeping the mind sharp. I’m not a morning person, so this is a very compelling motivator for me to eat good fats at breakfast.
With these 2 key ingredients in mind, I want to make a delicious recipe that travels easily even on days when I’m rushed. I have made this granola so many times and discovered some creative ways to enjoy it. For breakfast, I like to have it over some coconut yogurt, or pack it in a mason jar with some nut milk and turn it into overnight oats. For snack, I like to sprinkle it over apple slices with some nut/seed butter. Not like a lot of the sugar-loaded options out there, this granola recipe is slightly sweet and you can really enjoy the hint of unique sweetness and flavour from the goji berries. This recipe is high in protein and contains essential fatty acids to fuel your morning! Let’s get started.
Good Beautiful Morning Granola
Serves 8
This toasted granola is crunchy, lightly sweetened with a little bit of maple syrup, warming spices and goji berries. Hope you have a beautiful morning!
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Granola base
1.5 cup rolled oats
1.5 cup quinoa flakes
3 tbsp maple syrup
1.5 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (surprisingly delicious, but optional)
Superfood boosters
1/4 cup dried goji berries
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/8 cup chia seeds
1/8 cup raw cacao nibs
1/8 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250 F. Melt the coconut oil in microwave for about 10-15 sec (this will depend on your room temperature)
In a mixing bowl, make the granola base. Add the rolled oats, quinoa flakes, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, salt and cayenne pepper. Make sure all ingredients are well combined using a spatula.
Bake for 15 minutes until the granola base is slightly toasted and golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Transfer the granola base into a large mixing bowl, add the superfood boosters of your choice: goji berries, unsweetened coconut flakes, hemp seeds, chia seeds, raw cacao nibs, and dark chocolate chips and toss to mix.
Notes
Once the granola is cooled completely, keep the granola in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.