Standard Australian diets usually consist of cereal for breakfast.
And why not? It’s an easy and quick
breakfast option- all we need to do is add
milk. Clever marketing means that many have the mistaken belief that it is a
healthy option. ‘High fibre’, ‘wholegrain’, ‘nutrient rich’, ‘high protein’ are
common claims seen on the labels.
However, there are almost no cereals that are a healthy
option. All are highly processed, refined and full of added sugar. The grains
themselves have been heavily processed, often with the husks, fibres, germ,
hull etc all removed. This might make for a smoother texture, but also means
the bulk of the fibre, protein, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins have been lost.
The heavy heating processes used to turn the grain into its cereal form (such as
a ‘flake’ or ‘bix’) will also lead to nutrient loss.
So the question is what do you eat for breakfast?
Here are some
ideas to get you thinking outside of the cereal box:
- - Oats are a good choice - they are
high in fibre and protein and are excellent for cardiovascular health. Look for
whole oats and avoid the flavoured varieties. (You can have them plain with some
yoghurt and fruit, or make porridge.)
- -Bircher muesli - not everyone has time to cook
themselves porridge for breakfast. Bircher can be made in batches and the soaking
of the oats means they are soft to eat. Soak oats overnight in freshly squeezed
apple juice, milk, coconut milk or yoghurt. You can add nuts, seeds and dried
fruit to the mix for more flavour. Serve with some fresh fruit and a dallop of
natural yoghurt
- -Make you own muesli -try whole oats, puffed
brown rice, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, flaxseed meal, chia seeds,
gojo berries and sultanas.
- -Super grains - puffed amaranth, buckwheat and
rice, spelt and rye flakes can all be found in health food stores. You could
enjoy these on their own, or mix together to make your own homemade muesli. Be
sure to add nuts and seeds.
- -Scrambled eggs - with spinach, mushrooms, basil
and freshly grated parmesan with 1 slice of rye toast
- - Fruit salad - this alone won’t sustain you for long,
but add some protein to it and you will last hours. Try yoghurt, low fat
ricotta or cottage cheese.
- -Breakfast frittata - easy option as you can make
one batch to last the next few days. Be creative with flavours and add lots of
vegetables.
- - Pancakes - don’t have to be unhealthy. They can be
made using flour (I suggest buckwheat or spelt for added nutrition), egg and
milk. Top them with fresh fruit, ricotta and agave syrup for a nutritious
breakfast. Make extra mini pancakes to have as pikelets with similar toppings
as a snack.
- -Brown rice - can be a yummy breakfast. If having
with dinner, make extra for breakfast the next day. Sauté some mushies, red
onion and baby spinach. Add some tamari for flavour and sprinkling of pumpkin
seeds and sesame seeds. Brown rice can also make a sweet porridge - cook
on the stove with some soy/cows/almonds milk, cinnamon and mixed berries.
- -Toast- is a good option, but it’s all about what
you put on top. Honey, jam or vegemite is not going to cut it. Every meal
should be seen as an opportunity to add extra nutrients to you day. Use good
quality sourdough breads or burgen bread. Toppings can include avocado/eggs/cottage
cheese and tomato/goats cheese and tomato/ tuna and alfalfa/sardines/homemade
bakes beans/ smoked salmon and avocado.
- -Scrambled tofu- Silken tofu with veggies-
mushrooms, shallots, spinach, tomato
- -Breakfast power smoothie - excellent for people on
the go. Add 250mls milk (vary cow milk, soy, rice, almond, oat and quinoa
milks), berries, half a banana, chia seeds, flaxseed meal, oat bran and crack
in a raw egg. Blend, and you have a quick and highly nutritious breakfast.
-Leftover veggies - use these from dinner along with some haloumi and/or smoked salmon and/or marinated tofu.
Breakfast doesn’t need to make sense!
