Thinking outside of the cereal box

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!