Breakfast is a common “missed opportunity” when it comes to nourishing ourselves well. I often see clients reaching for things like toast, cereal, a banana or even just a cup of coffee. (If they’re parents. more often than not it’s toast crusts and cold coffee.)

I get it- mornings are busy… getting kids out the door, getting everything ready for everyone else… breakfast for YOU is the last priority. So you grab something quick and get going.

These meagre options leave you running on fumes by 9am, a little hangry, and probably craving some sugar or some more quick carbs.

Not ideal, my friends.

So today I have a few POWERFUL breakfast ideas for you to experiment with. All of these combine protein, fibre and healthy fats to keep your blood sugar stable, and keep you full and fuelled until lunchtime. Yes, they may take a little bit more forethought and a few more minutes in the kitchen, but I promise the trade-off when it comes to your mental focus, energy and satiation will be well worth it.

1. Protein-packed overnight oats

We want to start the day with at least 20g of protein, and plain oatmeal just isn’t going to get you there. I recommend adding some yummy grass-fed whey protein powder (if you can tolerate dairy) like in this recipe, or a combination of nuts and seeds, like in this recipe. (I recommend adding 1 tbsp of hemp seeds to get closer to that 20g mark!)

2. Eggs + veggies

Sound complicated for a busy morning? Trust me, if you prep the veggies on the weekend- this breakfast takes all of 6 minutes to put together.

If you don’t have veggies prepped, throw some spinach in with your scrambled eggs and add a handful of cherry tomatoes on the side of your plate to boost the nutritional value with zero prep or chopping!

3. Low sugar, high protein smoothie

All smoothies are not created equal! We do NOT want to be drinking copious amounts of sugar (even fruit sugar) first thing in the morning. I used to make this mistake a lot- adding 3-4 servings of fruit into the blender with very little protein or healthy fats to balance it out. The result was that my smoothies never seemed to fill me up, despite containing 400-500 calories. My rules for breakfast smoothies are as follows:

~20g of protein (either from protein powder, or a mix of yogurt, seeds and nut butter)
no more than 2 servings of fruit (one serving = about a handful or 1 cup)
At least 1 serving of veg
& some kind of healthy fat

Follow a recipe at first, until you get comfortable with what combos work best together.

Here are 2 combos I love:

With protein powder: 1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder, ½ a banana, 1 cup berries, 2 handfuls spinach and 1 tbsp almond butter, almond milk to blend

Without protein powder: ½ cup Plain Greek Yogurt, 1 Banana (frozen), 1 cup Frozen Raspberries, 2 tbsp Hemp seeds, 2 handfuls spinach, water or almond milk to blend

4. Yogurt bowl

A classic! If you can tolerate dairy, this is one of the easiest ways to start the day. Choose an organic, grass fed plain yogurt if you can find it. No added sugar, please! Then layer with nuts, seeds, fruit, nut butter and/or homemade granola for flavour. Here’s a pretty one for inspiration.

Note: if you’re dairy-free, make sure you’re choosing a yogurt substitute that actually contains some nutritional value. Too many on the market right now are full of sugar and not much else. Remember, we’re looking for some protein here!

5. Avocado toast

Basic avocado toast is yummy- and I love the healthy fats and fibre it provides, but like our beloved oatmeal, it’s missing the protein we need in the morning.

So, we have 2 options:

Throw a fried or poached egg on top- simple and delicious. Bonus points for a slice or two of fresh tomatoes. Yum.
Mash up some white navy beans into your avocado mixture before spreading it on the toast. About 1 cup of beans per avocado is a good ratio. Add a pinch of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon for extra flavour!

I like using sprouted grain toast because it has a higher fibre and protein content, and grains are more digestible when sprouted.

Taking the time to nourish yourself well in the morning is truly a game changer- it can help with energy and cravings all day long. I hope you’ll try incorporating at least one or two of these ideas into your routine!

Which one speaks to you?? Tag me @lizdornian on instagram if you try any of them!!