What's your nutritious, weekday breakfast?

TexanInNorway

Hi all -

I was wondering - what does everyone eat for breakfast during the week? I have been hunting for a meal that strikes a balance between good nutrition and reasonable prep time.

Right now, I am doing this a few days a week:

• 1 fried egg, yolk + white
• 1 small avocado, approx 150 g
• 2 slice smoked salmon, approx 60g
• Quinoa, approx 2/3 cup
• Blueberries, about half a small container, 70g
• Small glass OJ, 2/3 cup
• Small glass unsweetened almond milk, 2/3 cup

This totals approx 670 calories (15% protein / 45% fat / 40% carbs). The salmon provides almost all of my daily B12, and the OJ provides all my daily vit C.

The egg is the only thing I cook in the morning, as the quinoa is cooked in batch earlier in the week. Still, on some mornings, this seems like a lot of work! So I am looking for other suggestions or simpler meals!

What do you guys do?

K

Hilary

I like to eat Oatmeal every morning! It might not be the most balanced option, but its easy, warm, comforting and fills me up until lunch! I also love that I can change it up every day. Sometimes I just eat it plain, and sometimes I add fruits, seeds or Nuts! And transportable, so I can eat it in the car on the way to work, at home, or when I get to work! (And coffee of course )

Paul

Usually just rueful sips of coffee.

Apparently 5:30 is too early to be grinding coffee beans and practising accordion.

butterfly

Oatmeal with fresh cranberries added plus a teaspoon of maple syrup. A cup of strawberries. A cup of goats milk kefir - this is experimental since. Ginger tea or just warm water. Occasionally I have a cup of rice plus cooked vegetables and a tiny bit of butter. Sometimes just salad with raw vegetables and some fruit (usually berries of some kind) and lemon juice and maybe some avocado. Right now I've got a ton of organic cranberries in the fridge so I'm adding them to everything, lol.

(In some ways I think I do better off all dairy but I struggle for enough nutrients, fat and calcium so I keep adding bits back in).

I can't have any gluten so that cuts a lot of stuff out. I plan to buy a Zorijusi bread maker and make gluten free bread or pastry.

Susan_RD_101

My absolute favourite breakfast is:

• 2 slices Silver Hill's bread (this bread has 6 g protein and 5 g fibre per slice!)
• 2 T almond butter
• 1 T cocoa nibs
• As many blueberries as I can eat with a sprinkle of hemp hearts over them

I drink my coffee at least a few hours after breakfast to make sure my iron gets fully absorbed.

kahbakerjd

Two that I like depending on circumstances:

Turn on small skillet
Throw 2 slices Dave's Killer thin sliced bread in toaster
Crack egg in pan and scramble
Put three slices Rose Canadian bacon in microwave for 30 secs
Flip egg and put one slice of pepper jack cheese
Put all on toast and in approx. 3 minutes you have great egg sand - grab some fruit from counter (banana, baby oranges,) or fridge (berries, pineapple)...plus portable so if I need to eat it the car taking kids to school I can.

For flight days - leaving house at 4:15 before I'm ready to eat

1/2 roasted veggies in skillet (I keep some roasted mushroom/pepper/other veggie mix in the fridge - roasted in olive oil with garlic mixed in)
dice 3 slices Canadian bacon and throw in pan
scramble 1 or 2 eggs depending on what I need for the day
put tortilla in micro for 50 secs (longer than usual)
once veggies/ham start to brown, scramble in the egg
wrap in tortilla and then wrap in double layer of foil, grab banana, throw in carry on - less than 5 minutes

stays hot and delish through airport security and onto the plane and I've even had it after landing in my first connector and it's still warm and better than anything I'll find at airport.

butterfly

TexanInNorway
Does smoked salmon have a lot of salt? Or can you get it without salt? I've been trying to figure out my b12 too and have been having some fresh salmon.

Hilary

Smoked salmon according to our NCCDB food entry of "Salmon, Smoked" contains 369.6 mg of sodium which is 25% of the RDA Value listed in Cronometer.

TexanInNorway

@kahbakerjd That sounds delicious! Will have to try! I haven't had a breakfast taco in ages.

@butterfly @Hilary Ah good point with the sodium. The smoked salmon I buy doesn't taste salty, so honestly I hadn't thought about it. I have never seen a low salt version of smoked salmon, but we don't get a lot of variety here in Norway... so maybe it exists in the US! I think as long as we're not over-doing it on the sodium elsewhere, some smoked salmon won't hurt.

Hilary

While we don't currently support the norwegian foood database, it is available to the public online http://www.matvaretabellen.no/.
You might consider creating a couple of custom foods if you are finding limited information on norwegian specific foods! One day we might support the Norwegian database but we do have a pretty long list.
I took the liberty of searching for Smoked Salmon in the Norwegian database. Here is what I found regarding salt content

Ferishia

On the weekdays, I really struggle to eat a nutritious breakfast, since I have to leave house at 7.15 and before that, I take my dog on a walk that is at least 45 minutes... Plus I have to get up late enough not to wake up anybody else, but early enough to finish preparing my meal before the others get dressed and come to the kitchen (we have a small kitchen). What I usually do:
1. The evening before, I prepare 40 g of rolled oats (the ones I have are pretty thin and get soggy just after being submerged in water... really good on weekdays), 1 heaping tbsp of ground flax seed and 1 tsp of carob powder in the bot I want to boil them in. I also make sure that I have a tomato and 2 eggs in an accessible place, prepare all my pans, knive, cutting board... Sounds like nothing, but really makes everything in the morning go smoother. I also fill my tea infuser with some kind of herbal tea, preferably nettle or mulberry leaf.
2. I drink some water right after waking up. Then I go to the kitchen.
3. I dice a tomato, then I crack two eggs on the pan (no oil whatsoever), season it with salt and pepper and add some of the tomato. I just "sprinkle" it all over the egg whites, as I'm really careful not to destroy the egg yolks (just a personal preference, I don't like it when they mix with the whites). I cook it on slow, as I like my yolks almost raw, just warm.
4. I put some water into a... kettle (do you call them that way) and wait for it to boil.
5. Meanwhile I fill the oatmeal pot with 1 cup of water and add about 60 g of frozen bilberries. Stir everything and leave it on slow.
6. I fill the tea mug with hot but not boiling water.
7. I drink half a glass of water with probiotic fermented juice concenrate (2 tsp). If the eggs are not done yet, I'll munch on the tomato that's left. If they're ready, then I just transfer the tomato to a plate and sprinkle it with black cumin.
8. I cut some chives/green onions, then wash the knife as I won't need it anymore. I add the chives to my egg-tomato mixture and scramble it for a few seconds, then transfer to a pan.
9. I eat the eggs and the oatmeal is still warming up (I don't bring it to a boil). When I'm done with the eggs, I transfer the oats to a bowl and eat them.
10. I drink my tea as a form of dessert.
11. Wash the dishes. Everything, including eating, is done in 25-35 minutes depending on the day.

tldr:
*two extra large scrambled/fried eggs (no oil) with one big tomato, salt, pepper and some chives, plus sometimes a little of black cumin
*oatmeal (40 g oats, 60 g frozen billberries, 1 heaping tbsp ground flax seeds, 1 tsp carob powder, no sweetener)

• herbal tea
• fermented vegetable extract concentrate (2 tsp)

That's about 457 kcal, 23.5 g protein, 37.8 g net carbs and 19.7 g fat... plus half of daily fiber intake, lots of biotin, choline, vit. A, omega-3, manganese and selenium (90 or more % RDA)

Paul

I don't think I could fry an egg without oil ^. Are my pans cursed? I'd clean them with my tears.

I like French omelettes for their not needing too much oil-ness. Pepin and and Michel Roux have good videos; but the Japanese artisans who make omurice are the most fun. I like to make as much noise as possible, then top with smoked paprika or english mustard.

comanchesue

I am still slightly astounded that my Muffin in a Minute keeps me full longer and more satisfied than my breakfast of eggs, bacon, and broccoli. I make it with 1/4t baking powder, 28gr almond meal, an egg, 1/2t pumpkin pie spice, 1t coconut oil, a squirt of splenda, and a dash of salt. I nuke it in a rocks glass for one minute, cut into three pieces and spread each with a bit of cream cheese.

edella

I'm using my own enhanced version of bulletproof coffee, made in my little hand blender. I remove the minute blade, and put in 2 tbsps each of unsalted butter and coconut oil, and half a tsp of raw cocoa. Then I put the blender's plastic lid on and pop on a funnel that fits through the hole, and add coffee, feshly ground, on a filter paper. Finally I add boiling water and let it drip through.

When the fats are melting, I yank off the lid, pop on the blades and crack two large eggs in as fast as possible. I place the metal power unit on top of the blender and give it a very thorough, frothy blending. It is rich and really creamy and supplies quite a lot of the day's fat and protein. The carbs are pretty minimal and get added during a mostly veg based evening meal .

Its a bit of a juggle the first time, but its OK now. The frustration is that the little hole in the lid isn't wide enough to hold my usual ceramic coffee filter. ( A nutribullet would be perfect, but I'm too mean to spend all that money for a morning coffee, when I can do it for free with existing equipment!)

EatFruitBeHappy

Fresh fruit. Today = sliced banana, orange segments, green grapes. Energy through the roof with an all fruit breakfast.

OldHobo

Another oatmealer here.

Except my oatmeal is made of one part steel cut oats, and one part whole toasted buckwheat groats, aka kasha, and lately, since I'm searching for replacements for recently forsaken bread, most cheeses, and processed meats; I toss in an equal part of crushed pecans.

Cooked in a double boiler with milk or a plant-based milk substitute and sweetened with a teaspoon of brown sugar, half tsp. cinnamon, and either a banana or ¼ cup dried fruit; cranberry, blueberry, or tart cherry.

Takes 40 minutes but because of the double boiler, it is unattended cooking time.

Susan_RD_101

I just spent a week in Costa Rica and fell in love with their breakfast of rice, beans and fruit!

Paul

Costa Rica! I want to go. And spelunking in Belize.

_ I toss in an equal part of crushed pecans._

I'm calling the cops. I jest - this is wonderful. Sounds like you have things figured out.

Susan_RD_101

@Paul ! You should. For anyone eating mostly plants, it was very vegan friendly. Montezuma was my favourite.

Have fun spelunking!

Dawny

My breakfast smoothie: half a medium avocado, ounce of kale, ounce of spinach, small carrot, half cup frozen blueberries, TBLS flax seed, TBLS hemp seed, 8 ounces unsweetened coconut water, 3 cherry tomatoes, half an apple with skin & seeds, & water to rinse the nutribullet cup. Hour or so later, usually a couple hard boiled eggs, or salmon patty(homemade recipe). Keeps me full until lunch and around 70% of nutrients for my day.

stubar

I see a lot of people have oats for breakfast. I'm new here and noticed that the nutritional info for oats on cronometer show almost no nutritional value - no vitamins or minerals. But if I check elsewhere they have a wide array of benefits. It's made me doubt the accuracy of the information on this site.

OldHobo

Welcome stubar. You'll get responses from smarter folk than me but while you're waiting you will notice there are data entries of different types and from different sources. As others will explain more fully, it is helpful to look at the ones from the NCCDB and USDA databases. Others may apply to a particular brand, but include only the nutrients listed on the nutritional label.

My oatmeal is made in part from half and half:
1. Oatmeal, Steel Cut, Dry - Food #459148, Data Source: NCCDB
2. Buckwheat Groats, Dry - Food #465523, Data Source: NCCDB

I often misunderstand the question so if this isn't helpful, be patient. Better responses will soon follow.

Hilary

@OldHobo , You got it! NCCDB and USDA entries usually have the most complete information. @stubar Check out this blog post https://cronometer.com/blog/6-tips-getting-nutrition-data/ to learn more about choosing your data wisely!

HealthyHoney

Go-to Winter Breakfasts: (a) 1/4 c liquid egg whites (or 2 whites from separated eggs-see below for what to do with the yolks), 1 T 1% milk, shake of Mrs. Dash onion & garlic=mix well with fork in coffee cup; 1/4 c raw spinach, chopped, which is in the pan first to wilt. Pour egg over spinach and scramble. (b) Pre-make a breakfast burrito. I even make several, wrap well and freeze the remainder. They travel well and can be zapped in a microwave when you arrive. One, 8-10" burrito (the stores have some healthier ones in the refrigerated section). Place burrito on a piece of wax paper that is about 9" wide. Filling: 1/2 oz low fat mozzarella shreds spread over half the burrito. Top cheese with 1 T diced cooked veg (leftovers!) and either 2T scrambled egg or cooked meat or cooked beans. Season as desired with dry ingredients. Gently move the filling into a rough oblong perpendicular to the diameter of the burrito and fold nearest sides in toward the edges of the oblong. Then gently roll the closest edge of the burrito over the filling, while ensuring the edges that were folded in first are tucked into the roll. Continue rolling and tucking. When the burrito encapsulates the filling, roll the wax paper over the burrito roll once, tuck in edges and roll completely over. You can now either put the wax paper roll in foil or a plastic zip bag to freeze or store; or put it in the microwave and zap at medium power for about a minute. The inside can be hotter than the outside so watch out.
If I have house guests and/or several busy days, I will freeze up a bunch of these.
Extra yolks? Place 1-2 yolks in snack size, zip top baggie with 1 T tap water for each yolk. Seal. Mush the mixture around in the bag with your hands until the yolks are pretty well mixed with the water. Label bag with number of yolks and date. Freeze for near future use (less than 4 months)in baking or full-fat scrambled eggs.

mander

I haven't eaten breakfast since some time in the 90s lol

Paul

Breakfast tastes better on vinyl

spot

I can't cook anything more complex than a cheese omelette at that time of day with a dab of butter to get it started, making 370 calories. I get the remaining 400 in time for the evening news, usually as a salad. Alternative breakfasts focus around fried fish and mushrooms. Ten minutes cooking in the morning is my limit.

PianoMan

Since I'm doing a low carb diet, just 2-3 scrambled or fried eggs (usually add pepper, hot sauce, tad of lowry's, and grated cheese) and either a couple sausage links, couple slices of bacon, or a meat stick if I'm in a hurry. Coffee (black) to drink.

504

I usually have chili, a veggie fruit shake, and a hot cocoa:

gearup328_2619

Half an avocado 95g, One soft boiled organic egg. Ham (uncured) or turkey 85g. Fresh ground coffee black, two cups. That's it. The avocado is totally inaccurate on COM. I halve and remove the skin/seed and weigh.

Hilary

@gearup328_2619 Yum! Thats one of my favourites too! Especially on some sourdough toast with some dijon mustard!
Remember whole food weights can vary a LOT so that why weighing is always the best option! Serving sizes listed on Cronometer for items like this can only be estimates at best! You can save a serving size that is more convenient for you by saving a copy of the food and editing in a new serving size! Rename it to differentiate it as your custom food and mark it as a favourite for easy access!