I love breakfast. It’s my favourite meal of the day, and because I usually wake up hungry (I appear to have a fairly fast metabolism, which is great if I don’t slow it down by eating too much crap!), I can’t really start the day without something substantial and yummy. I try to have a good blend of protein, healthy fat and carbs, as that keeps me fuller for longer and is a good general mix for a healthy happy breakfast!
I used to be a basic cereal girl growing up, but over the last 10 or so years, have expanded my reportoire (and increased my feeling of fullness!) with some exciting options which don’t take long to prepare, but taste wonderful! I also pair breakfast with a coffee – I only have one coffee a day, which I used to have around 11am as a morning snack, but realised I prefer it with breakfast, so I have my lovely Nespresso coffee with breakfast now! I like to sit and have my breakfast at home while reading sections of the weekend paper, I find it a relaxing way to start the day. However, I also have times when I have to travel a little longer for work (or have run out of time!), so I find that the below options also travel quite well to eat on the go!
So, below are a few of the things I love for summer breakfasts – winter breakfasts are different, warmer and will feature in a later post!
Common thread – fruit!
I love summer fruit – stonefruit (peaches, nectarines, plums – no apricots or mangoes, I don’t like them, go figure!). I also adore blueberries (have to have them daily!) and strawberries. So, each breakfast features at least one of these, if not all of these! I have been trying to eat more seasonally, particularly as I am also trying to eat the majority of my fruit & veggies from an organic source, and it’s much cheaper and more available to do this if you eat seasonally!! Summer in Sydney is all about stone fruit and berries, so I eat them daily and happily!! But all of the breakfast suggestions below could work just as well with frozen fruit or other fruit that you like.
Muesli
This isn’t a revolutionary idea, but I do love muesli as my default option (I have the Morning Sun brand one with peach and pecan). This breakfast can also travel really well, just put it all in a container and it can be eaten on the bus or at work! I used to have it with just milk and fruit, but now I add yogurt instead of milk, which keeps me fuller and tastes yummier! I also add a sprinkle of cinnamon (good for the circulation!) and some flaxseed on occasion (good for healthy fats and extra fibre). The yogurt I love is Jalna, vanilla flavoured – I know that natural/greek yogurt has less calories and sugar, but I do love the sweetness of the vanilla, and it’s not too much sugar, but makes me happy in the morning – it’s all about balance!
Breakfast bruschetta
This is a recipe that I took from the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation – I did this program in 2012, found it a great success for me (lost 10 kilos!), and while I haven’t necessarily continued the strictness of the regime, I have kept using a number of the recipes and the general eating ideas and focus on working out regularly!
This delightful breakfast (which can actually be winter or summer, but I’ve been eating it a lot recently!) requires bread, ricotta and fruit, and only takes a couple of minutes to make.
Recipe – Breakfast bruschetta
2 pieces bread (sourdough or fruit or raisin)
Around 80-100 g of ricotta (light or full-fat, I use the Perfecto Italian brand, but anything works!)
Fruit of your choice, cut up – I tend to cut up a peach or nectarine, and add a handful of blueberries or strawberries at this time of year, but in winter, when apples and pears are more in season, I sometimes grate up an apple and put it on, or have some stewed fruit.
1. Toast your bread
2. Spread your ricotta across the toast – the more the better, it will keep you fuller longer if you don’t skimp, you want a thick amount rather than a light smear!
3. Put your fruit on top.
4.Sprinkle cinnamon or cacao/cocoa on top.
5. Enjoy!
Peach, blueberry and strawberry breakfast bruschetta
Ncetarine bruschetta
Overnight oats
This is something that I have been recently introduced to from the lovely Kath of Kath Eats Real Food (http://www.katheats.com/?page_id=3889), and I love the ease of it (because you prepare it the night before, so it’s all ready to eat in the morning!), the softness and creaminess of the taste and the fun of eating out of a jar! (I’m kinda hipster in that way, I do love the jar eating – you can of course just put it in a bowl, but it feels more fun in a jar!) I don’t put the banana in, as in the original recipe, because I find it a bit overwhelmingly banana-flavoured, and I find it plenty filling without it, but experiment!
Recipe – Overnight oats
1/2-1/3 cup of rolled oats
1/3 cup of yogurt
1/3 cup milk
Pinch of cinnamon
Fruit – blueberries, strawberries, stonefruit
1. At night, measure your oats, yogurt and milk, pour into jar/bowl.
2. Add fruit and cinnamon – I add the blueberries at this stage, not necessarily the other fruit.
3. Stir to mix.
4. Cover (if a jar, put on the lid, if a bowl, cover in clingfilm or similar), and then place in the fridge.
5. The next morning, open, stir, add additional fruit if wanted, and then enjoy!
Top view of overnight oats!
It’s all about oats in a hipster jar – like being in your own cafe!
So, I hope I’ve given you some new ideas for yummy healthy breakfasts – please share some of your favourites in the comments below!
Update: A couple of people have asked about the jar featured above – I did buy it, because I liked the look of it, and use it often, but I have also tried making overnight oats in empty used jars, based on suggestions from other blogs. I did one in a peanut butter jar, so there were still bits of peanut butter in the oats, which didn’t really excite my tastebuds.
A top view of overnight oats made in a used peanut butter jar, with bits of peanut butter still in it!
Inside view – peanut butter jar overnight oats
However, yesterday I did one in a honey jar, and it was lovely!! Word of caution, though, I managed somehow to get honey on my sleeve, which went on my watch, which I didn’t notice until the end of the day, and gave my colleague a laugh by finding the honey, musing aloud where it came from and then trying to wash it off, I looked a little loopy to say the least!! Oh well, that’s pretty normal for me!!
External view – honey jar overnight oats
Inside the sweet sweet honey overnight oats jar! Yummy!!
Grow it, Cook it, Freeze it! 
Yummo! Your number 1 is my staple, including the brands! (Although I do go for the Jalna greek.) I’m going to try your no 2 and 3 ASAP – they look delicious. Not sure I can bring myself to eat out of a jar though. I’m just not that hip.
PS Do you buy a jar that has a handle or did something come in that?
Ah, you’re plenty hip!! And glad you like the look of the recipes – you need to let me know some of yours, foodie woman!!
I actually bought that jar with the handle, not too pricily at our local kitchen place – however, some of the recipes/blogs I’ve seen use a jar that had something else in it, like peanut or almond butter, to take advantage of the extra bits of leftover in it.
I tried that the first time, using an old peanut butter jar, but didn’t really like the peanut butter with it – however, there is a honey jar in my cupboard that you have just reminded me to use for a sweeter brekky this week!!
My current go to fancy healthy breakfasts are ricotta hotcakes with yoghurt and fruit, and brown bread and spinach strata with roasted tomatoes (doesn’t quite fit your summery theme but delicious in summer nonetheless!).
I’m about to go and make some oats in a jar for tomorrow – perfect for after a fasting blood test!
Yummo!!! I’m coming to love at your place Laura!! Definitley trying the oats in a jar. I reckon Rory will love them too!! Yum yum!