9 Healthy Breakfast Recipes That Will Increase Your Productivity

I love coffee. I have one in the morning and I greatly enjoy its taste. It’s part of my ritual.

Mornings are a struggle for most of us. With long days, early mornings and late nights, we use caffeine to stay energized. However, feeling strong through the entire day can be difficult and caffeine isn’t the answer.

Here’s how I recommend beginning your day. I wouldn’t say to drop the coffee, or at least not fully, but breakfast is a must. Let’s talk about it here and read through for some great recipes as well.

Why is Breakfast So Important?

An abundance of studies shows us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast makes children smarter and helps the rest of us control the urge to snack before lunch. Because mornings are such a busy time, without breakfast we often pick up convenient but high-sugar snack foods to curb our hunger.

A good breakfast also helps us to maintain a healthy body weight. Skipping breakfast often leads to overeating as the brain sends out exaggerated hunger signals to encourage us to eat. This means that we’ll likely take in more calories than we need.

There are two camps of thought around the importance of breakfast. The first camp encourages eating breakfast, while the second suggests that its benefits are smaller than suggested. Both camps are supported by a body of research, but I suggest eating breakfast as it helps us avoid the mid-morning roll of fatigue. In addition, starting the day with healthy eating habits often leads to healthy choices later in the day.

Breakfast Foods You Should Avoid

Unfortunately, a lot of foods marketed as breakfast foods aren’t as healthy as they seem. Avoid pre-packaged breakfast cereals –they hide large amounts of sugar. Buy unsweetened yogurt and add a touch of honey or dried fruit yourself. Eat whole grain breads and read the package carefully. If it contains ingredients you can’t pronounce, visit another bakery instead. Avoid juice, even if marked as 100% pure juice.

How to Make Breakfast a Habit

Not a regular breakfast eater? Start small. Grab an apple to munch on your way out of the door. Unsweetened yogurt and some fruit is also a wonderful idea. How about some nuts? Put a handful of walnuts, pecans, and cashews along with some dried fruit in a bag to go. Have that delicious childhood favourite, the peanut butter sandwich. Low-fat granola bars (check the label for bars with ingredients that sound like food), whole-grain crackers, and oatmeal are also good ideas.

Have a little more time? Here are 9 healthy breakfast ideas for a delicious start to your day.

Eat well. Enjoy your energetic morning.

1. Scrumptious Strawberry Pancakes

Source: Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

1 cup + 1/4 cup whole wheat flour*
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
generous 1/4 tsp nutmeg
generous 1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch or two kosher salt
3/4 cup of canned Coconut Milk (I used regular, not low-fat, but I assume both work)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
3/4 cup warm water
Oil, for skillet

Strawberry Banana Soft Serve Topping:

3 strawberries + 1 frozen banana, processed in food processor

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250F and grab a baking sheet. Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, coconut, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt) in a medium sized bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (coconut milk, warm water, vanilla, maple syrup) and then add to the dry ingredients. Whisk well until no clumps remain.
Preheat the skillet over medium heat and add some oil on the pan. Pour 1/4 cup of batter, per pancake, onto the skillet and quickly smooth out a circle with the back of a spoon. Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and the bottoms of pancakes are golden. Reduce heat if necessary (I cook them on heat # ‘3’). Transfer to baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
Meanwhile, slice about 20 strawberries. Scoop the strawberry banana soft serve on top of the stacked pancakes. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve immediately.

2. Pumpkin Blueberry Oatmeal

Source: Chocolate Covered Katie

Ingredients:

1/3 cup regular oats
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger + pinch of kosher salt
1 + 1/4 cups almond milk
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1-1.5 tablespoon pure maple syrup + more for drizzling
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
A handful of blueberries, for sprinkling on top

Directions:

In a medium sized pot over medium heat, whisk together the 1/3 cup oats, peeled and chopped apple, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1.25 cups Almond milk, 1 tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, pinch of kosher salt. Whisk well.
Heat over medium heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often. When the mixture thickens and the liquid is absorbed, it is ready. Stir in the pure vanilla extract.
Pour into a dish and sprinkle with chopped walnuts, a pinch of cinnamon, and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. Add a tiny bit of almond milk on top.

3. Classic Tofu Scramble

Source: Choosing Raw

Ingredients:

1/2 block extra firm organic tofu that is pressed for at least 4 hours*
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, halved and chopped
1-2 tsps Bragg’s or nama shoyu
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup spinach, chopped

Directions:

Heat your cooking pan with coconut or olive oil and cook the carrots and peppers over medium-high heat until they’re soft.
Crumble the tofu into the pan with your fingers and stir fry it until it’s warmed through.
Add the Bragg’s or nama shoyu, the turmeric, the curry, and the nutritional yeast. Stir the mixture until the tofu is uniformly seasoned and colored.
Add the spinach last and cover the pain for a two minutes. Give it a quick stir and remove from heat. It will be perfectly wilted and barely cooked.

Health Tip: Organic tofu is a must to avoid the GMO soy that is heavily sprayed with pesticide. Pressing your tofu helps it be a better ingredient in your recipe too. Straight out of the wrapper and diced up is a wet, bland experience. Pressing is simple by setting it between two plates with a heavy cookbook on top in the fridge for 4 hours. Alternatively you could make your own Chickpea Tofu

4. Pump-Me-Up Pumpkin Smoothie

Source: Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk, plus a bit more if necessary
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 small frozen banana
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch nutmeg
Ice, if desired

Directions:

Soak the oats, almond milk, and chia seeds for at least an hour or overnight. This helps them digest better and it also gives the smoothie a smoother texture.
Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Add ice if desired.

5. Quinoa with Edamame, Parm and Egg

Source: These Peas Are Hollow

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup shelled, cooked edamame
1/2 oz shaved parmigiano reggiano (I used a vegetable peeler to get big shavings of cheese, but you can grate if you prefer)
1 extra-large egg
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for frying egg
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together the quinoa and edamame, and toss with one teaspoon of olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
Fry the egg until whites are set, but yolk is still runny (this will make a nice little sauce for your quinoa).
Season egg with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the cheese over the quinoa and top with the hot fried egg.
Serve with the sliced avocado, drizzled with a bit of olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

6. Superfood Bliss Bowl

Source: Lunch Box Bunch

Ingredients:

Fruit Salad:

2 kiwis, peeled/sliced
1 banana, sliced
1 orange, peeled/sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp Goji berries
1/8 tsp orange zest
1 Tbsp raw walnuts
squeeze or lemon juice (optional)

Brown Rice:

1 1/2 – 2 cups cooked brown rice
toss with a drizzle of maple syrup for a sweet accent

Cacao Cream:

2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
1 cup water
1/3 – 1/2 cup raw cashews*
3 Tbsp raw walnuts
2 tsp maple or agave syrup (or to taste)
pinch of salt
optional: dash of cayenne

Directions:

Prep your fruit salad fruit. Add chopped fruit to a large mixing bowl. Toss well with all ingredients and place in the fridge.
Add all the cacao puree ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and start blending from low to high. Note: start out with just 1/3 cup cashews and add in up to 1/2 cup if you want a thicker puree. Blending on high is the best way to fully pulverize your nuts and thicken your puree. Sweeten and salt and add cacao to taste. Place this puree in the fridge to chill for a few minutes or overnight before serving over top warm rice.
Cook rice. You could also substitute oats, quinoa, farro, cream of rice and more.
Serve! Add the grain base (warm rice) and top with the cacao puree and as much fruit salad as you’d like.

Health Tip: Nuts are best if raw and soaked for 6-8 hours to deactivate phytates that interfere with mineral absorption.

7. Pumpkin Oatmeal Anytime Squares

Source: Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

1 flax egg (1 tbsp of ground flax, mixed with 3 tbsp of water)
1/2 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin purée (or homemade, whether it’s fresh or frozen from pumpkin season)
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats, ground into a flour (Or use 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon oat flour)
3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
3/4 cup almond flour (not almond meal)
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (for enhanced binding)
1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped
2 tablespoons mini non-dairy chocolate chips, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
Mix flax egg in a small bowl or mug and set aside to thicken for about 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin and sugar with electric beaters until combined.
Pour in the flax egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Add the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and beat again.
Finally add in the oat flour, rolled oats, almond flour, arrowroot flour, and pecans. Beat until combined.
Spoon dough into prepared pan and spread out until smooth and even. The dough will be very sticky, but this is normal. I like to cover the dough with a piece of parchment paper and roll it with a pastry roller. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and press down.
Bake for 15-19 minutes (I baked for 18 minutes), until lightly golden and firm to the touch. Be sure not to overbake.
Place pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then, lift out and place square directly on cooling rack for another 10-20 minutes, until cool. Slice and enjoy! The bars will crumble slightly if sliced warm, but they firm up nicely when cooled.

8. Crispy Quinoa Cakes

Source: Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
2 tablespoons ground flax + 6 tablespoons water
1 cup destemmed and finely chopped kale
1/2 cup rolled oats, ground into a flour (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
1/2 cup finely grated sweet potato
1/4 cup finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon runny tahini paste
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons red or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
3 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur) or regular all-purpose flour
red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the ground flax and water in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes or so to thicken.
Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl, including the flax mixture and the 1.5 cups cooked quinoa. Stir well until the mixture comes together. Don’t forget the flour because it helps bind the patties.
Shape mixture into 1/4-cup patties with wet hands. Pack tightly so they hold together better. Place on baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully flip cakes, and bake for another 8-10 minutes until golden and firm.
Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet and then enjoy!
Store leftovers in a container in the fridge for up to 5-6 days. To reheat, preheat a skillet over medium heat, add a bit of oil, and cook patties for about 3 minutes per side, or until heated through.