For my 'New Year's' Resolution, I wanted to eat more regular meals (and drink more water, but that's a different story), not sporadic meals. 9 times out of 10 I'd skip breakfast, nibble a bit for lunch, then grab something small for dinner depending on the day. Some day's I'd have class super late and wouldn't get home until 8 at night, or 11 if I was working. However, this semester my classes don't start until at least 12:30, which gives me plenty of time to get my beauty rest, take my time getting ready for school, and most importantly, sit down for breakfast.
With time on my side, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and get a bit "crazy". Since I would consider myself a picky eater, I came up with a couple of different breakfast ideas that were quick, easy, and light on the stomach.
Idea #1 is a breakfast sandwich of sorts. It contains avocado, grape tomatoes, bread > toast, ham, a bit of cheese and an egg. I cut the tomatoes in half, then sliced the avocado into strips (I only used half the avocado to make one sandwich, but if you'd like two then you'd probably need the whole thing). I then toasted my bread while I fried my egg (Don't forget salt & pepper!). I also cooked up some honey ham not only to get it on the same level as the egg, but to get some of the added water out; since the ham is supposed to be for sandwiches. To assemble the sandwich I put the egg down first, then the ham, along with a handful of cheese (keep in mind my hands are small, so your amount of cheese will most likely be different). Next, I spread out the avocado (which you don't have to, but I thought that it would make it easier to make), and popped on a couple halved tomatoes. TA-DA, complete. Not going to lie, I was a skeptic when it came to adding avocado and tomatoes to a breakfast sandwich, but it creates a whole new taste and makes it fresh and healthy. I absolutely love this breakfast sandwich, and will most likely be having this more often! If you have any other breakfast sandwich combos, please leave me ideas down below; I'd love suggestions!
Idea #2 is your simple fruit and yogurt, but taken to the next level; parfait. I used, vanilla yogurt, chocolate granola, mixed berries & pineapple as my fruit of choice, chex cereal (corn & rice), and a bit of agave*. First, in a tall glass scoop in a couple tablespoons of yogurt to act as the base, then add a handful or two of granola. At this point I added my fruit, but you can do another layer of yogurt before the fruit. After the fruit, I did a layer of yogurt then a bit of chex cereal to give it a bit more crunch and a different taste (a good taste!). I did one final layer of yogurt and sprinkled some granola on top along with a couple pieces of berries and a drizzle of agave to make it look pretty. The fun thing about parfaits is that you can build them anyway you'd like with any ingredients you choose. The next time I attempt this, however, I'm going to do more layers of fruit and a bit more of the chex cereal because it was so good! If you give this a try, post it on twitter or instagram and tag me; I'd love to see your creations!
Idea #3 is your average bagel, but dressed up a bit. For the bagels you'll need; bagels (flavor of your choice), cream cheese, peanut butter, choice of fruit, agave*, and chocolate chips. I'm not a huge plain bagel and cream cheese fan, but I switched out a plain bagel for a blueberry one, and chose a strawberry cream cheese to accompany it for starters. Honestly, one half of a bagel & cream cheese is enough for me so one side I did the cream cheese, while on the other half I decided to spread a bit of peanut butter on. Sticking with the peanut butter half, I added the chocolate chips to give it a bit of crunch and come on, you can never go wrong with chocolate; yes even at 8am. Back on the strawberry cream cheese side, I sliced up a banana and placed them around the bagel, then plopped some raspberries in-between the bananas, and to top it off I drizzled a bit of agave to give it a sweet taste.
Idea #4 is a breakfast smoothie; perfect if you are in a hurry and want something on-the-go. I used; kefir, one banana, frozen strawberries, old fashion oats, and a teaspoon of agave*. Instead of kefir you can use yogurt or almond milk; I use kefir because it's easier on your stomach, but it's basically a watery yogurt. A smoothie is pretty simple; throw all of your ingredients in a blender and blend it up. Quick & easy! You can most definitely use ice, I don't because my blender is so old that it leaves chunks of the ice, no matter how long I blend it for. And yes, a blender is on my list for future purchases.
*Agave is basically the organic healthy version of honey, so you can absolutely use honey instead of going out to buy a bottle of agave!
I hope these breakfast options have given you some ideas if you're a picky eater like myself, or just want to try something new that is still quick and easy.
Much Love! Xx
