Around Here: Breakfast

I have been working on eating better, eating cleaner, eating more wholesome foods. Basically eating foods that fuel my body. Breakfast for me was always toast. Just toast, usually with margarine. This never was enough (or a healthy choice for me) so I quickly turned to snacks which in my case equaled empty calories... the ones that like to latch onto my "trouble" zones. I started cutting this out and adding in better choices and I noticed the difference right away in how I felt and how long I stayed satisfied. I wanted to share some of my favorite breakfast choices with you today, they're easy, quick and delicious.

From top left across:

• Chia Breakfast Pudding: 2 tbsp chia seeds soaked in 1/2 cup almond milk, cinnamon & 1 tsp of vanilla. The chia seeds will swell and create a "pudding" of sorts. I top it with chopped apple, 2 tbsp chopped almonds & 2 tbsp of granola. 
• Smoothie: I prep smoothie bags ahead of time so I am not digging all the ingredients out each time.I freeze them and they're ready to go. This is a typical smoothie here but you could add any fruits/berries that you like. Big handful of spinach, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup raspberries, 1/2 to a whole banana, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 cup almond milk, maple syrup (I only use a sweentener if the yogurt I am using is plain),1-2 tsp of flax oil, 1 tbsp ground flax meal. Anna loves smoothies and I can sneak in so much stuff I could never get her to eat on her own- spinach & kale. :)
• Plain rice cake topped with 1 tbsp peanut butter, cinnamon and 1/2 a sliced apple. 1/2 a banana and a hard boiled egg.
• Plain rice cake topped with 1 tbsp peanut butter, cinnamon and 1/2 chopped banana ( have started adding 1 tbsp chopped walnuts too). 1/4 cup cottage cheese with 1/2 cupped peaches (canned in water- NO added sugars).
• Blueberry muffins. This is a quick grab in the morning when we're running late for dance. I usually grab Anna & I a muffin and a banana or apple and we run out the door, eating our breakfast on the way. If I don't do this I more likely to stop at a coffee shop and grab something that isn't the best choice for me- like a donut or high calorie/high sugar muffin.
• Banana pancake. These are so easy & free of any flour. Mash a very ripe banana, add 2 eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and chopped walnuts. Mix together and cook like regular pancakes. The texture is less like a pancake and more like egg (for obvious reasons) but the flavor is all pancake. When I tried these for the first time that texture kind of threw me off but I couldn't stop eating them because they were so yummy. 

Ps. I don't really care for natural nut butters so I use regular peanut butter. It isn't necessarily the "best" choice because of the sugar and salt added but I LOVE IT. If you like natural nut butters- use those instead for a healthier choice.