Best Breakfasts for Productivity
These are my top go-to breakfasts for mental clarity as well as a stable energy and blood sugar throughout the day. Breakfast can make or break how you feel for the entire day. If you eat a breakfast that destabilizes your blood sugar, your energy levels and mental clarity will suffer for the next 24 hours. Getting breakfast right is the single best thing you can do for your work or home life. Try it and see!
EGGS
Anecdotally, eggs and veggies have proven time and again to be the best breakfast food for my clients looking for focus, energy, and emotional stability. More than once, I’ve heard “Switching to eggs for breakfast has changed my life!” Let’s note that if you are going to eat eggs, make sure to find pastured organic eggs preferably locally produced. These eggs will have the highest amounts of omega-3s and be the most nourishing for your body. Eating factory-farmed eggs regularly is not advised.
Eggs provide healthy fats, proteins, and essential fatty acids. I prefer eating eggs with sautéed greens or leftover veggies from dinner and a little sauerkraut. I DO NOT recommend eating any type of grains or fruit in the morning with the eggs. Ditch the toast, rice, cereal, bagel, juice, crackers, or smoothie. Adding in grains or fruit usually negates the positive blood sugar-stabilizing impact of the eggs for most people, myself included. Keep breakfast low carb and focus on getting as much healthy fat, fiber, and protein to set yourself up for a productive day.
Eggs + Greens:
INGREDIENTS:
2 eggs
Cooking fat like butter, ghee, tallow, lard, or avocado oil
Greens or leftover veggies
Sauerkraut
Raw organic hard cheese (if dairy is tolerated)
Spices
DIRECTIONS:
When cooking the eggs, make sure the white is fully cooked but try and keep the yolk as runny as you can stand to preserve the nutrients. This is called over-easy. If using butter, do not let it get too hot and smoke. Ghee lard and avocado oil have higher smoke points. You can cover your frying pan with a lid to get a more even cook but don’t let the yolk get hard.
Saute fresh greens or veggies in the same oil as eggs. Or my favorite is using leftover batch cooked veggies for a quicker breakfast go-to.
A few squares of raw grass-fed organic cheese can be melted on top of the eggs or eaten on the side if dairy is tolerated
Top with fermented sauerkraut or kimchi, a drizzle of cold-pressed organic olive oil, and spices like black sesame seeds, basil, oregano, dill, or even curry powder. Get creative and mix up the spices you use daily for the most comprehensive nutrient profile throughout the week. Make it a challenge to try new spices.
FRITTATA RECIPE:
Frittata is a better choice for those with little time in the morning to cook from scratch each day. I make this breakfast frittata about once a week, usually on Sundays when I batch cook, and it lasts me all week. Day of, I simply reheat a few squares in my countertop oven while I make coffee and it is the best!
INGREDIENTS:
A glass 10 x 14-inch baking pan
1 dozen pastured organic eggs - room temp, if possible
2 sticks (8 oz) of melted grass-fed organic butter (my fav brand is Anchor)
Organic veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, onions, dark leafy greens, avocado, mushrooms, etc cut into small pieces
One can of Native Forest Simple Coconut Milk (I like this brand because it is guar gum free and organic. If you cannot find this, just use any full-fat organic canned coconut milk)
DIRECTIONS
Place veggies evenly in a pyrex dish and make sure all are bite size or smaller. Make sure to not overfill the pan or the egg mixture will overflow. You want a small lip above the eggs in the baking dish.
Pour in the egg mixture evenly and press down any veggies that are above the liquid.
Add salt, pepper, and spices of your choice. I often add fresh thyme, basil, oregano, etc. You can play with flavor profiles. You can do different themes as well such as sun-dried tomato, olive, and feta
Bake at 325 degrees for approx. 1 hour. You know it’s done when the middle doesn’t jiggle anymore. The butter will rise to the top of the baking dish but just let the quiche cool and it will soak back in by the time it’s ready to eat.
Cut into squares that are 1 portion size for you. Reheat the morning of for 15 minutes at 325 degrees in your countertop oven. Do not microwave.
This frittata is filling enough for me to eat alone for breakfast with tea or coffee. You could add avocado on the side and I often drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt on top. Yum!
CHIA SEED PUDDING
When you want some variety from eggs, I like chia seed pudding. This is another great make-ahead breakfast. Make a double batch if you want to put it in small jars as single servings to grab and go. I usually make ahead for 3 or 4 days and have them even with all the toppings so I can just nourish myself and then get my day started with no hubbub.
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
Optional Additions:
Nut butter of your choice (add after the mixture has gelled)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder
Sea salt
Shredded unsweetened coconut
Hemp seeds
A few blueberries/ raspberries/blackberries (avoid other fruits due to higher sugar content)
Spices like cacao powder, a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, rosewater, or orange blossom water
DIRECTIONS:
In a 1-quart mason jar, add the chia seeds to the coconut milk and any optional ingredients at this time. I almost always use vanilla, salt, and some combination of spices. Screw on the lid and shake for about 15 seconds, making sure all the seeds get saturated. Let rest, then shake again; rest, then shake one more time. It seems tedious, but this method seems to work best, as the seeds get evenly distributed as they are gelling and don’t stick together into globs that are not enjoyable to eat.
Move the jar to the refrigerator and allow it to rest for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
Scoop out pudding into a small bowl and garnish with nut butter, cacao nibs, berries, etc! It is pretty filling so be prepared to have a smaller portion than you think.