A Healthy Breakfast – 30 Days of Wellness

Hello! Welcome to day 3 of 30 Days of Wellness.

Today we’re talking breakfast.  Now I’m a great breakfast fan and I think the only time I’ve ever skipped breakfast is when I’ve been sick.  But my breakfast could do with a little shake up, because variety is the spice of life – and variety is important in getting a range of nutrients. Breakfast is such an important meal as it’s the first think you’re putting in your body after more than 7-8 hours of eating.  The ideal breakfast should combine some protein, some wholegrain carbohydrate and either vegetables or fruit to keep you nourished into the day.

Lately I’ve been having crunchy peanut butter and honey on toast for breakfast. That, or oats with fruit and yoghurt. I LOVE peanut butter with honey but everyday this isn’t the best breakfast – in fact, when we were kids this was a “treat” on Sunday!  And while oats, berries and yoghurt is a great breakfast combination of wholegrain and protein, I’m bored of it.

I wanted a nutrient packed breakfast that was yummy and would give me a good start to the day.

So I did a bit of investigating and found a recipe for quinoa granola.   Quinoa is considered to be a wholegrain but it’s actually a seed from a plant that’s in the same family as spinach and silverbeet.  It’s a great source of protein plus phosphorus  iron and magnesium.  Quinoa is also source of zinc, folate, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin E. No wonder it’s considered a “super grain”. While quinoa is great in salads and savoury dishes,  it also makes a tasty granola, giving you a nutrient packed breakfast.

Here’s the recipe ( from Donna Hay’s Fresh and Light book)

Quinoa Granola

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups  rolled oats (use the chunky ones rather than the finely chopped porridge oats)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons of macadamia nut oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.  Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Spread the mixture evenly over the two trays. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.  Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.

Makes enough for 10 servings. This will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Enjoy with fresh fruit and milk.

What’s your favourite healthy breakfast?