health

A week's worth of healthy breakfasts that you can actually stick to.

Fitting in breakfast in the morning can be hard, and fitting in a delicious AND healthy breakfast can be even harder.

It’s a message that’s hammered home by health experts across the board: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But it’s also the most easily sacrificed.

Luckily, there is a way to get out the door in record time and have a delicious and healthy breakfast. It just takes a little effort and a bit of planning.

Get started with these seven recipes that will keep you full and feeling good every day of the week:

1. Monday: Overnight oats.

Prepare the oats in a jar so you can have them on the run (image via Instagram @sanderakk).

 

This brekkie will keep you feeling happy all morning. The oats are a rich source of protein, soluble fibre and magnesium while the yoghurt is packed with probiotics for healthy gut function.

Ingredients:

Half a cup of rolled oats
Half a cup of grated apple
Chopped almonds
1 cup of passionfruit yoghurt

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small mason jar or bowl and leave it to soak overnight. Too easy.

Just as an FYI, this post is sponsored by Vaalia. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100 per cent authentic and written in their own words.

2. Tuesday: Healthy muffins.

Try to resist eating them all at once (image via Instagram @myhealthmyhappiness).

 

These bad boys are best baked on a Sunday afternoon in preparation for the working week. They’re lower in sugar than your regular breakfast muffin and also full of fibre.

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
150ml natural yoghurt
50ml coconut oil
100g apple sauce or puréed apples
1 ripe banana, mashed
4 tbsp honey or rice malt syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g wholemeal flour
50g rolled oats, plus extra for sprinkling
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½ tsp cinnamon
100g blueberries
2 tbsp mixed seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower and flaxseed

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Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees and line a 12-hole muffin tray with 12 large muffin cases. In a bowl mix all of the wet ingredients (eggs, yoghurt, oil, apple sauce, banana, honey and vanilla). Mix the remaining dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until smooth, but try not to over mix as this will make the muffins very dense.

Spoon the batter between the cases. Sprinkle the muffins with the extra oats and the seeds. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden and well risen, and a skewer inserted to the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Store in a sealed container for up to three days.

3. Wednesday: Green smoothie.

Taking your green smoothie on the run in a travel container is a great ideas (image via Instagram @sarahwilson).

 

The best way to get a serve of veggies in the morning is in delicious liquid form. You can’t even taste the spinach (packed with vitamin K, A and iron) over the banana and berries.

Ingredients:

1 medium banana, previously peeled, frozen and quartered
1/2 cup mixed fresh berries
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 – 3/4 cup of milk of your choosing (cow, almond, coconut)
2 tbsp of natural yoghurt
2 cups fresh spinach

Throw everything in a blender and whizz until smooth.

Related: Fluff: Watch Miranda Kerr make a smoothie.

4. Thursday: Bacon and egg cups.

Bacon and egg cups (Image via Comida on Pinterest).

 

Although I could never stick to an entirely sugarless existence, I Quit Sugar’s Sarah Wilson has some delicious breakfast options like these bacon and egg cups. These take about five minutes to prepare and you can do your makeup while they bake in the oven.

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Ingredients:

Coconut oil or butter for greasing
2 rashers bacon
2 eggs
Extra fillings like crumbled feta, herbs, cherry tomatoes or chopped greens like spinach or kale

Pre-heat your over to 200 degrees and grease a muffin tray with coconut oil or butter. Use each bacon rasher to line a cup, wrapping the bacon around the sides and pressing it into shape. You can make your bacon shell super crispy by popping it into the over for a few minutes. Add whatever fillings you like into the shells (I love fetta, spinach and cherry tomatoes) before gently cracking an egg into each one. Bake for 15 minutes or until the egg whites are set. Use a knife or spoon to gently remove the cups from the tray. These can last up to three days in the fridge so you can adjust the recipe to make some in advance.

5. Friday: Chia seed pudding.

Chia Seed Pudding (image via Instagram @laurenwilly).

 

Here’s another great breakfast option you can knock out the night before to eat on the run in the morning.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons white or black chia seeds
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk or full cream milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
A sprinkle of cinnamon
2 teaspoons honey (optional)
3/4 cup of fruit – I like berries, kiwifruit, banana and pomegranate

I like to prepare my chia seed puddings in mason jars so I can eat them on the way to work without having my breakfast spill throughout my handbag at every bus stop. Mix together the chia seeds, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and honey and leave in a jar to set overnight. In the morning, toss some fruit on top and you’re done.

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6. Saturday: Smashed avo on toast.

You can also extra additions like cherry tomatoes, radish or bacon (image via Instagram @iquitsugar).

 

Why go out for Saturday brunch when you can easily make it at home for a fraction of the price? And without having to put pants on. Winning.

Ingredients:

Half an avocado
Wholemeal sourdough
Feta
Basil leaves
2 eggs (optional)

This one is pretty straightforward: Toast the bread, smash the avo with a bit of salt, pepper and lemon juice and top with crumbled feta and fresh basil. Fried, boiled or poached eggs go great with this one if you’re after a bit more protein.

Related: Mamamia’s food blogger takes on the Toasted Sandwich challenge. 

7. Sunday: Two ingredient banana pancakes.

Two ingredient banana pancakes (image via Instagram @laurenwilly).

 

Two ingredients. No joke. These pancakes have a similar consistency to crepes but they’re much more nutritious, especially when you top with yogurt, fruit and nuts.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 large banana

Mash the banana in a bowl before adding two eggs and whisking lightly. Coat a hot pan with a knob of butter or a tablespoon of coconut oil and pour spoonfuls of the mixture into it. Flip the pancake over when the bottom starts to brown. I like to eat mine with a couple of spoons of yoghurt, a pinch of cinnamon and chopped walnuts. But if you’re feeling #yolo, a generous smear of Nutella is the way to go.

What do you have for breakfast each morning? What healthy recipe can you share?

A healthy breakfast and a morning ritual are the perfect wake up call. You might want to try some of these too:

Only Vaalia yoghurt contains the special combination of 3 probiotics Acidophilus, Bifidus and Lactobacillus GG (LGG®). There’s nothing like it to help maintain and regulate your digestive system naturally, keeping you happy inside.

Vaalia yoghurts are available in a range of deliciously creamy flavours, so they’ll keep your tastebuds happy too!

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