4 Easy And Healthy Breakfast Recipes

4 Easy And Healthy Breakfast Recipes Image via kristineskitchenblog.com Eating breakfast has been shown to improve mental alertness and physical performance and also helps to sustain energy throughout the day. Not only is breakfast vital for the average person to perform at their optimal level, breakfast will aid anyone who is seeking to lose weight or simply sustain a healthier lifestyle. According to Livescience.com, studies found that eating breakfast is likely to improve cognitive function related to memory and test grades. Translation: Eating breakfast is a smart move! In another recent study, people who ate breakfast as their largest meal lost an average of 17.8 pounds over three months. The other participants consumed the same number of total calories per day, but ate most of their calories at dinner, which actually decreases the possibility of weight loss. To kick-start your day the right way, breakfast seems to be the way to go. If you find yourself feeling inconvenienced by having to wake up early to prep breakfast, simply make your morning meal the night before! There are so many recipes, hot and cold, savory and sweet, which you can cook up the night before and simply heat up (or not) right before consuming. Here are some of my absolute favorite healthy breakfast recipes that will totally transform you into a morning person! Mixed Berry Chia Pudding (Serving size: 2) 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk 1 cup mixed berries, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup chia seeds 1 teaspoon cinnamon Pinch of salt Natural sweetener Add all ingredients to a blender and blend well. Divide mixture into airtight jars, cover and let sit in the refrigerator overnight (or for a minimum of three hours). Baked Apple (Serving size: 1) 1 medium-large red apple Cinnamon Flax seed Walnuts Cacao nibs/ sugar-free chocolate chips 2 tablespoons nut butter Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pan with non-stick coconut oil spray. Simply dice up your apple and sprinkle cinnamon and flax seeds (I sometimes add in hemp hearts or cacao powder as well), toss in some walnuts and bake for 20 minutes. Once cooked, serve in a medium bowl and toss in your nibs/chips and top with a dollop of nut butter. Mix well and enjoy! Whether you consumer a low-carb diet or not, it’s smartest to eat your fruits early on in the day. Not only does this give you more time to burn off the natural sugars, the complex carbohydrates will provide you with tons of energy for the day. Livestrong.com indicates that nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew, etc.) not only tastes good, its good for you. When you include nut butter in your breakfast, you fuel your body with fiber, protein and healthy fats to satisfy you until lunchtime. However, be sure to purchase natural nut butter, with ingredients composing of little more than the actual nuts. Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes (Serving size: 2) 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 3/4 cup liquid egg whites 1/4 cup nut butter 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk 1 tablespoon sugar-free mini chocolate chips Toppings (optional): maple syrup, Justin’s ® Peanut Butter Cup Combine protein powder, egg whites, peanut butter, and almond milk in a blender. Blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Grease the pan with coconut oil or ghee and pour in 1/4 cup batter (it will be thin). Cook until bubbles form on surface and edges are slightly golden, then flip to cook other side. Continue with remaining batter. Serve pancakes warm with toppings of choice. So you may be noticing a bit of a trend here. You can actually eat dessert for breakfast. Some research suggests eating a little something sweet in the morning can help curb sweet tooth cravings later on. A 2012 study found that people who were eating a low calorie diet and healthy sweet breakfasts experienced more weight loss results. They reported having fewer cravings and feeling less hungry throughout the day. Make-Ahead Breakfast Muffins (Serving size: 6 muffins) Image via iowagirleats.com 1 bell pepper 1 onion 4 little cherry tomatoes/one normal tomato 6 Eggs A good pinch of salt Muffin tin 2 slices cheese Handful spinach/green leaves 3 splashes of hot sauce or curry powder Muffin/baking cups (only if you dont have a nonstick muffin tin) Preheat the oven to 390 °F Wash and dice the pepper, onions and tomatoes and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and salt and mix well. Optional: add some hot sauce or curry powder if you like an extra kick. Grease the muffin tin and pour the egg mixture evenly into the muffin slots. If you think they might still stick to the pan use some muffin cups definitely saves time on doing the washing up! If you’re a cheese lover like me, a bit won’t hinder your healthy eating goals! Feel free to layer some cheese over the top of each muffin before they go in or mix the cheese into the batter. Set the tray into the oven for 15-18 minutes. Serve immediately or refrigerate for tomorrow’s breakfast, or as a post-workout snack in the future. Serve chilled or warmed with toppings like unsweetened coconut flakes, almonds or additional berries. Drizzle with honey or maple syrup on top. Leftover pudding can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days.