breakfast of champions

For those who are new to Paleo eating or are trying to cut back on grain consumption, breakfast can be a real beast. I still sometimes opt for a toasted slice of my favorite millet bread with some sunflower nut butter (at least it's gluten free) but I'm slowly making the switch to true Paleo options and I can happily report that I don't find myself digging around for snacks an hour later when I start my day out this way.

I was a cereal girl for many, many years and, if left to my own devices and all things were equal, I'd go for something sweet and bread-y every freakin' day of my life. Cakes, muffins, donuts, pastries, biscuits (with a cup of coffee) is the stuff dreams are made of, if you ask me. However, I cannot deny the glaring evidence that tells me I'm not doing myself any favors by starting off my day in the nutritional hole, so to speak. Protein-rich, stick-to-your-rib options beat Bojangles, Aunt Jemima and Tony the Tiger with a stick.

The simplest down-and-dirty quick option is an egg or two with one of those almond biscuits I shared in my last post about grains. It doesn't look like much on a plate, but it does the trick. And if you make a double batch of biscuits and stash them in the freezer, you can pull one out and microwave for a few seconds. Easy peasy Paleo fast food.

Lately, I've been kicking this one up a notch, thanks to a great idea from my friend Heidi. She spreads out a thin layer of baked spaghetti squash in a skillet with some coconut oil and then cracks an egg over it. Let it cook a few minutes so the squash can brown a bit around the edges and then flip the whole thing over. Any time you can get in a vegetable serving before noon you're definitely in the bonus position! She sometimes will even serve that over thinly sliced spinach but I haven't elevated myself to that level yet. I feel it coming, though....;-)

There are all kinds of yummy gluten and grain free recipes out there for Paleo pancakes, waffles, muffins and other breakfast treats. Many can be made ahead and frozen or you can try these on the weekend. Smoothies can be good but just make sure you're not getting a bunch of added sugar in your protein powder and, if you do strictly fruits/vegetables, you should have an egg or a handful of nuts along with it for protein.

I'm always on the lookout for new ideas to try so keep an eye on my Pinterest "Breakfast of Champions" board. And I'm open to your awesome suggestions so send them my way!

Here's to starting well!