I have a confession: Up until recently, I had completely lost my enjoyment of breakfast. It was actually one of those things that had been going on for awhile but I didn’t realize it was lost until I got it back. For the first 25 years of my life my breakfast involved carbs on carbs on carbs. I basically rotated between cereal and bagels with cream cheese. If I was trying to be “good” I would eat fruit or make a smoothie or have (sweetened, fat-free) yogurt. Newsflash: I never felt good after eating those kinds of breakfasts (except the smoothies/fruit, but they weren’t enough for a full breakfast).
On the weekends or when I went out to breakfast, I ended up feeling tired and bloated afterwards. I would usually order eggs and bacon which often came with home fries or something like that. On the surface, that meal doesn’t *appear* much different than what I am eating during the Whole30 for breakfast. But take it apart and break it down and it is not the same at all.
I have found that the Whole30 has forced me/allowed me to become creative with my breakfasts and break away from my comfort zone of eating. While most of my meals look similar to each other, this has really brought me so far from where I was 6 months ago. There are many people who do the Whole30 or eat paleo and have way more creative (and pretty) breakfasts but for me its taken many baby steps to get me to where I am now. These days, I love breakfast, I look forward to putting a meal together in the morning, and the food I am eating leaves me with energy and feeling great.
I’ve stopped following “recipes” for breakfasts and just have a bunch of ingredients on hand that I combine in some way, either on the weekend in frittata form or right before I eat- either separately or in hash form.
The ingredients I usually have for breakfasts are some combination of: Sugar-free nitrate-free bacon (I’ve been getting it at Whole Foods), some sort of sausage (Aidell’s apple chicken, or Fresh Market’s Southwest both had all Whole30 compliant ingredients), plantains, spinach, kale, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, apples, broccoli, onions/peppers, tomatoes, and of course lots of eggs! And coconut oil to cook it in, although I like to make use of bacon fat when possible.
I had made the twice-baked potatoes thinking they would be for a part of lunches or a snack, but I ended up eating them for breakfast! They were perfect to go alongside the frittata I had made that week which wasn’t quite filling enough on its own. The potatoes fell apart on me but still tasted delicious! Check out the original recipe to see how they are actually supposed to look.
So, that’s pretty much what I have been eating for breakfast lately. Since I am now in the habit of taking pictures of all my food, I’ll also share a few other good things I have eaten lately:
I have to say that the Whole30 has led me to discover some really delicious foods that I am sure I will continue eating once it’s over- alongside a lovely glass of wine of course!
What’s your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
Are there any meals/foods that you notice leave you feeling tired and sluggish?
Thanks, Jenn, for hosting the link-up!
Well I suppose you know what I like for breakfast! I agree that it’s funny how those old diner breakfasts sort of looked similar but were worlds away from whole food. I like how whole30 gets you thinking outside the box regarding breakfast 🙂
You’ve definitely been an inspiration for my breakfasts! And now I just think of meals as a way to eat good foods. it doesn’t really matter which foods get eaten when! A few years ago I would have thought it was so weird to eat sweet potatoes for breakfast.
I like a sweet breakfast but not the empty starchy carb loaded sugar bombed kind. Like challah French toast and chocolate chip pancakes at the diner were always nice in theory but never made me feel good once it reached digestion. I would sugar crash and be starving/tired etc. You know what I mean. I don’t think I will ever switch to a savory morning person but I do think that eating whole real foods, complex carbs, protein and sugar from fruit is the way to go over the processed empty calorie stuff.
Before I was doing the Whole30 I went back and forth between wanting sweet vs savory breakfasts. I do look forward to having smoothies again once the Whole30 is over, and especially when it warms up a bit!
I can comoletely relate to the carbs not filling you up for breakfast. That is how I ate for years and I never felt good! Now I eat tons of green, eggs and plantains and I feel a ton better.
So glad you also figured this out! I can’t believe how long I went without making the most of my breakfasts!
This is NOT the post I should’ve been reading the morning before a blood test I have to fast for!!
You should definitely stay away from the WIAW link-up on days like that! I hope that you were able to enjoy a nice big breakfast after your blood test was over!
Whole 30 breakfasts always impress me so much. I just try to get a bit of everything at every meal–carb, fat, protein, fiber. And it has to be done quietly, because Alex is most likely asleep in the next room!
Sounds like a good formula, and I hate having to try to cook quietly! I feel like its pretty much impossible, especially when there is a pan involved.
Yum! When I did the Whole 30, my breakfasts were super boring – usually an omelette + veggies topped with salsa along with some form of bacon or sausage. Your breakfasts are inspiring though! I tried a frittata for the first time last year & loved it, but have yet to make one on my own. & I love your use of apples – I usually eat them by themselves, but now I have some ideas of what to mix them with 🙂
Its fun to hear about what others are using in recipes and figure out ways to incorporate new things! Some days my breakfasts are pretty boring, but when possible its nice to change it up!
Im a huge fan of these posts. It’s a great way for myself & others to be inspired by new breakfast ideas. Thanks for sharing. I almost always have eggs with either fruit and carbs, or just carbs & glass of orange juice.
I also love seeing other meal ideas! Sometime you just need “ideas” versus a real “recipe”!
You’ve got some great eats going on to start your day! And they are packed with nutrients, which is the most important part. I love to vary my breakfasts, from veggie scrambles to smoothies to oatmeals. And it pretty much is my favorite meal of the day. BTW–I used to be a cereal junkie, too!
For some reason I never really got into oatmeal. A while ago I used to eat instant oatmeal but it was always sweetened. Im sure if I took the time to make real oatmeal and add some good stuff to it I would enjoy it- but for the purposes of the Whole30 these breakfasts have worked well for me!
Those breakfast look so delicious! I used to be a cereal junkie in college (and even grad school) but now I eat wholer, more balanced breakfasts. My favorite is old-fashioned oat cooked with an egg whipped in (for protein and it makes the texture so creamy!) plus a bananas, almonds, and coffee. I find healthy fats like nut butter make all the difference in satiety at breakfast!
I love nut butters and sometime will add them to my breakfast by eating them with a banana! I agree that the healthy fats keep you fuller for longer.
I usually eat cereal for breakfast, but I’m hungry again like an hour later. Breakfast is one of the meals I’m stuck on when it comes to figuring out how to clean it up. My work day starts early (in office between 7:30-8:00) and I also squeeze in a run in the morning so I’m usually rushing out the door even when I get up at 5:00am. Cereal is just the easiest thing, but I know it’s not the best choice.
It can be hard to eat a filling breakfast when you don’t have much time in the morning. That’s what I like about making a frittata ahead of time…its ready to go in the morning and I can either eat it cold or heat it up quickly- no cooking involved!
I usually don’t run until around 9, and I have a picky stomach, so I end up eating steel cut oats with berries and walnuts most often. I think breakfast (and beer) was the reason I stopped eating completely paleo…my stomach just won’t tolerate eggs prior to running, and a banana with nut butter wasn’t enough for long runs. On days off I love to make eggs with veggies, though. Your breakfasts look great!
I’ve heard alot of people do well with eating oats before a run and I might try that once the whole30 is over. Now I just eat a banana (if anything) before a run but when I start training and doing long runs again I’ll need more than that.
Your breakfasts look awesome! That first one you shared, I need to recreate asap. I feel like if I did Whole30 I would probably end up eating breakfast for every meal haha. I’ve never been a fan of sugary breakfasts. I can do a late-night pancake run but I’ll never order them at 9am, you know? Too much sugar too early in the day is rough!
I know what you mean! Before I started the whole30 I was making paleo pancakes occasionally which I really liked since they don’t have sugar and mainly consisted of almond flour. I kind of think real pancakes are better suited as a dessert than a breakfast:)
You had me at bacon fat. What do I usually eat for breakfast? I don’t even know. I guess I nurse a huge mug of French press coffee and cream while I feed all the kids and then I’ll maybe have toast with peanut butter once everyone disappears. Or, I’ll have chocolate chip cookies or something. As you know, I’m not the healthiest eater.
Whatever works, right? And coffee is an absolute must every morning for me as well.
All those breakfasts look delicious. But they surely do take some extra time then popping a bagel in the toaster. On my days off I love cooking a big filing breakfast.
They do take more time but once you get into a rhythm of cooking it takes less and less time! Also, making the frittatas on the weekend has been great for busy weekday mornings.
Glad you are back on good terms with breakfast – it is my favorite meal of the day 🙂 I am thinking more and more about this Whole30 diet as you post more and more about it. I think it would be good for me to do to readjust my eating habits but right now my schedule is so hectic I need to find a time that I can commit to it full force. Oh and I need to read the book first 🙂 I am assuming oats are out for Whole30?!
You could always just start incorporating some of the concepts slowly- like avoiding added sugar, grains, dairy…that’s what I did last year so it was an easier adjustment when I did the actual Whole30. And yes oats are out for Whole30.
Lisa, I love this! No recipes, just use what you have in the fridge… after easing off Paleo for a bit during my pregnancy, I am ready to jump back in! Breakfast is actually my favorite meal (I love eggs) and sometimes I find that I’m eating breakfast for lunch or dinner too.
I’m going to adopt this approach and expand beyond my usual of two eggs and bacon (or sausage) or a scramble. More sweet potatoes and other roasted things at breakfast!!
Glad to enjoyed it! I think sometimes we make things harder than they need to be, and while eating this way is certainly an adjustment it gets easier with practice. And part of it is thinking outside the box of a “typical” breakfast. Real, nutritious, food is good for you at any time of day!
YUM!! I’m drooling over all of your breakfast ideas. I grew up on cereal and although my stomach handled it okay I was always starving by 10am! Eggs are a much better fit for me, too.
Yes! I think the cereal only kept me full for like an hour. I ended up needing snacks all morning to get me to lunch!
how do you have time?! I’d always rather max my sleep in the mornings than having to cook breakfast so although those things sound delicious I just can’t see myself ever having the time to make them! I’m lucky in that I can get breakfast at work – a huge bowl of porridge with sunflower seeds and fried bananas always sees me through until lunch!
Now that I have gotten used to making these breakfasts they only take me about 15 minutes to cook. Also, I’m a morning person so typically I am up pretty early before I need to go to work But on my more rushed mornings I eat frittatas which I make over the weekend!
Ahh I’m so with you on the paleo-inspired breakfast revelation! Mine happened about 2 years ago when I went to Japan and started eating eggs and fish for breakfast – quite a change from oats! I discovered I didn’t HAVE to start my day with a sugar fix, and that I could actually go to lunch without my energy dropping or needing a snack! I LOVE breakfast now 😉
I’m so glad that you found what works best for you for breakfasts too! Its really great to have a lot of different healthy, satiating options!
After my first Whole 30 I fell in love with breakfast and haven’t looked back since! I look forward to it everyday and if I don’t get a good one, my day is all messed up. Looks like you’ve been enjoying your Whole 30 breakfasts! Yum!
Yes! I will definitely continue eating these breakfasts after the whole30 is over!
Great to catch up with your posts Lisa! I often find myself intimidated by everyone else’s ‘pretty’ food, the stuff I make does not look like that at all. But I’ve also found myself getting better at cooking and presenting my food, it’s a process. I’m glad that whole30 is going well for you! It’s something that I’ve been meaning to look into for so long.
I know that how the food looks doesn’t matter- unless you are sharing pictures of it on the internet! (haha) Its definitely a work in progress.
We are starting the Whole30 on Monday!! I have been pinning recipes like crazy- thanks for these!
That’s great that you are starting it next week! Good luck!
You’re making me crave plantains! I love breakfast and sometimes will make breakfast for lunch or dinner – mostly because of my love for waffles and pancakes. I love making my own healthy protein batter and adding in all sorts of different toppings — blueberries and honey, warmed apple with almonds, dark chocolate chip with banana….and the list goes on. Mmmm! I love getting creative in the kitchen, because like you said, it makes you love your meals more when you figure out all of these delicious combos instead of eating the same plain jane dishes. I mean I love a good bagel every now and then, but for the most part, no thanks!
All the foods you use sound amazing- and yes a good bagel once in a while is great (But I need it to be a REALLY good bagel!) but for the most part i am happy eating healthy, nutritious, filling foods for breakfast!
I feel like have gotten pretty good at my lunches and dinners. I need to work on my breakfasts. I just recently discovered how awesome frittatas are. I would definitely have to step up my meal prep for breakfasts like you though. I think I could really like a hash with sweet potatoes. Plantains weren’t really enjoyable for me.
I have loved adding sweet potatoes to breakfasts! I never thought to do so before I started reading some other blogs with paleo meals. In my opinion they are they best way to get some carbs at breakfast!
Those look like the kind of breakfasts I would love to have for brinner! I can’t do a full on frittata or anything like that for real breakfast. My stomach likes simple stuff. I usually have one egg, one egg white on a bagel thin with a big mug of hot tea or coffee! I hardly ever stray from The Usual!
Im sure these meals would be great to eat as a lunch or dinner too!
Oh goodness that frittata. This is why I need to meal plan. If I had breakfasts that looked like that I might actually enjoy eating breakfast. Usually I’m eating standing up while trying to get out the door and it’s just Greek yogurt and granola or something equally as boring.
Making these kinds of breakfasts does take some time but it gets easier as you get used to it! I have also found the frittatas to be a life-saver on rushed morning!
Processed carbs always makes me feel sluggish! Pancakes or bagels as much as I used to love them never did anything good for my energy. Happy WIAW!
I hear ya! They may taste good but its not worth the low energy and sluggish feeling that comes later.
Wow…I used to do the same thing as you and think I was being good by only having fruit or fruit and yogurt for breakfast. It wasn’t until I started really focusing on my macros and eating clean whole foods in mini meals that I started eating a similar breakfast to you-I make egg scrambles with tons of veggies. They are usually less calories, way less sugar, and more filling and nutritious for the rest of my day. You live and you learn I guess…right?
Agreed! I honestly don’t think I knew any better back then, but I’ve learned alot over the years and Paleo/the Whole30 has shown me a whole new way of eating!