We all know breakfast is easy to skimp on during the busy work week.
But we also know that on the days we eat a good breakfast, it sets us up for a productive morning.
I want to take your diet-friendly breakfasts to the next level by adding some flavor nuance.
Each of these diet-friendly breakfasts can be made in under 15 minutes.
You can watch the video here below for a step by step tutorial on each recipe.
Then you can read the written instructions below.
Breakfast #1 : Flavor Packed Oats
We’ve all had oatmeal and it kind of gets the reputation of being a boring breakfast and often for good reason.
Most people won’t go the extra step to make their oatmeal appealing to their sensory palate.
But here’s the thing – oats are a really versatile grain, and there are so many ways to make it really interesting and tasty to eat in a short amount of time.
Directions:
- First, we are going to mash half banana and get it nice and soupy.
Seems like a weird place to start but trust me on this one.
- Next, crack in one egg to the same bowl and whip.
- Now, put half a cup of oats into a pot and add 1 cup of almond milk and your mashed banana egg mixture.
- Then add in a tsp of flax seeds and a tsp of pumpkin seeds, a pinch of salt, and a dash of cinnamon.
Salt actually counteracts bitterness and enhances sweet flavors to make them taste really rich.
That’s why you’ll notice a lot of desserts have a little salt in them.
The flax seeds are going to add a significant amount of soluble fiber to this dish.
The soluble fiber according to the Mayoclinic, is going to keep your blood sugar stable, giving you prolonged energy throughout the morning.
The pumpkin seeds will be our texture component, a good contrast to the blob of mush that plain oatmeal often is.
5.) Bring this to a simmer and stir until the ingredients begin to combine into a homogenous mixture.
The egg will be our added protein component but also will make our oats nice and fluffy.
And the cinnamon is going to add a warming aromatic layer to our oats.
You want to make sure that your stir everything together now so that the egg mixes in entirely.
You’ll get the sense after stirring for a couple of minutes that the texture of the dish is starting to mature and is ready to take off the stove.
But we still need just a little more sweetness to top off the flavor in our oatmeal.
6.) Add a tbs of honey or you could also use maple syrup.
This oatmeal comes out to just under 500 calories and will keep you full and satisfied throughout your morning!
Breakfast #2: Protein Pancakes
Okay, my next go-to diet-friendly breakfast item is pancakes.
I legit have an obsession with pancakes and eat them literally almost every single day.
They give me tons of energy to train hard in the gym and I just find them so satisfying.
I’m going to show you a twist on regular protein pancakes.
I love the Kodiak Pancakes because they have 14g of protein per serving.
They also use oat flour for part of the flour component and that gives the mixture an extra fiber kick that is great for curbing hunger and stabilizing blood sugar levels.
They are awesome plain but I want to add a few more ingredients to these pancakes that will make them that much better.
Directions:
- First, mash up half a banana and mix it with one egg.
You want to really mix it up until it comes together completely.
- Then, you want to add in a ratio of 1 part liquid to 1 part Kodiak Protein Pancake mix.
You can use any liquid but I like to use a little almond milk.
Half a cup of protein powder mixed with the ½ cup almond milk and the banana egg mixture.
- Mix this all up and throw in some chia seeds or flax seeds to give these pancakes some even more fiber.
If you have noticed, I love adding in extra fiber wherever I can because it really helps keep you full while you are in a calorie deficit from a diet.
You can learn more about finding your ideal calorie deficit here.
Not to mention, soluble and insoluble fibers serve as the food for your gut microbiota and thus keeps your GI system healthy.
- Now to avoid adding any more calories to this dish, I’m going to opt for a zero-calorie spray and coat a non-stick pan.
Let that get hot on a medium temp and pour in some batter to your desired pancake size.
Let them go on each side for a few minutes and flip them when they begin to bubble up and rise.
The banana and egg in the batter will make these pancakes borderline souffle and I really love them this way.
- Take them off the heat and serve with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.
For a stack like these plus the maple syrup, we are looking at 498 calories.
Just a hair under our 500 calorie limit!
Breakfast #3: Protein Packed Cherry Shake
Next up, I want to show you a high-protein shake that’s going to taste delicious and have layers of flavor.
I can’t do the chalky protein powders with artificial sweeteners.
Nothing tasty ever came out of these powders and they give protein shakes a bad name.
We are going to be using an unflavored whey protein powder for this shake that won’t add any off-flavors to your final product.
Directions:
1.) Let’s start with our base of ½ cup almond milk or water.
2.) Then we are going to throw in half a cup of frozen cherries.
I don’t often see cherries being used in protein shakes and I’m not sure why because they add a really unique twist to any blended smoothie.
Cherries have three interesting aromatic components that give them their signature.
A substance known as Benzaldehyde which is characteristically known for having a bitter and almond-like flavor.
A substance known as Linalool which is a terpene alcohol that on its own resembles lavender with some notes of citrus.
It can also be described as being sweet, woody, green, rose-like, and lemony.
Then there is Eugenol which is the compound that allows cherries to be paired with spicy ingredients.
This is because eugenol is spicy, woody, phenolic, and reminiscent of allspice.
All of these three substances combine together to give the cherry its unique signature.
That last substance Eugenol is also the one that is going to pair nicely with an aromatic which we will be adding in – cardamom.
3.) Throw in one cardamon pod, which has a warm, sweet – peppery flavor to it.
4.) Then add in 2 Medjool tastes for some sweetness and fiber.
5.) A tablespoon of chia seeds for a little bulk.
6.) ½ a banana and two scoops of the plain whey protein.
7.) Oh and our last ingredient to round this delicious shake up – a teaspoon of cacao powder. The perfect complement to a cherry spiced smoothie.
8.) Blend and add any additional liquid if needed to thin to your desired consistency.
This shake comes in at 500 calories and is the perfect way to start your morning!
Great-Tasting Diet Food
Dieting does not have to be a burden and you can still enjoy your food!
You just need to get creative in the kitchen and commit to healthy, diet-friendly choices.
But most importantly, those diet-friendly choices should taste amazing.
When you are dieting, you only get a limited number of calories to consume to stay on track of your calorie deficit.
So make those calories count and enjoy every meal like it is your last.
Who is Jakob Roze?
