There’s nothing better than going out on a weekend with your loved ones and sitting down to a hearty, filling breakfast.
Businesses are always trying to find new options to put on the market but the classics will always be classic. This is true for breakfast as well. Pancakes, muffins, eggs – there’s a certain nostalgia to these dishes that makes sitting down to eat filling in more than one way.
Luckily a lot of restaurants out there are keeping the classics alive with menu items such as home fries, biscuits, sausage with gravy, and even grits (Bob Evans has grits as shown here). But if you’re going out to eat often, starting your day with such heavy foods isn’t really set your body up for success.
We’ve taken a few of the classics and put a slightly healthier spin on them. These recipes aren’t too complicated and can be made easily at home, which will also save you money!
1Classic: Hash / Healthy: Sweet Potato Hash
Hash is a classic side-dish when it comes to breakfast, and there are so many ways to do it right and do it wrong. A classic hash recipe is simple with potatoes, onion, butter, and additions such as parsley, chopped bacon, and peppers.
Our spin on a classic hash uses sweet potatoes in place of usual Idaho or white potatoes, and there are quite a few reasons why. Sweet potatoes have fewer carbs and the carbs they do have are easier for your body to process. They’re also loaded with minerals that keep your body relaxed and work against inflammation, and it can be argued that their natural taste is better than that of your every-day potato.
Our Ingredients:
2 cups diced Sweet potatoes
1 chopped Onion
1 Red pepper
Olive oil
Cumin
2 cups Chopped kale
(eggs and bacon as desired!)
2Classic: Steak and Eggs / Healthy: Steak and Eggs…with side and portion changes!
A steak and egg breakfast is not for the weak. Usually involving a New York strip steak that has been cooked in a skillet and at least two eggs, it’s a protein-heavy breakfast that can leave you feeling full and uncomfortable. But we can’t deny that it’s delicious.
We suggest using a half serving of steak (4-5 oz instead of 10 oz), healthier options such as olive oil, and tailoring your sides to possibilities such as: sliced avocado, grilled peppers, butternut squash hash, or roasted zucchini.
Adding in some vegetables that haven’t been soaked in butter and making a few small changes (i.e., serving size/egg whites instead of the whole egg) make this classic a bit more nutritional and a bit less heavy.
3Classic: Blueberry Pancakes / Healthy: Blueberry Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes
Pancakes definitely aren’t the worst thing you could order off of the breakfast menu, but we’ve found small ways to improve the basic recipe.
For starters, the pancake mix used in restaurants is a simple mix of flour, baking powder, sugar, and a few additions. It’s a very processed product usually bought in bulk, so there isn’t much nutritional value to it.
We’ve amped up the original recipe with some healthier additions, such as buttermilk, which is easily made at home (even with almond milk!) and aids in digestion.
Blueberries are a wonderful addition to pancakes, but keep in mind that the wild variety (smaller, but still flavorful) are packed with more antioxidants than the fat, farm blueberries are. We’ve also included oats, for texture and for additional fiber, and we switched out plain bleached flour for whole wheat.
Here’s our list of ingredients:
1 cup Whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Rolled Oats (chopped up)
2 cups Buttermilk (milk + 1tbs white vinegar/apple cider vinegar, let sit until curdled)
Oil
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
Salt
2 tbs Sugar
1 cup Wild blueberries
2 Eggs (or, if you’re allergic to eggs, ground flaxseed soaked in water)
4Classic: Grits / Healthy: Apple Walnut Oatmeal
Grits is a dish made from boiled cornmeal. It originated in the Southern US, but is common on restaurant menus these days and usually has additions such as jam, fruit, or even shrimp.
We’ve strayed away from the cornmeal in our re-working of these menu items, and instead, we’re suggesting our readers try Apple Walnut Oatmeal. It has the same warmth, a similar texture, and is much better for you.
Steel-cut oats are one of the healthiest grains you can eat as they have more fiber and haven’t been as processed like rolled oats. They usually take half an hour to make with minimal supervision, but if you don’t have the time, rolled oats are always an alternative.
For this dish, we’re putting together oats, apples (granny smith are great – crisp and bright!) and walnuts, which antioxidants and Omega3s.
The apples add a sweetness that’s strong enough to hold on its own but feel free to add a bit of brown sugar or a spot of butter for some more flavor. Oatmeal is a great way to start your day fueled and filled.
