Hola everybody and welcome to the first blog post of 2020! A new year means a fresh start and while I am currently running a fitness and yoga challenge over on my YouTube channel, I thought it would be a good idea to do a recipe post to fuel those new muscles :) As I know you are all very busy and many of you work away from home, I’ve rounded up four easy and nutritious breakfasts that you can make in advance to either bring with you to the office or quickly enjoy in the morning. 

I hope that you all enjoy these recipes and if you’d like to see more recipe posts on here just let me know down below and I’ll get to experimenting in the kitchen ;) 

Bon appétit!

Chocolate Chia Pudding

This recipe is beyond simple and can be adjusted depending on what you happen to have on hand. The ratio for the pudding is 1 cup milk to 4 tablespoons chia seeds. I like to use unsweetened almond milk though you are welcome to use whatever you like. You can make this chocolatey (as indicated above), fruity by adding fresh berries, or a bit warmer by throwing in some cinnamon. 

I made a YouTube video showing the preparation of this pudding that you can find here. 

Nutty Monkey Overnight oats

Overnight oats are a staple in our house and while there are many flavor combinations (piña colada, coffee, cinnamon apple, mint chocolate chip, etc.) I love the classic banana and peanut butter combo. This is actually my go-to combination for warm oats in the morning but can be made the night before and enjoyed cold on the go just as easily :) 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup rolled or quick oats

• 1/2 cup (50 ml) milk of choice

• 1 mashed banana

• A pinch of salt

• 1-2 tablespoons of nut butter

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

• Optional: honey to sweeten, chopped nuts and fresh fruit to top

Directions:

1. Combine the oats, milk of choice, mashed banana, salt, nut butter, and chia seeds into a portable jar making sure to mix thoroughly.

2. Leave to sit in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or preferably overnight. 

3. Before serving add any additional toppings and enjoy!

Spinach egg muffins with cheese [2]

This recipe is for all of my savory-breakfast folks. It was inspired by Kelly over at Life Made Sweeter and puts a spin on the classic egg breakfast. These egg cups are portable, full of flavor and can be reheated if you prefer something a bit cozier.

Ingredients:

• 10 large eggs

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp dried basil

• 2 cups chopped spinach

• 1.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese or your cheese of choice plus more for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a 12 count muffin pan with silicone liners or coat with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, crack in the eggs and whisk together with salt and black pepper.

3. Whisk in the garlic powder and basil until combined. Stir in spinach and cheese. Divide evenly into muffin cups filling each about 2/3 full.

4. Sprinkle with more cheese if desired. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until set. 

5. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Enjoy immediately or pack and store to bring on the go! 

Healthy apple muffins [1]

This recipe was inspired by Liz and Tyler over at the Clean Eating Couple. I love any recipe that used apples and I thought this one would make for the perfect grab and go breakfast, or late morning snack :) 

This recipe makes 18 apple muffins.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Old Fashioned rolled oats

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• A pinch of salt

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• 2 eggs

• 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)

• 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted + cooled)

• 1/3 cup almond milk

• 1.5 cup apples peeled + chopped (approximately 2 large apples)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a greased or lined muffin tin. 

2. In a blender pulse oats until they are flour like consistency. Add in baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Pulse to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, melted coconut oil and milk.

4. Combine dry and wet ingredients in blender. Fold in chopped apple pieces* Do not blend the apples!

5. Pour batter into greased/lined muffin tin, filling ¾ the way

6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Thank you all so much for stopping by this week and I hope these recipes inspired you to take a few minutes to plan a healthy and hearty breakfast that will fuel you for a good part of the morning. I’d be really curious to know what some of your favorite breakfast recipes are, or if you prefer to just skip it and go straight to lunch :) Let me know in the comments below.

See you all here next week for a fresh blog!

Xoxo,

Alexandra

Sources:

1. Bacon, Dana, et al. “Healthy Apple Muffins.” The Clean Eating Couple, 4 Jan. 2020, thecleaneatingcouple.com/healthy-apple-muffins/ 

2. Kelly. “Spinach Egg Muffins with Cheese - Low Carb / Keto / Gluten Free.” Life Made Sweeter, 10 June 2019, lifemadesweeter.com/spinach-and-cheese-egg-muffins/#wprm-recipe-container-35280