Before we jump into some awesome clean eating breakfast ideas, it is important that you know what clean eating is. The clean eating diet adopts one simple philosophy:
Stay away from processed food and say yes to natural whole foods that are as close to nature as possible.
This means that you have to steer clear of most packaged products and foods made with white sugar, white flour, trans fat and other refined varieties.
The diet mostly incorporates lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and nuts and seeds.
We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and when you’re trying to come up with some clean eating breakfast ideas, it is imperative to understand what you eat, inside out.
Typical breakfast options such as baked goods, processed meats which include sausage and bacon and are a no go, processed items are not recommended in the clean eating lifestyle.
Fortunately, clean eating is considered to be one of the simplest healthy lifestyle choices today. No fuss, no fury and absolutely no starvation!
Don’t over complicate breakfast, just reinvent or modify your old breakfast recipes to make them more suitable to your new regime.
Cereal
Most ready to eat cereals are not permitted in clean eating breakfasts. Therefore, always check the ingredients and choose breakfast cereals with minimum ingredients. Avoid products with labels that have ingredients that you aren’t familiar with or you can’t pronounce.
Choose simple high-fiber cereals with more than 5 grams of fiber per serving. Adding skim milk, nuts and some berries to any clean cereal makes a healthy and nutritious breakfast.
Some examples of clean eating breakfast cereals include old-fashioned steel-cut oatmeal and bran cereals without added sugar and salt. Oatmeal can be cooked with water or any type of milk and served with a wide array of ingredients including, berries, nuts, raisins or shaved dark chocolate.
Don’t have time to make breakfast? Allow a cup of oatmeal to soak overnight in some water or low-fat cow milk, soy milk or almond milk and let it to rest in your fridge. Before you’re headed to work, add some sliced bananas and berries to your oatmeal for a perfect on-the-go breakfast.
Eggs
Protein is essential in any clean eating diet and you can’t go wrong by choosing eggs for your breakfast protein intake.
If your aim is to lose weight and gain muscle mass, you can add more protein to your breakfast without many calories by adding two to three egg whites to one whole egg. Egg whites do not contain saturated fat but are rich in muscle-building protein.
Eggs can be incorporated into breakfast salads along with avocado or they can be made into an omelet with fresh sautéed vegetables such as mushrooms, spinach and peppers. Add cheese for flavor.
Yogurt
Nonfat Greek yogurt is rich in protein and consists of no added sugars. Greek yogurt can be incorporated into everything and can be served as a dip or sauce. It can also be added to your meals for creaminess.
One cup of yogurt topped with pineapple or berries and nuts can make a quick on-the-go clean eating breakfast. Experiment with other clean ingredients till you’ve found your favorite combination. Yogurt also acts as an excellent fluid base for smoothies:
Green smoothies. Perhaps the best way to consume more greens is through a smoothie. Add a handful of kale or spinach to your blender, along with yogurt, and ground flax seeds for that omega-3 punch.
Pomegranate berry smoothie. A combination of pomegranate juice, berries of your choice, a banana and cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. You can freeze it up and enjoy as a fruit pop as well.
Orange flax smoothie. A bright orange smoothie consisting of frozen peaches or pineapple, orange juice and carrot juice with some ginger to add some flavor. Oh and don’t forget adding one tablespoon of yogurt too!
Baked goods
Just because you can’t have white flour, doesn’t mean you should quit on your favorite baked goodies. Baked good which are made of whole grain flour and natural sweeteners such as evaporated cane juice or banana make excellent clean eating breakfasts.
Muffins, pancakes, breakfast bars and waffles can be made clean with some creativity and experimenting. For clean eating breakfasts, incorporating nuts, berries and bananas adds flavor and natural texture to baked items.
