Summer Breakfast Ideas
Life is hard; food doesn't have to be #140 [vol6, 5.4]
My kids sleep late in summer which means our eating routines become wonky quickly. Plus, with warmer weather it seems that I want cold or cooler breakfast foods (not eggs and sausage).
My husband could eat the EXACT same thing every day. I cannot. Here’s what I’ve been eating lately. Subject to change. Everything is subject to change in my kitchen. I love thrive on change.
Granola
Last week I made a batch of granola. I added sourdough discard, though you don’t have to if you don’t have any. Granola is quite forgiving and there are a million recipes online but I typed up how I made it here. We prefer to eat with 5% fat Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is thicker, has more protein because some watery whey has been dripped out, and the highest amount of fat helps stabilize blood sugar / hormones / and keep you full. When buying yogurt you want some fat (it tastes better too!) plus be mindful of added sugar. I prefer plain yogurt then add jam, honey or maple syrup if it needs sweetened.
Smoothies
In my house we make kefir - it’s like a pourable yogurt that’s a bit more tart. Super easy and inexpensive to make! You can buy Lifeway brand at most grocery stores in dairy aisle. If you’re willing to add one fermented food to your routine, I highly recommend kefir. It is a powerhouse of probiotics. Locals, I’m happy to share my culture and help get you going.
I have more of a formula for our daily smoothie not so much a recipe.
The base is always kefir and some frozen fruit. More often than not I add other ingredients to boost the fat and protein which both help keep me full longer and blood sugar stable.
Most days I add:
cottage cheese - a half a cup has 14g protein!! The brand Good Culture, found at Kroger and Costco, has probiotics. It’s a B Corp, which means it isn’t just working for a profit but values people and the planet. I look to support B Corps when I can.
peanut butter - 2T = 7g protein, Peanuts are grown in the ground prone to fungus so I highly recommend people source organic peanut butter, especially if you realize you’re buying it frequently. We get natural, unsweetened, organic from Costco.
TIP: My husband keeps a drill near the kitchen and we attach an inexpensive mixer beater to it to stir it after opening. Once refrigerated the oil doesn’t separate again. A hand held mixer with one beater works just fine for me but he prefers the power drill and I don’t stop him.
hemp hearts - 3T gives 10g protein! These little dudes sorta look like sesame seeds and are crazy packed with protein and other essential vitamins and minerals. You will want to refrigerate them, and I don’t recommend the powdered type as it goes rancid quickly after opening. That goes with ground flax seeds too. Some people will add chia seeds but they sometimes get caught in my gums and the irritation isn’t worth it to me.
frozen fruit - I aim for diversity with fruit. Not necessarily diversity each day, but throughout the week I will choose a different fruit - mostly for gut / microbiome diversity. I buy bags of organic fruit from Costco (Aldi has great prices too). Usually organic strawberries, cherries and blueberries (the seeds in raspberries and blackberries can be bothersome). Bananas are super inexpensive and help sweeten tart kefir. I keep the core from fresh pineapples, cut it into blender-manageable chunks, freeze then toss into my smoothie.
pea protein powder - I’ve used all kinds. Azure has just pea protein, no sweeteners or anything else added; it can be a bit chalky. All other brands are too sweet for my liking and the stevia/sweetener has a weird aftertaste. I never use the full recommended serving simply because it is too sweet but I like having the extra protein. The protein powder I’ve settled on is from Arbonne and it is sweetened with cane sugar and stevia (no weird aftertaste). I have an affiliate link and am happy to help get you started there. But the most important thing IMO about these protein powders is to make sure they’re third party tested for heavy metals and fall well below the guidelines.
greens or frozen riced cauliflower for more fiber - I add veg when I feel I’ve not eaten enough or know I won’t eat many that day. If you keep the riced cauliflower to less than 10% of the smoothie, you’ll never know it’s in there. Some greens, like kale, can taste a bit more grassy. A handful of spinach is hardly detectible.
Fruit with Cottage Cheese
Most people have tried blueberries or pineapple with cottage cheese, but have you tried watermelon? All time fav. This combo says “Summer is here!” This morning I ate cantaloupe with cottage cheese.
Sourdough Toast
Sourdough bread with peanut butter: In nine months my sourdough game went from non-existent to spot on. I’m super proud of my freshly milled whole wheat loaves. I boast to encourage you to keep going if you’re not satisfied with your sourdough skillz.
Other Recipes We Like
Baked Oatmeal that I made weekly for over a decade. This is also a recipe I often include when taking a meal to a new mom (print the recipe for her!) or a family who needs a meal. It’s lovely with whipped cream or even ice cream as a pseudo dessert.
Baked Protein Pancake - uses a dozen eggs and cottage cheese. Add icing and legit call it cake.
Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches - I used English muffins in the post but recently used the same method of cooking eggs and put into homemade drop biscuits. Wrap in foil for on the go — or in the freezer.
Clafoutis (baked custard with fruit) - trust me. Delish. Breakfast or dessert.
Once the tomatoes take off in my garden, I’ll be making this from Carolina Gelen. It’s an egg on sourdough toast with cottage cheese and blistered tomatoes.
Not breakfast but maybe you could use some Ideas for Real Food Snacks for Hospitality.
Life is hard; food doesn’t have to be.
Julie
PS - In case you missed it, I also write a Substack on cleaner choices in the personal care realm. Friday I posted that Beautycounter is coming back in late June. There will be a slimmer product offering and that’s about all I know for now.
PSS - Would love to hear what you enjoy for summer breakfasts. If these ideas would help a friend on the struggle bus, send it their way!