Stepping out to start a day without having an adequate breakfast sets you up for overeating later in the day as well as having sluggish heath for the latter half of the day.
Breakfast being the first meal of our day, is the most important one as well. Eating a good, a.m. breakfast not only refuels your body with required energy but also sets you upright for a proper functioning of mind and body for the rest of the day. Studies show that people who eat a balanced and adequate breakfast, can focus, and concentrate better and are better decision makers. The importance of proper breakfasts is the most in growing children, because children who eat breakfast are more likely to do better in school, meet nutrient needs and concentrate better.
Ideal number of calories to be consumed at Breakfast time is 400Kcal. A breakfast comprising of more calories may result in a slow and sluggish start to the day. And going too low in calories at Breakfast time can be disastrous to one’s health. Finding healthy and nutritious breakfast recipes can be task. The healthy ones are often too impractical or time taking, and the easy to make breakfast recipes are often not healthy or substantial to be a good breakfast.
A power packed breakfast must be a combination of good Carbs and Fiber along with some protein. The inclusion of certain raw foods in our daily breakfast is necessary to make it a complete, healthy meal.
However, the lives we live today, constantly on the rush, we most often forget to pay attention to our breakfast meal and grab anything that comes handy to quickly relieve our hunger. Having a healthy nutritious breakfast, when made a daily practice, can have extraordinary benefits to our minds and bodies. It has also been proven that people who eat a hearty, healthy breakfast tend to lose weight more easily than those who don’t. Keeping the rush hour in mind, we bring to you some mind blowing, super quick breakfast recipes which are not only nutrition packed but also satisfy those taste buds, preparing one for an excellent start to a busy day.
Quick and Easy Breakfast recipes below 400 calories
Quinoa Poha with green peas
Poha is one of the most popular breakfast recipes in our country. It is not only healthy, and nutrients packed but is also very delicious. However, it can be made even healthier and complete by twisting the recipe slightly, with a change of grain choice. An alternative healthier than flattened rice such as quinoa, fulfils the nutrient needs in a complete manner. Quinoa Poha is a great way to start the day. Try out this nutritious breakfast recipe and see how it works for you.
- Preparation Time- 16-20 minutes
- Cooking time- 26-30 minutes
- Serving Size- 4
- Course- Breakfast
- Cuisine- Indian
- Type- Vegetarian, Vegan
- Nutritional facts:
- Energy- 393.25 Kcal
- Carbohydrates- 50.02g
- Protein- 11.65g
- Fat- 16.175g
- Fiber- 6.64g
- Sugar- 3.25g
- Sodium- 1172.835mg
The importance of whole grains in the breakfast is huge because whole grains are not only packed with all relevant nutrients but also are slow burning in the process of digestion. All foods that are consumed slowly in our bodies, give us energy and keep us satisfied for longer periods of time. Quinoa being one such amazing ingredient is a high protein whole grain and is also a very good source of calcium, magnesium and manganese. It also contributes useful levels of several B vitamins, vitamin E and dietary fiber. Quinoa, therefore, is an excellent choice for some healthy breakfast recipes.
Ingredients for Quinoa Poha Recipe:
- Quinoa 1 cup
- Mustard Oil 2 Tbsp.
- Mustard seeds 1/2 Tsp.
- Curry leaves 2-10
- Onions finely chopped 2 medium
- Turmeric powder 1/4 Tsp.
- Green chilli chopped 1
- Potatoes boiled, peeled and cubed 1 Medium
- Green peas 2 Tbsp.
- Salt 1Tsp.
- Red Chilli powder 1/2Tsp.
- Lemon Juice 1 Tbsp.
- Roasted Peanuts 2 Tbsp.
- Fresh coriander chopped 1 Tbsp.
- Fresh coconut grated 2 Tbsp.
Method:
- Wash and rinse the quinoa well. Bring quinoa in a non-stick pan with 3 cups of water. Allow to boil. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Heat oil in a nonstick pan. Temper the mustard seeds and curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds, until they start splattering.
- Add onions and sauté till golden brown. Next, add turmeric powder, green chilli, red chili powder and sauté well.
- Add boiled potatoes and green peas and mix well. Sauté for 10-15 minutes and add the cooked quinoa, salt and mix well.
- Add lemon juice and mix well. Turn off the heat and transfer the poha in a serving bowl.
- Sprinkle roasted peanuts, coriander leaves and grated fresh coconut and serve hot.
Eggless Masala Omelette with Mint Yogurt Dip
This is one of the quickest breakfast recipes. A boon for vegetarians and vegans. This eggless omelette takes no time to cook and makes for a nutritious breakfast. The addition of sprouted moong daal to this omelette, makes it a protein rich and complete meal.
- Preparation Time– 5 minutes
- Cooking Time– 10 minutes
- Serving Size– Serves 3, makes 12 small Omelettes
- Course– Breakfast
- Cuisine– Indian
- Type– Vegetarian, Vegan
- Nutritional Info:
- Energy- 382 Kcal
- Carbohydrate- 17.25 g
- Protein- 8.5 g
- Fat- 55.74 g
- Fiber- 13.02 g
- Sugar- 11.04 g
- Sodium- 1418.97 mg
Ingredients for Eggless Omelette Recipe:
- Besan/Gram Flour 1 Cup
- Maida/All Purpose Flour 1 Cup
- All Plant Protein Powder(Optional) 2 Tbsp.
- Salt 1 Tsp.
- Baking Powder 1 Tsp.
- Water 1 Cup or as required
- Olive Oil/Canola Oil 2 Tbsp.
- Finely Chopped Onions 1/4 Cup
- Finely chopped Coriander leaves 1/4 Cup
- Sprouted moong dal (Optional) 1/4 Cup
- Finely Chopped Green chillies 2 (Optional)
Method:
- Make a thin consistency batter by whisking together Besan, Maida, Protein Powder, Baking Powder, and Salt. Whisk very well for a couple of minutes until the batter looks smooth with no lumps.
- Add the onions, green chilies, sported moong dal and coriander leaves to the batter and mix well.
- Heat a non-stick pan on high heat. Add a tsp. of oil and spread it well on the pan. Add a round ladle full of the batter to the pan and let it spread by moving the pan in circular motion.
- Cook for a minute and turn it over. Cook on the other side same way. Fold the omelette in half and arrange on a serving plate.
- Similarly, cook more omelettes. Serve them hot sprinkled with some black pepper, if desired.
Mint Yogurt Dip
Ingredients for Mint Yogurt Dip:
- Mint 4 Cup
- Chopped Onions 2 Tbsp.
- Thick Yogurt 3 Cups
- Green Chilli 2
- Garlic Cloves 2
- Red Chilli Powder 1&1/2 Tsp.
- Amchur (Dried Mango Powder) 2 Tsp.
- Salt 1 Tsp.
Method:
- Bring all the ingredients in a mixer grinder, except Yogurt. Bend in at high speed until a smooth chutney is formed.
- Add the yogurt to this chutney and mix well. Serve a small bowl per serving of the eggless Omelettes and enjoy.
Whole wheat Banana and Nut Pancakes
- Preparation Time- 10 minutes
- Cooking Time- 15 minutes
- Serving Size- 2 people
- Course- Breakfast
- Cuisine- American
- Type- Vegetarian, Contains egg
- Nutritional Information:
- Energy- 389 Kcal
- Carbohydrates- 56.28 g
- Protein- 13.45 g
- Fat- 14.68 g
- Fiber- 7.66 g
- Sugar- 13.74 g
- Sodium- 345 mg
Ingredients for the Recipe:
- Whole wheat flour 1 Cup
- Baking powder 1 Tsp.
- Salt 1/4 Tsp.
- Ground cinnamon 1/4 Tsp.
- Ground nutmeg 1/4 Tsp.
- Banana 1(ripe and mashed)
- Honey 1/8 Cup
- Egg 1
- Milk 1/4 Cup
- Nuts 1/4 Cup (optional, walnuts recommended)
Method:
- Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add more milk or flour as necessary to make the batter a “pancake batter-like” consistency (slightly runny). Stir in the nuts.
- Cook on griddle over medium heat until golden brown on each side.
- Serve topped with warm maple syrup or plain. Top some sliced bananas and crushed nuts as well.
Author: Ms. Preety Tyagi, Lead Health Coach and Founder of My22BMI.
She is very passionate about health issues and wants to change people’s perspective towards the word, Disease. She wants to impact as many people in a positive and healthy way as possible. Being educated in Commerce and after attaining a degree in MBA in marketing, what drove her towards the health and nutrition education was that she wanted to learn more and more about nutrition and how it impacts our health. After finding solutions and healing of her health issues and after solving her family’s health issues just through proper diets and healthy nutrition, she started health coaching as a career and has been able to help many people in different countries, through health coaching now.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not represent those of the GlobalSpa.
