Breakfasts for energy and hormone balance
Breakfast is hands down the most important meal of the day when it comes to supporting energy and hormone balance. It is also a great place to start in any plan to start eating in a healthier way. There are so many great options which are delicious, will help your energy throughout the day and will give you hormones a big morning hug.
So the starting point with breakfast is that is should be balanced. It should include a good source of protein and healthy fats. Put simply, the protein and fat is important to help keep your blood sugar levels nicely balanced which will help your energy levels throughout the day. Protein and fat are also vital for making our hormones so adding these nutrients is helpful for our hormone balance.
So what are my favourite energy boosting and hormone balancing breakfasts?
1) Oats, oats, oats galore
Oats. There is almost no other food as economical and versatile than the humble oat. Throw in the fact they are amazing for supporting our energy and hormones and we have a winning breakfast ingredient. They are dense with slow-release carbohydrate energy, easily digested fibre and important minerals like magnesium and potassium.
The two main ways I use oats in my breakfast are porridge and overnight oats. The great thing about both of these is that you can add so much goodness to them. So let’s take a closer look.
Porridge – I make a simple porridge base using oats and a vegan milk (I am not vegan but I do try to limit my dairy intake). I tend to use oat milk or almond milk. Once I have the porridge base I add any of the following toppings: berries, pureed apple, nuts, seeds, ground seed mixes by Linwoods, coconut flakes and a big dollop of coconut yoghurt. My secret ingredient in my porridge is a big spoonful of coconut oil, stirred through at the end – this makes it deliciously silky and adds plenty more healthy fat to breakfast to keep our blood sugar levels stable and support our hormone balance. Another tip is to soak the oats overnight to make it extra easy to digest and cut a few minutes off cooking time. Plus oats are thought to be a lactogenic food meaning they may help with milk production for the milk making mamas out there!
Overnight oats – this is a such a winner of a breakfast and can easily be made the night before for minimal fuss in the morning. Simply mix oats, almond or coconut milk and chia seeds in a bowl, chuck in a handful of frozen berries and leave it in the fridge overnight. Then its ready to go the next day. Chia seeds are the magic ingredient in this. Fibre, protein, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus as well as being the richest plant-based source of omega 3 fatty acids (a very important type of fat!). The berries bring plenty of vitamins and anti-oxidants to the table. Plus, berries are one of the lowest sugar fruits so are best for keeping blood sugar levels balanced.
Another option is to swap the berries for some grated apple and a pinch of cinnamon. You can also add any nuts and seeds to it the next morning for a crunchy topping – again the Linwoods mixes make a great topping. Packed full of slow-release carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats, it will keep your blood sugar levels balanced and your hormones will do a little happy dance.
Oat pancakes – these make a delicious hot breakfast on the weekend, but also taste great served cold with a dollop of almond butter (the perfect afternoon snack). Simply add all the following to a blender: 50g oats, 1 small apple or peat (chopped), ½ ripe banana, 1tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp ground flax seeds, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 eggs and a dash of coconut milk. Let it stand for 10 mins to thicken and then fry as mini pancakes. Top with any or all of coconut yoghurt, berries, nuts, seeds and almond butter.
2) Eggs, eggs, I love an egg
Eggs are another breakfast staple in our house. Eggs are one of nature’s most clever foods – containing almost every nutrient we need. So many ways to enjoy eggs… I love scrambled with a dollop of pesto stirred through, or try adding spinach for some extra nutrients (spinach is jam packed with vitamins and minerals, including iron, folic acid and vitamin C). Adding avocado is a match made in heaven and adds more healthy fats.
3) Smoothie time
Smoothies are such a brilliant way to pack tonnes of nutrition in first thing in the day – like a multivitamin glass that will help support your energy levels and hormone balance if you get the ingredients right. The key with smoothies is to ensure they include protein and fats. Here’s a couple of ideas… I tend not to worry about fixed quantities but if you need guidance on that just let me know.
Blueberry and macadamia smoothie – blueberries (fresh or frozen), spinach, macadamia nuts (ore-soaked), unsweetened almond milk, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp turmeric and 1 tsp maca powder.
Green smoothie – spinach, cucumber, parsley, pineapple, avocado, lemon, fresh ginger (skin on) and ground flax seeds.
So have a little experiment with some of these and please just get in touch if you have any questions at all! :)