the absorption of carbohydrates for a steady supply of energy
• Healthy fats to help your body metabolize micronutrients, help you to feel full and satisfied, and support cognitive function throughout the morning
• Plenty of fiber to aid healthy digestion, provide energy, and help you to feel satisfied all morning long
No matter how busy you may be, you don’t have to choose between an unhealthy breakfast and no breakfast at all.
The Paleo breakfast is a great way to start the day, even if you normally don’t have time for a real meal. There are many ways to make time for a healthy Paleo breakfast. The recipes in this book offer lots of options for even the busiest families.
Many of the recipes take just a few minutes to prepare, a number of them can be made ahead of time, and quite a few can be enjoyed on the run. With so many healthful Paleo options, there’s no need to start the day on an empty stomach or fill your body with drive-thru meals that offer little in the way of good nutrition.
What’s on the Menu for Your Paleo Breakfast?
The Paleo diet is far from limiting and uninteresting. Although processed foods, grains, cereals, and sugar are out, there are still plenty of great foods to eat for breakfast. All vegetables are allowed on the diet except corn (it’s a grain) and white potatoes (they’re too starchy). All fruits are allowed and should be enjoyed as much as possible for their vitamin content, fiber, and natural sweetness.
Even though grains are off-limits, you can still enjoy delicious breakfast favorites, such as muffins, breakfast bars, pancakes, and waffles. These foods are made Paleo-friendly through the use of nut and seed flours, and they taste wonderful. They also pack a lot more nutrition than the traditional versions.
The focus on meats and eggs on the Paleo diet means you get plenty of protein and healthy fats in your morning meal, which is a very good thing. Protein and healthy fats help you to feel full so that you can avoid those mid-morning cravings for donuts and other junk food sitting around the office. They also slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, which can help you to feel focused and energized without facing a sugar crash later on.
Try not to think that you’re limited to “breakfast foods” for your morning meal. Many people on the Paleo diet have a breakfast that looks more like a traditional dinner: perhaps a serving of chicken and some vegetables. However, there are still plenty of more traditional breakfast options available to you on the Paleo diet.
You can prepare meals featuring all types of fruits and vegetables, most meats (including sausage), and items like muffins and pancakes made from nut and seed flours. Almond milk and coconut milk are excellent substitutions for cow’s milk and can be used to drink, to prepare breakfast smoothies, and on homemade cereals and granolas.
See Chapter 11 for a comprehensive list of the foods you’ll enjoy on the Paleo diet. Among them are plenty of delicious and healthful ingredients for whipping up a tasty Paleo breakfast.
10 TIPS FOR ENJOYING A HEALTHY PALEO BREAKFAST
Transitioning into eating a healthy Paleo breakfast every morning isn’t very difficult, but we’ve compiled some tips to help you make it as simple and enjoyable as possible, no matter how hectic your schedule is.
1. Assess your current breakfast and morning habits, and identify where you can make changes. You can easily substitute Paleo-friendly pancakes and waffles for the wheat-based ones you eat now by using coconut, hazelnut, and other nut-based flours. If you’re a cereal-eater, homemade Paleo granolas are delicious and easy to make in large batches. If mornings are extremely frenetic on weekdays, you can prepare Paleo muffins, breakfast bars, and frittatas on the weekends to eat during the week, or you can just whip up quick and yummy smoothies.
2. Do some prep in the evening to make breakfast a faster affair. Chop vegetables for omelets, stir up some pancake batter, or make extra servings of meats in the evening while you’re preparing dinner and that will streamline breakfast preparation the next day.
3. Don’t focus on calorie counting. The Paleo diet often results in weight loss, but not because of calorie restrictions. Since the diet is based on nutritious whole foods and excludes processed ingredients and sugar, most people end up eating fewer calories automatically. Also, calories alone are not the sole reason for excess weight. Junk foods, starches, and sugars promote fat storage by creating hormonal imbalances, particularly in insulin, leptin, ghrelin, and cortisol.
4. Think of all Paleo-friendly foods as potential breakfast ingredients. There’s no law that says you can’t enjoy chicken, broccoli, or watermelon for breakfast. Healthy foods are healthy at any time of the day.
5. Make a deal with yourself and your family to skip the drive-thru. Agree to stop visiting the drive-thru for breakfast (as well as lunch and dinner), and start putting away that money for something everyone will enjoy, like a mini-vacation, some sports equipment, or a gym membership.
6. Get off-limits foods out of the house. You may not be able to control the temptations you face out in the rest of the world, but you can control what’s in your own home. Pull the processed and sugary items and grain products out of the pantry. Share them with friends or donate them to a food bank that desperately needs them.
7. Cut yourself some slack. Don’t get discouraged or down on yourself if you slip up. The only failure is in letting that slipup derail you completely. Just decide to eat more healthfully at the next meal or the next day.
8. Experiment with new recipes as often as possible. Trying new foods is fun and keeps you from becoming bored or falling into a rut. This is an especially good idea if you have kids. If they don’t like one pancake recipe, they may love the next one, and offering meals full of variety ensures balanced nutrition for the whole family.
9. Pay attention to how you feel after eating a healthy Paleo breakfast. It only takes a few days to notice how much more energized, focused, and satisfied you feel when you eat a healthy Paleo breakfast each morning. Focus on that sense of well-being when an unhealthy craving rears its head.
10. Make your transition an adventure. Try one or two new varieties of fruits, vegetables, or meats each week. If you have children, let each child choose one new ingredient or meal to try. This turns eating new food into a game and also introduces you (and your kids) to different flavors, textures, and colors.
PALEO SLOW COOKER BREAKFASTS
Steamed Hazelnut Breakfast Bread
This recipe is a bit like a lighter version of steamed brown bread. The hazelnut flour, walnuts, and almond milk give it a deliciously nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness. It’s perfect for breakfast or a snack.
| • 1 to 1 1/2 cups hot water• 1 1/2 cups hazelnut flour• 1 teaspoon baking soda• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg | • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt• 1 cup plain almond milk• 1/3 cup raw honey• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts• 1 teaspoon walnut oil |
Turn the slow cooker on low heat and pour in enough
