Quick & Healthy Breakfast Recipes

You’ve heard it over and over: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Do you know why you have heard it so much? Because it’s true. After eight hours of sleep without food or water, you need to break your fast. When you wake up, your body is dehydrated and your blood sugar is low. Before you and your family head off to another busy day, you need to nourish your body. Now. Not later.

Since it is such an important meal, you need to make sure it is full of healthy foods. Chances are that you are pretty busy in the morning, so these recipes are quick and easy to prepare.

Serves 3

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup rolled wheat
• ¼ cup rolled rye
• ¼ cup rolled barley
• ¼ cup chopped dates
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 cups water

Directions:

1. Mix the rolled cereals together with the dates in a bowl, set aside.
2. Bring the salted water to a boil in a saucepan.
3. Add the cereal mixture to the water, stirring until the water returns to boiling.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Quick Tip: Premix the cereal in a large container, then you only have to measure out 1¼ cup out of the airtight container whenever you make the cereal.

Fancy Oatmeal

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 4 cups water
• 1 large apple, cored and sliced
• ¾ cups raisins (or less if you aren’t a big raisin person)
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Combine all of the ingredients (except apple) in a 2-quart casserole dish.
3. Arrange the apple slices on top of the other ingredients.
4. Bake for 1 hour.

Quick Tip: You can combine all of the ingredients, except the water, in the dish the night before. In the morning, just add the water, put the apples on, and stick in the oven. By the time everyone is awake, showered, and dressed, breakfast is ready.

Fall Breakfast Pudding

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3 bananas, peeled and sliced
• 3 tbs. orange juice
• 4 apples (or pears), peeled, cored, and sliced
• 6 seedless dates, chopped
• 2 tbs. raisins (or dried cranberries)
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• 3 Hychia persimmons (optional, if available), cored and seeded
• 1/3 cup milk (or milk substitute)

Directions:

1. Toss the banana and orange juice together. Add the apple slices.
2. Toss the banana mixture with the dates, raisins, and coconut.
3. Add the persimmons and break up with a spoon.
4. Stir in the milk, mixing well. As you stir, it will turn into a thick pudding.

Quick Tip: Prepare all of the fruit the night before, and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator. In the morning, simply mix it all together.

12 Slices

Ingredients:

• 1¼ cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cup raw cashews
• 1 banana
• 8 dates
• 1¼ cup orange juice
• 1¾ cup water
• 12 slices whole wheat bread

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients, except bread, into a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
2. Pour the mixture into a flat bottomed bowl.
3. Dip the bread into the mixture, and then brown the bread on both sides in a skillet over medium-low heat.

Healthy Tip: You won’t even need syrup with this yummy breakfast.

Soy-Oatty Waffles

8 Waffles

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soaked soybeans (6½ cups dry)
• 1½ cups rolled oats
• 2½ cups water
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Brewer’s yeast or nutritional yeast

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.
2. Let the batter stand for five minutes while the waffle iron preheats.
3. Blend the ingredients one more time, quickly.
4. Pour the amount of batter into the waffle iron as is recommended for your particular brand of iron.
5. Bake until the waffles are done.

Quick Tip: Make a bunch of these, and freeze them. Then, you simply toast them whenever you want to eat them for breakfast.