The Ultimate Guide To Creating A Healthy Kitchen: Breakfast Edition
Healthy Kitchen Tips
In my last post, I shared why starting the day with a balanced and nutritious breakfast is one of the very best health habits you can adopt.
Eating a good breakfast is not only a great way to start creating healthy eating habits but is also paramount for weight management. It will set the tone for making healthy and supportive food choices all day long.
But it is important to understand that all healthy habits are created through consistent practice and repetition. So if we want breakfast to be one of our healthy habits, then we must consistently prepare a good breakfast and actually eat it.
However, this can be easier said than done on a daily basis. Particularly if your mornings get hectic and you are often short on time. One of the best things you can do when it comes to putting yourself in a position to start your day with a balanced breakfast is having a well-stocked kitchen.
Stocking Your Kitchen To Set You Up For Breakfast Success
Consider filling your kitchen with these basic healthy staple items. A healthy kitchen will ensure that you can whip together a healthy breakfast on the fly and in a pinch. For easy healthy breakfast recipe ideas, be sure to check out my last post!
Pantry
High Quality Cooking Oil
Healthy Tip: I recommend avocado oil or coconut oil for cooking because of their high smoke points.
Whole Grain Oats
Healthy Tip: Choose the old-fashioned kind - not the quick cooking variety. Try Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats.
Nut Butter (almond, peanut, cashew, etc.)
Healthy Tip: Be sure to look for one that has no added oils or sweeteners. High quality nut butters can be expensive. Try Costco’s Almond Butter which provides great quality at a very reasonable price.
Quinoa
Healthy Tip: Prepare a batch at the beginning of the week and use as a source of slow-carbs for any meal. Create a breakfast bowl using cooked quinoa, eggs and diced avocado.
A High Quality Protein Powder
Healthy Tip: There are a lot of protein powders on the market and it can be very confusing to know which one to choose. I put together a Protein Powder Buying Guide to help you be an informed consumer as well as give you a starting place in your exploration.
Other Various Smoothie Ingredients
MCT Oil
Healthy Tip: Check out my blog post on using MCT oil to boost your health.
Nut Butter Powders (peanut butter powder, almond butter powder, etc)
Healthy Tip: Some nut butter powders have added sweeteners so choose the unsweetened variety. Try the Crazy Richard’s and Barney Butter brands.
Superfood Powders (matcha, greens, cacao, etc)
Healthy Tip: I empty the powders from my Juice Plus+ capsules into my smoothie to add the nutrition from a variety of fruits and vegetables to my breakfast.
Refrigerator
Pastured/Pasture-Raised Eggs
Healthy Tip: Boil some eggs at the beginning of the week for an easy to grab protein source. Boiled eggs also make a great snack or addition to salads.
Whole Grain Bread
Healthy Tip: Go for quality and choose a bread that is made from whole and real ingredients. Try to avoid added sugars and preservatives as much as possible. I love the Dave’s Killer Bread brand. Store your whole grain bread in the refrigerator to preserve longer.
Whole Grain Tortillas
Healthy Tip: Again go for quality and aim to avoid filler ingredients, added sugars and preservatives. Try the Food For Life Tortillas. They are perfect for an egg wrap and will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Full Fat Dairy: Cottage Cheese, Whole Milk, Plain Greek Yogurt
Healthy Tip: Full fat dairy can be a great source of protein and fat but can be inflammatory for many. It is important to really listen to your body on this one!
Unsweetened Nut Milk
Healthy Tip: My favorites are unsweetened almond milk and unsweetened cashew milk. Both are creamy and great to use as a smoothie base.
Avocados (once ripened)
Healthy Tip: Once they ripen, they will keep in the fridge for a good 2 weeks. Perfect solution to buying avocados bulk since they all seem to ripen at the same time!
Fruit and Berries
High Quality Breakfast Sausage
Healthy Tip: Applegate Farms is a good brand to try if you enjoy sausage. They offer a variety of flavor combinations and are made from high quality meats.
Freezer
Ezekiel Muffins/Bread
Healthy Tip: These breads and English muffins are made from sprouted grains and are highly nutritious. They make a great choice for a slowly-digesting carbohydrate. They are sold and stored frozen. You will find them in the frozen food section of your grocery store (likely with the natural foods).
Grain Free Tortillas
Healthy Tip: It can be tough to find a decent gluten free tortillas. I love these Siete Foods Cassava Flour Tortillas. They work great for an egg wrap. These are also sold and stored frozen. Look in the frozen food section of your grocery store (likely with the natural foods). I have had luck finding them at my local Walmart.
Nuts and Seeds
Ideas: Walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, etc.
Healthy Tip: Storing your nuts and seeds in the freezer keeps them fresh longer!
Frozen Fruit (bananas, berries, peaches, etc.)
Healthy Tip: Don’t let your ripe bananas or imperfect fruit go to waste. Instead of tossing it, freeze it for smoothies.
Frozen Veggies (chopped onions, green peppers, leafy greens)
Healthy Tip: Most grocery stores carry frozen chopped onions and diced peppers. A simple way to add color and flavor to your omelets.
Frozen Quinoa Blend
Healthy Tip: Path of Life makes a variety of frozen quinoa blends that make a great base for a breakfast bowl. The Quinoa and Kale blend is my favorite!
Want More Resources?
Join my community to receive instant access to my Resource Library which contains a collection of tools and resources designed to help you on your journey to better health and living a more vibrant life.
Two insider resources you may enjoy based on this article are:
Protein Powder Buying Guide
There are a lot of protein powders on the market and it can be very confusing to know which one to choose. This Protein Powder Buying Guide will help you become an informed consumer as well as give you a starting place in your exploration.
HEALTHY BREAKFAST RECIPES
A collection of healthy breakfast recipes to help you lose weight the healthy way. These breakfast recipes “break-the-fast” in a very nutrient dense way and regulate blood sugar levels first thing.
Need Help Taking Action?
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