Top 7 Simple Healthy Breakfast For Brisk Mornings

You wake up and realize that you have overslept and have an important day at office. But you need a (simple breakfast whether healthy or not doesn’t matter) before you can face the big day. Brush and bath hurriedly, go straight to the kitchen, grab that favorite cereal box, bowl and milk. Have breakfast in about five minutess and you are out of your house running to catch your office commute.

Sounds familiar?!

I have done the same occasionally but now most mornings I prefer to cook. I have friends who think cereals are a good breakfast option just because it is less time consuming and I partially agree with them. But cereals out of a box forever? That is not a good pattern! There are multiple simple healthy breakfast ideas that you can readily adapt to if you are willing to put in a minimum effort.

Instant foods with food labels

Get this clear dear reader!

Any food coming out of a box will have one or more of these ingredients in excess.

• Salt
• Sugar
• Additives
• Food colors
• Oil
• Preservatives

Every food label should mention the contents of the box. It does… but in a clever way that you do not even know what you are actually consuming.

Getting your first proper meal after a long good sleep when you have been fasting for 7 hours or more, right out of a box is an alarming way to start your day.

There is enough research out there to explain why breakfast is important and reasons why you should not skip it.

This article is an attempt to give you simple yet incredibly healthy breakfast options that are really easy to incorporate.

We all have days when we would happily take the easier out of the box (literal) option. Proof is, lot of young millennial professionals equating cereal to simple healthy breakfast option.

To be fair, they are just so convenient. They have good shelf lives and all you need to go with them is a glass of milk.

No prep time or cooking time involved.

Though it is what you are used to, it is high time you think about what it does to your digestion and body in general.

What does cereal contain?

Everyday consumption of ready-to-eat cereals has seriously unwanted impacts on your body.

Trading your health for convenience is a dangerous transaction.

High sugar – akin to diving headfirst into a tub of coffee when a small mug would have got the job done.

Extrusion – a process that forces the cereal to hold the desired shape and texture under high temperature and pressure.

Myth of the ‘whole grain‘ – a diabolical marketing gimmick. The amount used in the actual process is nowhere near enough to label it as inclusive of whole grains.

This dependence on cereals is making you forget to include vegetables in your diet too.

The grains that would otherwise have been a much ‘alive’ source of breakfast, is dried and compressed and blasted with heat and stuffed into shiny boxes.

The grains are halfway to heaven when they fall as flakes into your bowl and the sugar makes you forget all this and crunch those flakes away!!

How is sugar bad?

“Honey without bees!” as the soldiers of Alexander the Great wondered at the Indian cane sugar.

‘Sakkara’ or sugar, this very commodity is the root cause of a host of health complications. Boxed cereals are an important food choice that promote this sugar over dosage.

Frequent intake of high sugar, highly processed food items directly contribute to obesity.

You are not only buying expensive cereals but you are effectively paying to procure bad health because studies show that obesity puts you at risk for 13 types of cancer.

Read that again!

What if a small mindful choice of truly simple healthy breakfast could remove you from the hit list of these diseases?

So here are some ideas for you:

Top 7 simple healthy breakfast alternatives

Idly

Did you know that once Idly was voted as the world’s best breakfast ?

But the best thing about idly is its humble apperance and nature. There is nothing fancy about it.

It is a rich combination of rice and black gram (Ulundu), which are groud together to form a fermented batter. Take this batter and pour into specially designed idly vessels. Cook it by steaming till the batter turns into soft idlies which do not stick to your hand when you touch them. Serve them with any chutney of your choice or the traditional Sambhar.

Idly is

• Quick to prepare
• Easily digestible
• You can consume it even when you are sick.

In fact idly and rasam rice are the only two dishes allowed by doctors when a patient is sick and unable to eat anyting else.

Steamed Little Millets

Millets are a powerhouse of nutrients boasting many varieties too. A big part of the diet from where I come from (the blue hills), millets are packed with carbohydrates, proteins and dietary fibres.

The simplest way to make a millet breakfast to buy some little millets and soak them in milk and hot water for about half and hour. Then add grated coconut, sugar, salt or just milk according to your preference.

Sweet smelling bowl of steamed Little Millet (Saamai) with some grated coconut and a smattering of sugar on top of it. A glass of coconut milk to the side. Yummy!

Porridge

A finger millet porridge with just the right amount of jaggery and a pinch of salt can be a hearty and deliciously healthy breakfast. This is a special favorite in the Nilgiris.

It takes about ten mins to prepare and is especially a favorite of toddlers! Rich in proteins, vitamins and iron, this porridge does the magic of controlling your cholestrol too.

Upma

Snort not sweet child!

I’m sure every Tamilian who read this word just snorted.

Upma in the Indian household is one of the most underrated simple healthy breakfast options available.

Why?

Because our mothers do this breakfast atleast twice a week as it is very easy to prepare even for a big household.

What is undeniable is that this is one of the most practical and healthy breakfasts ever.

The bland semolina is elevated to a whole new level with roasted onions, curry leaves and chillies and a dash of ghee. I know people who add a spoon of finely chopped coriander at the end. And that just adds some freshness to the palate.

Then there is also the better dressed cousin of upma – Kichdi!

A solid breakfast choice especially if you’re health conscious.

Upma impressed even the food giant Kellogs. Yes, Kellogs upma was invented!!

Ragi Ittu/Mudde/ kali

This is another item that can be prepeared with Ragi. These are soft finger millet balls that are usually accompanied with a spicy gravy on the side. Dip a bit of the ragi mudde in ghee prior to the gravy. I promise that you will have a hearty meal that is sure to send you to vegetarian heaven.

To have a wholesome filling meal consume it with yoghurt – a lip smacking dish that will make you want more. Did you know yogurt is good for your gut health?

Different areas give it different names such as Ittu, Mudde or Kali.

Pongal

Pongal is a homey dish that screams fullness. It is so filling that you don’t feel hungry for a long time. It is also easy to make and can me made in two versions.

• Sweet pongal
• Ven pongal

Pothit aka Gothumai Dosa

Don’t have time to plan for an elaborate batter like idly batter. That is where wheat flour comes in handy. Just add a little water and a pinch of salt to the wheat flour and you are good to go.

You can use it as a batter to make dosas just like the way you would do traditional dosas.

If you add some bananas and jaggery, it is a version of pancake! Or you can make it plain and have with with chutney if you do not prefer sweet pothit.

Conclusion

With these simple healthy breakfast recipes, you can cut back on packaged foods and takeaways and you can kick start your day on a high note.

You food has a lot to do with your mood which is all the more reason to focus better on your breakfast.

Would you like to add anything more to the list?

Let us know!