Getting out of bed in the morning can be difficult. Regardless of whether we are in the midst of fighting a pandemic, leaving the warmth and comfort of our duvets is not really what most us wish to do unless there is something to look forward to.

 

One thing that helps me wake up is the promise of good food, and I think that is the case for so many of us. Whether it’s eating your delicious leftovers or the excitement of cooking a fresh meal in the morning, food makes us happy. Yet, to be entirely honest, even though breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I do not treat it as such. Therefore, forcing myself to eat breakfast requires excellent recipes.

 

If you are anything like me, here are seven easy and healthy recipe ideas to start your day in the best way possible and turn even the laziest people into enthusiastic cooks.

 

Monday

The first day of a week has been synonymous with despair for as long as I can remember. Understandably, no one wants to go to work or school after a relaxing or adventurous weekend. Still, there isn’t a choice and the best way to get through the dreaded Monday morning is with your favourite style of coffee and banana pancakes.

 

Ingredients: 1 cup of whole wheat pancake mix, 1 large banana, ½ cup of oats and a syrup of your choice.

 

Method: prepare the pancake batter according to the package directions. Slice up the banana into pieces and stir them into the batter with the oats. Pour the batter by ¼ cupful onto a hot pan coated with oil. Turn when bubbles form on top and cook until the second side is golden brown. Squeeze you favoured syrup on top.

 

 

Tuesday

Still not close enough to the weekend but at least you go through the first day of the week. Tuesdays feel like a forgotten day, so make it memorable with a healthy, yet mouth-watering breakfast made up of fruits in different forms. Whether you have them as smoothies, bowls or parfaits, it will all taste incredible.

 

Ingredients: fresh fruit (strawberries, bananas, mango, grapes etc.), chia seeds, ¾ cup of vanilla yoghurt, lemon juice and honey.

 

Method 1 (fruit bowl): chop up your chosen fruits into a bowl and combine in the chia seeds, yoghurt and honey (and lemon juice if you wish).

 

Method 2 (smoothie): chop up one or two of your favourite fruits into a blender. Blend for a few minutes and then add in 1 tbsp of honey, ½ tbsp of lemon juice and if you like, some chia seeds and vanilla yoghurt for thickness. Blend until the mixture is smooth.

 

Method 3 (parfait): A layer of yoghurt, a layer of chopped fruit, a layer of yoghurt and another layer of chopped fruit. Do this for as many layers as you like. Top it off with chia seeds or granola and honey.

 

 

Wednesday

This is always a mid-week madness day. You are exhausted not only because of the workload but also because of the constant reminder that you are only halfway through the week. Still, start your morning in a positive mood with an energising boost. You probably want to eat as many carbs as possible, and you can do this, but in a more nutritious way using sweet potatoes.

 

Ingredients: 2 sweet potatoes, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, parsley, salt, pepper and oil.

 

Method: Boil the sweet potatoes for a few minutes, so they soften and become easier to cook. Chop and sauté the onions and bell peppers into a pan of olive oil. Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes and add them to the onion/pepper mixture. Cook for a few minutes and then add some chopped parsley. As the potatoes start to turn crispy, season with salt and pepper.

 

Thursday

Not sure if it’s because we are closer to Friday or because we got through Wednesday, but Thursday never seems all that bad, so you do need anything too extravagant. Scrambled tofu or eggs on bread would be the perfect option as your first meal of the day.

 

Ingredients: a block of tofu, 1 onion, cherry tomatoes, salt, minced garlic, 2 tps of cumin, chilli sauce and slices of bread.

 

Method: scramble the tofu into a bowl using a fork. Chop and sauté the onion and tomatoes into a pan of olive oil with salt and garlic. Add the tofu and cumin and mix carefully. Add some chilli sauce if you like. Toast some slices of bread and place the tofu scramble on top.

 

Ingredients: 2 large eggs, 1 tbsp whole milk or water, salt, pepper, olive oil and slices of bread.

 

Method: Crack the eggs into a bowl with a tablespoon of water or milk and some salt and pepper. Wisk the mixture until the eggs are completely broken up and pour it into a hot skillet coated with a thin layer of oil. Using a spatula, begin pulling the cooked outer edges into the middle, so the scramble collects at the centre of the skillet. Begin breaking up the scramble and keep it moving to make sure that all surfaces cook evenly. Toast some slices of bread and place the scrambled egg on top.

 

Friday

Finally, the day everyone’s been waiting for. This is probably the easiest day to get out of bed because although you are tired, you are more excited to be done with the day and so you need the quickest breakfast possible while also getting your 5 a day. A banana split would be a great option.

 

Ingredients: 1 banana, 2 tbsp of almond butter, 2 scoops of frozen natural yoghurt, a handful of berries and 4 tbsp of granola.

 

Method:  Peel the banana and slice it down the centre. Spread the nut butter over the banana halves, place the scoops of frozen yoghurt on top, add the berries and scatter over the granola.

 

 

Saturday

You will probably sleep in and so a light breakfast before lunch is all you need. Grab your favourite cereal and pour in the milk.

 

Sunday

Go out to brunch. You deserve it.

 

I hope this gave you some inspiration for breakfast ideas and convince you that you can have a delicious and healthy meal that is neither time consuming nor complicated.

 

Follow @goplacesdigital and myself, @trailingpages, on Instagram for more articles on lifestyle and food inspiration. Cooking healthy meals really does not have to be boring or intimidating.

 

Article by Sanika Shah