The Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Diet is an elimination and reintroduction protocol designed to heal and seal the gut lining. It begins with an Intro Diet (6 stages), followed by a Full GAPS Diet. Finding suitable breakfast options while following the GAPS Diet can be challenging, especially with the exclusion of grains, dairy, and processed foods. Starting your day with a GAPS-Diet Breakfast doesn’t have to be difficult. These recipes are easy, delicious, and packed with healing nutrients.
Understanding the GAPS Diet
The GAPS Diet emphasizes homemade meat or fish stocks, fermented foods, well-cooked vegetables, high-quality fats, and probiotic-rich foods. The Full GAPS Diet is followed until symptoms are gone and digestion is normalized for at least 6 months. As your gut begins to heal, you may notice subtle shifts-clearer thinking, more balanced emotions, easier digestion, and a newfound sense of inner calm. Living with a healthy gut feels like returning home to yourself: grounded, nourished, and at peace. Your body is wise. Trust the journey.
Tips for GAPS Diet Breakfasts
- Gradually Transition: Ease into the GAPS Diet by slowly eliminating non-compliant foods and introducing GAPS-approved alternatives.
- Meal Planning and Preparation: Plan your meals in advance to ensure you have GAPS-friendly options readily available. Batch cooking and prepping ingredients can save time and make sticking to the diet easier.
- Think Outside the Box: Meals that are not traditionally served for breakfast can be eaten during the morning.
When you are beginning the GAPs diet, I always try to make sure I have a few basic ingredients on hand wither in my pantry or my refrigerator to help keep hunger away. Another tip I try to keep in mind is to make more than I need with other meals that I can freeze.
GAPS Diet Breakfast Ideas
Eggs
Having breakfast on the GAPs diet can be as simple as enjoying eggs with a side of avocado or a smoothie on your drive to work.
Soups and Broths
Chicken soup (or just the broth). When we are needing extra nourishment due to illness or other setbacks, the kids often ask for soup for breakfast. Our bodies become intuitive over time! Homemade soups made with homemade stock (with or without meat) and vegetables (exclude fibrous ones like cabbage and celery). Bone broth is a critical ingredient in the diet for healthy teeth, bones, and digestion. I think it is absolutely the most magical thing that comes out of my kitchen.
Read also: Starting the GAPS Diet
Meat and Vegetables
Leftover or fresh hamburger patties (or any leftover meat) with healthy ranch dip. Celery and carrots with Apple Dip (Apple dip is from the Specific Carbohydrate book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle and contains nut butter, a drop of honey, cinnamon, and minced apples. Meat and veggie or nut butter sandwiches on what we call "Jennifer's Yummy Bread". The recipe was shared by a friend and we're a little obsessed. It make a light, fluffy flatbread for wraps and sandwiches.
Fermented Foods
Probiotic foods (dairy based or vegetable-based). Gradually add fermented vegetable juice to meals, start with 1 teaspoon a day and increase up to 4-5 teaspoons a day, don’t add in hot soups, the beneficial bacteria is heat sensitive. If your child can tolerate homemade fermented dairy, you can introduce whey, yoghurt or sour cream (additionally to fermented vegetable juice).
Pancakes
GAPS Intro Summer Squash Pancakes Summer Squash (zucchini, crookneck) pancakes are a favorite in this house, and a much-awaited addition to the tremendously healing GAPS Introduction diet. If you’re not on GAPS, summer squash pancakes are still good. Pancakes made with nut or seed flour/butter (start with 1 day, gradually increase). Cook with ghee or other animal fat, not vegetable oils.
Baked Pancakes
These baked pancakes taste like sourdough because of all the yogurt included in the recipe- Sourdough is one of the things I’ve missed most about being grain free, so I’m in love with this recipe! Baked goods with nuts and seeds (ground into flour), start serving small amounts (1 slice), slowly increase.
Recipe Examples
Caramel Chia Pudding
Dates are the surprising ingredient that sweeten this chia pudding, and they really do give it a surprising caramel flavor! This decedent chia pudding, like our raspberry chia jam, is thickened with whole chia seeds.
Read also: Understanding the GAPS Diet
Grain-Free Banana Bread (GAPS, Gluten-free, Paleo-friendly)
As a young(er) wife and mother, I remember making banana bread often. I was an avid quick-bread and muffin baker and I found it to be an excellent way to use up my over-ripe bananas…that didn’t make it into the baby food grinder or a toddler’s little fists.
GAPS Intro Summer Squash Pancakes
Summer Squash (zucchini, crookneck) pancakes are a favorite in this house, and a much-awaited addition to the tremendously healing GAPS Introduction diet. If you’re not on GAPS, summer squash pancakes are still good.
Cinnamon Roll Pullapart Breakfast
Of all the food traditions around the holidays, this one might be my favorite (with Key Lime pie for birthdays being a strong runner up). Christmas morning with pullapart bread made the wait to open presents worthwhile.
Protein-Rich Low-Carb Waffles
Make your kitchen smell like fall in the morning with these protein-rich low-carb waffles infused with delicious fall flavors. They are delicious spread with apple butter and tucked into lunch boxes as well. Add almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Hot Cereal (Low Carb Porridge)
Hot cereal on the GAPS or keto diet? Yes please! This low carb porridge is made of nuts, seeds, and coconut, and is simple to mix up in batches. If you need something warm and filling in your tummy before braving the cool weather, you’ll love this recipe!
Read also: Comprehensive review of the GAPS Diet
Scotch Eggs
Scotch Eggs are perfect for when you want express some creativity with a fancy breakfast, but also want to stay high protein/fat and low carb. These allergen-friendly scotch eggs use pork rinds in place of the traditional bread crumbs!
Nutbutter-Based Muffins
Sweetened with banana, these nutbutter-based muffins pack a nutrient-dense punch in an easy to eat container. Perfect for packing in lunchboxes, or for rushed mornings when you’re just trying to get out the door, enjoy these muffins any time!
Grain Free Raspberry Muffins
This recipe for grain free raspberry muffins was a fast favorite with my husband and kids, and is a great way to use your summer raspberries. Simple to make, and an easy accompaniment to your grain free breakfast, lunches, or snacks.
Russian custard
This Russian custard recipe is SO simple, it hardly merits being called a recipe. However, it is a delicious addition to the GAPS Diet protocol, an easy-to-make dessert, and a wonderful way to get more (healing and nutrient-dense) raw egg yolks into yourself or your family members.
GAPS Diet Intro Pancakes
The GAPS Intro Diet is one of the most powerful healing diets for healing & soothing your digestive tract. For instance, it’s one of the fastest ways to stop issues like diarrhea. It takes nourishment to a whole new level.
Honey Gravlax
Once they are on Stage 2 of the GAPS Introduction Diet, one food many people overlook is homemade honey gravlax. The idea of eating “raw” fish is not everyone’s cup of tea! But trust me - it’s delicious.
Best GAPS Frittata
I’ve been making frittatas for my visiting guests for many years now.
GAPS Diet for Kids
Staring the GAPS diet for kids may be a good decision if you are a parent of children dealing with one or more chronic health conditions that mainstream medicine may not fully understand yet, like food intolerances, allergies, autoimmune diseases, asthma, eczema, many digestive disorders and even autism.
For a smooth transition to GAPS diet for a kid, you need go slowly (especially if the child is used to most processed sugary starchy foods). For extremely picky eaters it’s recommended to start with the full GAPS diet (which is more relaxed) for a month or two, and slowly progress to GAPS Introduction Diet. This would be less stressful for the parents (as they get used to new grocery shopping list, recipes and mistakes) and for the child, as he/she learns to change the eating habits. If the child is already accustomed to healthy eating (for the most part) then jumping to the GAPS Introduction Diet shouldn’t be a problem.
- This is beneficial for kids with food allergies and intolerances. It intends to heal and seal the gut lining quickly: from a few days up to a few weeks, it depends on the severity of the condition and the age of the child.
Add egg yolks (raw organic) or at least soft boiled. Start with 1 a day, increase to 1 per bowl of soup. Stews or casseroles made with meat and vegetables. Add avocado (gradually increase). Introduce the fermented vegetables (in addition to the juice). Gradually add roasted or grilled meats (avoid fried and burned) served with cooked vegetables. Introduce freshly pressed juices (no pulp) start with 2-3 tablespoons, gradually increase to 1 cup (237ml) a day. The juice should be drank on empty stomach (morning and afternoon is ideal). Start with 1 juice (like carrot juice) and slowly progress to celery, cabbage, fresh mint, parsley, beets (small amount 5% in combination with other juices) and then a combination of those. When well tolerated, an apple can be added. Introduce raw vegetables (start with cucumber, lettuce, if well tolerated, add carrots, onion, cabbage, tomato, bell peppers (if there’s no reaction to nightshades), etc. Introduce other baked goods (with GAPS approved ingredients). Dried fruit and honey as sweetener.
- This the maintenance phase of the GAPS diet (basically a continuous sixth stage) and lasts between 1.5-2 years. It depends on the severity of the condition and the age of the child.
The day should start with a glass of room temperature water and/or a portion of freshly squeezed vegetable juice (mentioned above). 85% of all consumed foods should consist of: stock (2-3 times a day), meats (from stock, poached, roasted or grilled) organ meat, soups, stews, fish, eggs, animal fats, fermented dairy and vegetables (cooked, raw or fermented) and fresh cold pressed juices. Seasonings/spices allowed on full GAPS (organic individual, no pre-packaged mixes): bay leaf, black pepper, Celtic sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, (no table salt), ground rosemary or thyme, dried basil, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg. It’s better to use fresh garlic and onion as the dried powders usually have anticaking agents. Fruits should be consumed in moderation as a snack between meals. Baked good (with GAPS compliant ingredients) should be consumed in moderation as well.
- It represents a slow reintroduction of more foods (in order) - the child should have at least 6 months of normal digestion before introducing foods not allowed on the GAPS diet.
Once the child’s digestive system starts functioning normally, you can gradually introduce small amounts of other wholesome foods. Potatoes (if sensitive to nightshades introduce, eggplant, tomato and red peppers first).