Quinoa, often considered a grain but technically a seed, is a nutritional powerhouse that can be a fantastic addition to your breakfast routine, especially if you're aiming for weight loss. This article explores various quinoa breakfast recipes, highlighting their benefits and providing easy-to-follow instructions.
Why Quinoa for Breakfast?
If you have been reading EBF for a while, you already know that quinoa is one of my favorite grains (even though it’s actually a seed, I think of it as a grain). Not only is it high in protein, but the protein that it supplies is complete, meaning it includes all nine essential amino acids. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s “better” than oatmeal because I think both grains are great! Believe it or not, quinoa is a great breakfast choice. The first reason being that it is packed with nutrients. Fiber, iron, and vitamins are just a few of the benefits of quinoa.
- High in Protein: Quinoa is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. This is crucial for satiety, helping you feel fuller for longer and reducing the likelihood of overeating.
- Rich in Fiber: Fiber aids digestion, promotes gut health, and also contributes to feelings of fullness, which can be beneficial for weight management.
- Nutrient-Dense: Quinoa is a good source of iron, magnesium, and other essential vitamins and minerals, providing a healthy boost to start your day.
Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
This easy cinnamon quinoa breakfast bowl is a perfect way to switch up your normal routine of having oatmeal, overnight oats or cold cereal for breakfast. Plus, it gives you an added boost of protein to get through your morning!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened almond milk, but coconut milk or oat milk would also be delicious)
- 1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- More spices, such as ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or ginger, to taste
- Toppings: Toasted sliced almonds, Toasted coconut flakes, Fresh peaches, sliced, Raspberries, Almond milk, optional, Maple syrup, optional
Instructions:
- Rinse quinoa: Rinse quinoa and drain.
- Cook quinoa: Place milk and rinsed quinoa into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add cinnamon and vanilla.
- Reduce heat: Reduce to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.
- Combine ingredients: Add cinnamon and vanilla.
- Scoop the quinoa into two bowls and top with toasted almonds, toasted coconut, peaches, and raspberries. Enjoy as a fluffy pilaf, or as more a porridge with warm almond milk poured on top. Serve with maple syrup, if desired.
Sweet Quinoa Breakfast Oatmeal
This recipe uses simple, clean ingredients that are a great way to kickstart your morning. In just a few simple steps you will have a sweet, healthy meal you won’t get tired of. This Sweet Quinoa Breakfast Bowl pairs perfectly with fruit, nuts and more maple syrup!
Instructions:
- To start, pour the quinoa into a saucepan with the almond milk and bring to a boil.
- I like to serve my quinoa breakfast bowl with sliced bananas and pecans.
Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
This savory quinoa breakfast bowl was brought about thanks to my serious cravings for a savory breakfast. It’s basically like a regular old buddha bowl, but it has egg in it to make it more acceptable to eat for breakfast. You can fully customize it to your own preferences, make it spicy, cheesy, lemony… whatever you want!
Read also: Exploring Mediterranean Quinoa Recipes
Ingredients:
- Perfectly fluffy quinoa
- Kale
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Pesto
- Soft boiled egg
- Avocado
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions:
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil and with 1/2 tsp baking soda.
- Turn the heat back up to a boil and immediately a timer for 6 1/2 minutes. This amount of time will yield a soft boiled egg, but you can leave the eggs in the boiling water for up to 14 minutes for a classic hard boiled egg. What I have pictured is 6 1/2 minutes. Even just 30 seconds makes a big difference in how well the yolk is cooked, so be sure to keep an eye on the clock if you want the yolk to be at all runny.
- Once the time is up, add the eggs into a bowl of ice water.
- Carefully tap the bottom of the egg onto a hard surface to crack the shell.
- Then, we’ll saute some kale with olive oil, salt and pepper to give it lots of flavor.
- Layer it over the quinoa with pesto, soft boiled egg, avocado and top it all off with some crushed red pepper flakes for a little spice.
Cinnamon Toast Quinoa
Epic breakfast quinoa recipe featuring toasted pecans, coconut oil, cinnamon and dried cherries or cranberries. It tastes like cinnamon toast!
Ingredients:
- Pecans
- Coconut oil
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Quinoa
- Dried fruit
- Hemp seeds
Instructions:
- First, toast the pecans before we add the remaining ingredients.
- Add the coconut oil, cinnamon and salt to the pot.
- Add the quinoa to the pot and stir to combine.
- Cook, while stirring constantly, just until the quinoa is warmed through, about a minute or so.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and top with dried fruit and a hefty sprinkle of hemp seeds, if using.
- Top with a light sprinkle of cinnamon.
Berry-Studded Breakfast Quinoa
Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans.
Tips and Variations
- Meal Prep: Breakfast is one of the best meals to prep in advance. Cooked quinoa can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. Serve at room temp or heat it as you're ready to serve. This recipe is also great because it makes four generous servings.
- Customize: Add or subtract whatever ingredients you like. Throw in some chopped tomatoes or mushrooms with the kale, add a little hot sauce, black beans, whatever you like!
- Nut-Free Option: Yes! To make this recipe nut free, use my nut free pesto recipe instead!
- Vegan Option: If you don’t like eggs or want to make this bowl vegan, you can simply leave the eggs out of sub for some chickpeas! Saute them with the kale to add a bit of flavor.
Read also: The Ultimate Keto Quinoa Substitute
Read also: Delicious Plant Paradox Breakfasts