Balanced Breakfast Bowls!

We all love a good breakfast bowl, and if you haven’t jumped on the trend yet you should give it a try.  While they sound delicious and look beautiful that doesn’t mean they are always healthy.  Breakfast bowls are a great way to use up leftovers and minimize food waste.  Building the right bowl can offer an easy way to vegetable (and fruit) intake, which means MORE FIBER yay!  Your GI system will thank you. 

What we want:

• Balance – Think of all the different food groups. Protein, vegetables, fruit, grains
• Texture – Smooth yogurt with crunchy trail mix or granola
• Savings – Use up leftovers

Use up the produce that’s about to go bad like spinach and mushrooms mixed with some scrambled eggs, over some roasted potatoes and a dollop of guac on top…maybe add some salsa for a kick in the morning. 

What to avoid:

• Excessive portions – Think of this as a way to sample each food group so think small to moderate portion of each item.  It shouldn’t look like you just came back from the buffet line.
• Too much fruit – Again, think about how to incorporate ALL the food groups, or as many as you can.  Focus on protein and build your bowl from there.
• Added sugar/sweeteners – Limit your additions from this category.  If you are finding that you need some extra sweetness try adding different fruits.  I like to use berries, pineapple, and mango when I can.  Also using frozen berries and letting them thaw overnight will provide the natural fruit juices to add flavor to the bowl.  If that just isn’t doing it for you then add in some REAL maple syrup or local raw honey a drizzle at a time.

Breakfast Bowl Recipes:

Need a little more breakfast bowl inspiration?  Check out these 19 Breakfast Bowl recipes!

- Nicole Moretta, MS, RD, CDN

Nicole is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and has been part of the Inspired Health Group team since 2016.  As a Dietitian Nutritionist, Nicole helps patients manage and treat diseases and health conditions with diet.  Patients can schedule appointments with Nicole online, over the phone, or by messaging their care team in their patient portal.  Learn more about what Nicole's work in the blog post, What is a Dietitian?