The Best Foods to Choose for Breakfast

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Whether you’re having a sit-down brunch, grabbing something on your way out the door, or breaking a 16-hour fast, we can all agree that our first meal of the day is the most important. It helps to feed your body and mind and sets the tone for a beautiful day.

Our friend Dr. Libby makes a good case for why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. No matter what time you have it, there’s a never-ending list of health benefits of starting your day with a nourishing plate of food. 

Studies are now showing that while ruling carbohydrates out of our diet may not be of benefit for everyone, having a breakfast that is largely made up of proteins, healthy fats, and micronutrient-rich complex carbohydrates, can aid in both brain function and weight loss. Tucking into a delicious, balanced breakfast is also vital in balancing blood sugar levels for both managing and preventing diabetes, and done right, it can also be a good source of dietary fiber.

There are endless reasons to sink your teeth into a nourishing breakfast, and there are thousands of recipes that can inspire your morning meal; no matter if it’s a Sunday sit-down with your family or a breakfast frittata as you drop the kids to school.

Get creative in the kitchen and try out 4 of our favorites for all nutritional needs:

1. Fruit First


My mum has always been a huge proponent of two breakfasts; her fruit breakfast, followed by her muesli breakfast. Growing up, as I devoured into my ‘healthy’ cocoa pops, I couldn’t understand why. But there’s a science behind it. As fruits, especially melons, have high water and high natural sugar content, they are broken down at a faster rate in the digestive tract. By eating our fruits separately to our more dense foods, it eases any uncomfortable digestion and awakens our body with an injection of vitamins and minerals. Our famous take on Two Ingredient Pancakes is a good way to get extra fruit in your foods, with variations to make any tastebuds tingle. We also love a good smoothie as next as the health nut, so try a few of our tried-and-tested combinations. Top it off with some seasonal fruit and you’ve got yourself a good-lookin’ smoothie bowl!

2. Vegetables For Breakfast


It sounds crazy when the first thing you would reach for is normally cereal and milk, but having a savory breakfast is a great way to sneak some more vegetables into your diet. Veggies are a great source of complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, as well as giving your digestive system a healthy dose of dietary fiber. Our Basic Breakfast Omelette is a great way to use up any seasonal veggies you’ve got lying around the house, and Luke Hines’ Charred Pumpkin Breakfast Tortillas are fun for the whole family. If breakfast is something you normally inhale on the way to work, try meal-prepping these Cauliflower Breakfast Muffins for a nourishing bite always at your fingertips.

3. Pass The Protein


If you’re eating a diet that’s largely plant-based, it’s important (as you’ve probably been told) to ensure you’re protein-combining to fuel your body with all the essential amino acids it craves. Breakfast can be another opportunity in the day to get this essential macronutrient, and as the protein breaks down slower than simple carbohydrates, the foods you eat at 7 am will continue to nourish your body throughout the day. Our homemade Shakshuka is a soul-warming breakfast that combines baked eggs with mouth-watering flavors for a hearty breakfast, which also goes beautifully with our Breakfast Bread. Our Get-Up-And-Go Overnight Oats are also a time-efficient and an easily-veganized way to get in some early morning nutrients. If you’re after an extra protein hit, you can mix in your favorite plant-based protein powder.

4. Fight The Fear Of Fats


By now we all know that there are two kinds of fats; those that are good for us, and those that aren’t. For a long time, fats as a food group have been unfairly targeted for the wrongdoings of a few. Healthy fats are vital components of our diet for brain function, long-lasting energy levels, and radiant hair, skin, and nails. We only need a small portion of these healthy fats to meet our daily requirements, so they’re easy to throw in any meal to balance it out. The Food Matters’ Nori Breakfast Wrap is a tasty way to get a balanced dose of omega-3s and is fun to both make and eat! Blending up a Hemp and Vanilla Smoothie is another way to nourish your gut with those good fats, and if all else fails, opt for the millennial favorite - the Smashed Avo, this time served with quinoa and sauteed greens.

So let’s start our day as we mean to go on, and nourish our bodies, minds, and souls with a beautiful breakfast!

For the next month, join us for the February Community Challenge!

We want to invite you to join the Food Matters Team for a month of mini-challenges to take our health to a new level, using the simplest (and most effective) daily habits. Each week we’ll focus on boosting our intake of vegetables and whole foods while minimizing refined foods, alcohol, and sugars.

The Food Matters Team will be jumping in our private Facebook group all month to share their personal tips, recipes, and fun facts to keep you motivated and inspired!

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