Kick start your morning with healthy breakfasts – Shelly’s Friday Favourites

For me, breakfast is the best meal of the day and one I would never, ever skip. Yes, I’ve read the literature on eating breakfast and I know it’s a good idea to give your body a morning boost of fuel and it can rev up your metabolism for the rest of your day, but I don’t eat breakfast for those reasons. I eat breakfast because I love breakfast foods and breakfast recipes, and because of that, I’ll make breakfast for lunch and dinner too.

Eggs benedict, maple bacon pancakes, and monkey bread – these are just a few of my favourite breakfast foods. But if you’re eating healthy, having a big and heavy breakfast might not be in the game plan. You don’t have to miss your favourites too much though, because there are substitutions you can make for your favourite recipes to make them into healthy breakfasts. Here are a few of my healthy breakfast recipes:

Maple Bacon Wholewheat Pancakes

I’ve tried a lot of different maple bacon pancake recipes, but this one is my favourite. I found it on peanutbutterandpeppers.com, and I’ve included her photo because honestly, my pancakes didn’t last long enough to take a photo. When you make them, the entire house fills up with the scent of amazing bacon.

Directions

In a medium bowl add greek yogurt, egg whites, vanilla extract and maple extract ; mix until combined.

In a the same bowl, add baking soda, stevia, salt, and flour; whisk until combined.

Over medium heat, let your non-stick skillet or griddle get warmed. Place ¼ cup batter on to the warmed skillet or griddle, cook until bubbles appear on top and sprinkle with bacon and then flip pancake, cook until lightly golden. approx 2 – 3 minutes per side.

To keep pancakes warm, heat oven to 200F and place cooked pancakes onto a baking sheet and place in the oven until ready to eat.

Kale and Tomato Eggs Benedict

Just becuase you’re watching what you eat doesn’t mean you can’t unleash your inner foodie once in awhile. This Kale and Tomato Eggs Benedict is the perfect example of good food meets healthy breakfast. Instead of rich butter based hollandaise sauce, you make it from light mayo and mustard. It’s just as good, and you won’t feel guilty after. Photo and recipe from the food network.

Directions

For the hollandaise sauce:
Combine the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon warm water, mustard, lemon juice and cayenne pepper in a blender and process until combined. Scrape out and set aside.

For the eggs benedict:
Fill a wide pot with about 3 inches of water. And the vinegar and bring to a low simmer.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the Canadian bacon and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the kale, remove from the heat and stir until the kale wilts, about 2 minutes. Season with pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

Toast each English muffin in a toaster oven or under a broiler until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Top each with a tomato slice and toast until the tomato is just slightly warm, about 1 minute. Top each muffin with the Canadian bacon-kale mixture.

Crack each egg into a mug and slip into the simmering water. Cook until the whites are at desired doneness, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on each benedict. Drizzle with hollandaise and serve.

Healthy French Toast

I love french toast, but I don’t love the stuffed feeling I get after eating it. I also don’t like the fact that most french toast recipes come in at around 500 calories per slice. This recipe is 270 calories for two pieces. Photo and recipe from the cookingchanneltv.com.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

In a pie plate, beat the egg whites, egg, milk, salt and vanilla with a whisk until blended. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt 1 teaspoon butter or trans-fat-free margarine on medium heat.

Dip the bread slices, one at a time, in the egg mixture, pressing the bread lightly to coat both sides well. Place 3 or 4 slices in the skillet, and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until lightly browned on the second side, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer the French toast to a cookie sheet; keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining butter or margarine, bread slices and egg mixture

Any one of these amazing recipes would make the perfect Saturday or Sunday morning breakfast, and the fact that they’re healthy recipes is an added bonus. If you need a few kitchen tools to kick start your healthy breakfast regime, here are my favourites:

Creating pancakes is easy with a  pancake dispenser

You can make eggs, pancakes, and bacon all at one time on a griddle

Eggs Benedict begins and ends with a perfectly poached egg. This egg poacher makes the perfect eggs every time