Dr. Frank Lipman, The voice of sustainable wellness

What’s for Breakfast?
10 Gluten, Sugar and Dairy-Free Options
Kerry MonaghanAugust 09

I love breakfast. I used to be a coffee and muffin girl but over time I have figured out that my breakfast was setting me up to crash and burn. Now on most mornings, I fire up the blender and make a smoothie with protein powder. I find this makes a big difference in my energy, and I have fewer cravings throughout the day.

If your current go-to breakfast is a bagel and coffee, you can do better! The refined flour in a bagel or muffin acts just like sugar in your body. This gives you a burst of energy, then you crash and crave more sugar. The coffee is acidic and it depletes your adrenals. And don’t even get me started on the sugar – or artificial sweeteners – you may be adding to the coffee! This breakfast sets you up for a day of cravings and jitters.

So what should you have instead?

The most healing breakfast will have protein and healthy fats, and as an added bonus it will be quick and easy to prepare. Here are some gluten, dairy and refined sugar-free options to start your day off right:

1. Protein Shake

A protein shake is the ultimate quick and easy breakfast. You can use protein powder and mix it with 8-12 ounces of water, coconut water, coconut milk, or almond milk. Add some ice cubes and you’re good to go!  Here are 2 protein powders that I like:

The Be Well Sustain shake is dairy and gluten-free. It’s made with pea protein and has 17 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and a slightly sweet taste. This also tastes great with a packet of Greens, which adds a boost of nutrients from organic fruits and veggies.

The Be Well Recharge shake is made with whey protein from grass-fed cows that are raised organically. Whey is dairy, but most people tolerate it well – it doesn’t contain lactose and it’s great for building up immunity.

2. Protein Smoothie

A breakfast smoothie is absolutely delicious, also quick to make, and is a good way to pack in a lot of nutrients in one shot. Here are 2 of our most popular recipes:

Coconut Bliss Smoothie

1 Sustain packet
4 oz water
4 oz unsweetened almond milk
1⁄2 frozen banana cut into chunks
1 TBS coconut oil
1 TBS shredded unsweetened coconut
4 ice cubes

Add all ingredients into blender and blend till smooth and creamy.

Blueberry Avocado Smoothie

1 Recharge packet
1 cup frozen organic blueberries
1/4 avocado
1 cup coconut water, or 1/2 cup filtered water and 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
Juice of half a lime
4 ice cubes

Sweeten to taste with raw honey. Blend in a blender until smooth and creamy.

3. Slow cooking gluten-free oats, millet, quinoa or brown rice porridge.

You can cook up some grains for breakfast and add your favorite toppings, such as: almond milk, cinnamon, nuts, berries, chia seed, ground flax seed, coconut, a bit of stevia or raw honey to sweeten. To save precious minutes in the morning, you can cook a big pot of grains in advance and just reheat and add your toppings.

4. Sardines/ Salmon/ Mashed Avocado on Gluten-Free Toast

This may not appeal to everyone, but the concept is that you have either sardines, salmon or mashed avocado on a piece of gluten-free toast (Food for Life brand makes a good gluten-free Brown Rice and Millet bread).  You can sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and have some arugala leaves on the side.

5. Veggie Omelet

Use your favorite veggies – such as spinach, mushroom and asparagus.  You can have 1/4 avocado on the side, which contains healthy fats and magnesium.

6. Last Night’s Leftover

Most people don’t think of breakfast as a time for savory foods, but you can certainly have leftovers – including grains, veggies and protein. How about a baked sweet potato drizzled with coconut oil and sea salt with some steamed kale and quinoa on the side?

7. Chia Seed Pudding

I love introducing people to chia seeds and the concept of chia seed pudding for breakfast. Chia seeds have omega 3 fatty acids, lots of fiber and calcium. I add them to smoothies all the time and find they help to keep me full for longer.

To make pudding, you can take ¼ cup chia seeds and about 2/3 cup water and stir, stir, stir! Then let your concoction sit in the fridge for 10 minutes and it will form a “pudding-like” consistency. You can top with some blueberries, bananas, and shredded coconut for a yummy breakfast.

Or, here’s a much fancier chia pudding recipe from Martha Stewart.

8. Gluten-Free Cereals

There’s nothing like a bowl of cereal to bring me back to my childhood!  But these days I’ve traded in Honey Nut Cheerios with milk for Crunchy Maple Sunrise by Nature’s Path with almond milk.  The ‘flakes, puffs and crispies’ give this an amazing texture, but it does have cane juice so it’s not an everyday breakfast, more of a special treat.  Here’s a writeup of other gluten-free cereals from FitSugar – I haven’t tried these but it’s good to see there are plenty of options.

And  this recipe uses amaranth and gluten-free oats and it’s absolutely heavenly. Sprinkle over a smoothie or porridge, or serve with almond milk.

9.  Home-made Raw Muesli

This is a perfect cool breakfast for a hot summer morning.  Soaking the mixture in vanilla coconut milk (unsweetened, of course) overnight makes for an absolutely delicious flavor.

8 ounces uncooked rolled oats (choose certified gluten-free oats)
1 cup nut milk (almond or coconut)
1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tbsp chopped walnuts or almonds
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
8 ounces fresh berries
1 apple, peeled and grated

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nut milk, shredded coconut, nuts and seeds. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add berries and grated apple.

10. Gluten-Free Bread

Here at the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center, we are obsessed with this Paleo Bread recipe from www.elanaspantry.com. We share it with patients, bribe each other to make it, and marvel at how good it is. Thank you Elana for creating this recipe, we love it!

I hope these ideas get you inspired to start your day with lots of energy and vibrance!  Please email Kerry@bewellbydrfranklipman.com with any questions.