As we begin the new year, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we begin everything… our year, our month, our day. And because I think of almost everything in terms of food, I started thinking about breakfast. The truth is a good foundation is essential for whatever you want to do, including starting your day with a nutrient rich meal. Nourishing our bodies with a delicious, nutritious
breakfast will keep blood sugar even, which means fewer cravings, better focus and energy, and even less weight gain. The list goes on and on… the benefits are great. So why not start the year by thinking about how you start every day!
With that in mind, here is one of my favorite breakfast recipes. High in fiber, healthy fat, protein and antioxidants, this meal will take under 10 minutes to make! I hope you try it and as always, if you do, please let me know how you like it. And if you like this one, check out my new Vegan Better Breakfast Bites E-Book here.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats gluten-free if desired
- 1/2 cup plant milk of choice + 3 tbsp of water
- 1 tbsp chia seeds I used white buy any color will work
- 1 heaping tbsp almond butter
- 1 heaping tbsp cranberry jam OR jam of choice see my recipe below
Optional
- 1/4 tsp ceylon cinnamon
- fresh fruit topping
Cranberry Jam Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 orange, cut in half
- 2 ceylon cinnamon sticks
- 1 star anise pod
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot
Instructions
- Add oats, milk/water, chia seeds, and optional cinnamon to a saucepan and simmer on low heat while stirring (about 3-4 minutes) until desired consistency. You may want to add more liquid if the oatmeal is getting too thick.
- When oatmeal is ready, add a layer of oatmeal to the bottom of a mug. Next, layer cacao nibs (the will allow them to melt a little), then a dollop of almond butter and a dollop of jam.
- Repeat layering until the mug is filled or ingredients are used up.
- Once layered, use a chopstick or long spoon to slightly mix contents of parfait so that the layers blend and you get a taste of all the flavors in each bite.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and/or top with fresh fruit as desired.
Cranberry Jam Instructions
- Rinse cranberries and add to a saucepan with zest and juice of 1 orange. Add the 2 squeezed out orange halves to the pan as well.
- Add all remaining ingredients (EXCEPT arrowroot) to the pan and simmer on low heat, stirring the mixture as it thickens. After about 5 minutes, add arrowroot and simmer another 3-5 minutes until you achieve a thick jam consistency.
- Remove from heat, remove orange halves as well as cinnamon sticks and star anise. Spoon jam into a jar and allow it to cool before storing it in a refrigerated sealed container.
Notes
Good morning, thank you so much for this delicious recipe! I’m new at all this healthy eating, it’s so hard to make changes in the way you live and eat,but I know that this is the perfect time for me and my family to make a difference in our life style, step by step but firmly! Blessings!!!
Thank you Esther! I applaud your effort to change your lifestyle and agree that this IS a great time to do so! There are so many good options here on this website… let me know if you have any questions.