Breakfast Faves…Peaches & Cream Wheatberries and Buckwheat Groats Porridge

As a kid, if my dad was out of town, my mom always let us have “Breakfast for Dinner” night…cereal, pancakes or eggs and bacon….so fun !

Even as a college student/single adult, I was more than happy with a bowl of Frosted Flakes or Cheerios with sliced bananas for dinner (probably more for financial and convenience reasons too!) .

Well here I am turning 40 next year and breakfast is still my favorite However, I’ve added some new menu items which I wanted to share with you….

This is the yummiest snack/breakfast!! Just recently discovered it….Wheatberries !

Wheat berries are whole, unprocessed wheat kernels that contain all three parts of the grain, including the germ, bran and starchy endosperm. Wheat berries, like all whole grains, get the nod for their exceptional nutrient profile.  They’re high in fiber, low in calories and packed with vitamins and minerals.  A half-cup serving of cooked wheat berries is a great source of manganese, selenium, phosphorus and magnesium.  Wheat berries also guard against breast and prostate cancers.

So for breakfast the other day I made Peaches & Cream Wheatberry cereal :

1/2 cup cooked wheatberries (I buy them in bulk at the health food store and cook them in water for 1 hour)

Top with 1/2 peach, diced.

Buckwheat is a  grain-like fruit seed related to rhubarb. In texture and flavor, it is much like hearty whole cereal grains. Buckwheat groats, when cooked, make a “porridge” that you can eat as an alternative to hot oatmeal or in place of rice as a dinner side dish. Buckwheat groats are gluten-free and well-tolerated by those with a wheat sensitivity. Groats are rich in the minerals magnesium and manganese, high in dietary fiber and have an earthy, nutty flavor.

Porridge:

• 2 cups raw Buckwheat Groats, soaked in water for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight (I have made several batches over the last few weeks…some soaked for a couple hours and some overnight…couldn’t tell a difference!)
• 1.5 cups non-dairy Milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup liquid sweetener (use Agave if you want it raw. I used maple syrup), or to taste
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Optional Toppings:

• Chopped fruit or dried fruit (banana, Berries, kiwi, apple, peaches, nectarines, raisins, mango, etc)
• Chopped nuts and or seeds (I used almonds)
• Toasted coconut, chocolate chips, etc

Directions:

1. In a bowl, pour 2 cups of raw buckwheat groats and 4 cups of water. Soak for at least 1 hour or overnight. After soaking, rinse well in a strainer several times.

2. Place buckwheat groats in food processor or blender, along with the almond milk, chia seeds, and vanilla. Process until combined and slightly smooth. Now add in the sweetener and cinnamon to taste (I found 1/4 cup of sweetener was enough, but others might like a bit more or less than that).

3. Scoop into bowls or parfait glasses and add your desired toppings & mix-ins. Serve immediately cold. Place leftovers into fridge and enjoy for the next few days. Makes 4 cups at about 385 calories per cup (using 1/4 c maple syrup, but without toppings).

For my first bowl, I topped with blueberries, sliced strawberries and toasted almonds…YUM !!!

My next batch, I topped with homemade granola…it was delish too but I keep going back to the berries !!!!

By the way, don’t try heating this in the microwave…it turns into a big glob of hardness after about 30 seconds !   I haven’t tried heating on the stovetop yet…it is just so good chilled I hate to mess with it again

And for my all-time favorite breakfast…it’s actually a simple protein shake…I have this for breakfast about 4 days a week…usually on my way to the gym…it’s a great pre-work out drink…not too heavy but substantial enough to sustain you for a couple hours through your workout :

8-12 ounces water or coconut water

1 scoop Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer (Melissa and I  like Vanilla Chai, Kimmy likes Chocolate)

OR

1 scoop  Sun Warrior Vanilla Protein Powder (a silky smooth sprouted brown rice protein…way better for you than the whey protein powders out there…but that’s a whole other blog topic !!!)

(I like to trade the two above (Vega & Sun Warrior) out…I tend to get bored with the same flavors every morning!)

1 Tablespoon chia seeds (An amazing superfood that expands in your body to keep you hydrated and keep you feeling full longer.  They are made up of 90% soluble fiber and have twice the protein of any other seed or grain and 5x the calcium of milk.   They contain Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids…I could go on and on but need I say more ??)

1 Tablespoon Vitamineral Green (This has a VERY strong taste…I started out with 1 teaspoon and built up to 1 T. over a few months)

Vitamineral Green contains many of the foods that some consider “super foods”. It is very concentrated. In fact, a serving is a mere one tablespoon. You can easily mix it into a smoothie or other drink in order to gain all of the benefits of the 31 included ingredients.

The Vitamineral Green ingredients are thought to help improve overall health in a number of ways including:

• Bone health
• Assist with digestive regularity
• Cleanses organs, such as liver and kidneys
• Improved colon health

Vitamineral Green Nutrition Facts

The bulk of a serving of Vitamineral Green is protein, which makes up about 32% of the product. Below are the rest of the nutrition facts per serving.

• Protein: 4.37 grams
• Carbohydrates: 6.32 grams
• Fat: .80 grams
• Calories: Less than 25

If you are counting calories, Vitamineral Green is a great way to get in a lot of these super foods without eating a lot of extra calories.

Blend the above together in a Blender Bottle (if you don’t have one…go out and get one!)

 

Hope this gave you some ideas/inspiration for your next breakfast

Jenn