Get some breakfast in your belly

Six simple Paleo breakfast ideas

When I changed my diet to adhere to the principles of Paleo, one of the hardest meals to adjust was breakfast. My favourite daily ritual had become my early morning stop-off to get a tall cappuccino – with two sugars – and a chocolate croissant at the bakery next to my office. On the days I preferred to have something savoury, my breakfast of choice almost always included bread and very often, cheese – both of which are on the Paleo lifestyle’s red “don’t eat” list.

To make things just a little bit more interesting, my husband is a pescatarian who doesn’t eat eggs… so we were not going to be able to simply eat bacon and eggs every morning!

And because I’m not one of those people who can get by without having breakfast to get my day started, I prefer my breakfast to be a meal packed with protein. I also tend to want to graze during the first half of the day, so I always make sure I have some fruit at hand to keep me going until lunch – and while I recover from my morning workout.

Pack your breakfast bowl with protein

1. Boiled eggs and ham (excuse me, Dr Seuss!)

This is probably the simplest and easiest to prep – and something I often pack in my lunch bag. I usually boil 4 to 6 eggs at a time and keep them for a couple of days. They really hit the spot and are easy to eat when you’re feeling a bit peckish.

And of course you don’t have to pair your eggs with ham… you can also opt for bacon, shaved chicken, some tuna… you get the idea. Or you can omit the meat completely and just have two eggs!

Because I try to include plant-based food with every meal, my boiled eggs and ham are often accompanied by Rosa tomatoes and baby spinach.

2. Seed crackers and nut butter

If you’re someone who enjoyed having crackers for breakfast and are struggling to imagine your morning meal without them, try your favourite topping on seed crackers instead. Beware, they are pricey, so making your own is another option.

Hubby and I also loved peanut butter – which is not allowed on Paleo – and so when we made the switch, we started using other nut butters as a substitute. Again, cashew nut, almond and macadamia nut butters are hellishly expensive, so I suggest saving them as a treat.

3. Nuts and biltong

I experimented a lot before I decided that this was my breakfast of choice. After a tough morning workout, I found I wanted something that felt light to eat, but was also sustaining. Beware though: nuts are very high in calories, so I restrict my portion size to about 30g, with a similar size serving of biltong. Sometimes I add some fresh fruit, or a small piece of dried fruit. This too, however, is not something you want to be binging on because dried fruit has very high sugar content.

4. Curried mince and fried egg

Mince is one of the staples of my meal prep as it can go a long way and it’s very versatile. Most times I make little meatballs because they’re very handy to have around when I need to add some protein to a salad or as a high protein snack.

And if you’ve made some curried mince, the leftovers pair deliciously with a fried or soft-poached egg.

5. Fruit and protein

Don’t knock it till you try it. Before I cut bread from my diet, one of my favourite sandwiches was bacon and banana between two slices of white toast. Now I often have it in a … deconstructed form which a friend very generously once called an “artisanal bacon and banana bowl”.

Sometimes I’ll drizzle it with some honey. Sometimes I’ll pair it with a slice of grain-free bread.

Another favourite is a summer plate made up of some sliced peach and prosciutto or similar cured meat.

6. Coffee with a twist

You may have heard of bullet coffee or bulletproof coffee… Whatever you call it, the premise is that you’re spicing up your coffee with some butter or ghee. Those who drink the stuff swear it sustains them until at least lunch time and wards off cravings.

I’m a fan of Living Spot’s Titanium Coffee, which adds a raw egg to the mix. Again, don’t knock it til you try it. While I do love it, I don’t use it as a replacement for breakfast and, personally, would suggest you add this as an accompaniment to something more substantial.