My diet-style is based on three meals a day with no snacking. Get into the habit of eating breakfast every day, then you can pass up the low-nutrient-density snack foods that may come your way throughout the morning.
A healthy breakfast doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. Many of the recipes included here can be put together quickly or even prepared the night before. Combine fresh in-season fruits or frozen fruits with raw nuts and seeds, or have whole-grain oatmeal topped with a variety of fruits, raw nuts, seeds and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
Make oatmeal using steel-cut, old-fashioned, or quick oats, not instant oats. Steel-cut oats, also called Irish or Scotch oats, are the best. They are cut, not rolled. They take the longest to cook and have a slightly chewy consistency. Old-fashioned or rolled oats have been steamed and then rolled flat. They cook more quickly than steel-cut oats. Quick oats are cut into smaller pieces that absorb water more quickly. They cook in a few minutes when added to hot water and have a mushy texture. Instant oatmeal is precooked and dried and usually contains sugar, salt, and other ingredients and less fiber.
OATMEAL COOKING CHART
To cook oatmeal, combine water and oats, bring to a boil, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. The type of oatmeal you choose will determine the cooking time.
SERVES 3
INGREDIENTS
1¾ cups water
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup grated apple
2 tablespoons currants (omit for diabetic and weight-loss diets)
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
6 pecan halves, chopped
6 walnut halves, chopped
DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, bring water to a boil and stir in oats, apple, currants, and flax seeds. Turn heat down and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in blueberries, pecans, and walnuts. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 224; PROTEIN 12g; CARBOHYDRATES 39g; TOTAL FAT 7g; SATURATED FAT 0.7g; SODIUM 6mg; FIBER 6.7g; BETA-CAROTENE 34ug; VITAMIN C 8mg; CALCIUM 26mg; IRON 1.9mg; FOLATE 21ug; MAGNESIUM 98mg; ZINC 1.3mg; SELENIUM 9.9ug
SERVES 3
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup raisins and/or other chopped dried fruits
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups unsweetened soy, hemp, or almond milk
3 cups fresh chopped fruits or frozen mixed berries
DIRECTIONS
Place the dried fruit, oats, and nondairy milk in a container. Cover and refrigerate overnight to soften. In the morning, mix with fresh chopped fruit or defrosted frozen berries.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 289; PROTEIN 12g; CARBOHYDRATES 52g; TOTAL FAT 5.6g; SATURATED FAT 0.7g; SODIUM 92mg; FIBER 8.1g; BETA-CAROTENE 597ug; VITAMIN C 89mg; CALCIUM 90mg; IRON 3.5mg; FOLATE 71ug; MAGNESIUM 134mg; ZINC 1.8mg; SELENIUM 17.4ug
Quick Banana Berry Breakfast To Go 
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 bananas, sliced (only use one banana for diabetic and weight-loss diets)
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
⅓ cup pomegranate juice
1–2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons dried currants (omit for diabetic and weight-loss diets)
DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a small microwave-proof bowl and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes.
NOTE: For on-the-go, combine all ingredients in a resealable container and eat later, either hot or cold.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 362; PROTEIN 6g; CARBOHYDRATES 74g; TOTAL FAT 7.5g; SATURATED FAT 0.9g; SODIUM 5mg; FIBER 10.6g; BETA-CAROTENE 80ug; VITAMIN C 15mg; CALCIUM 35mg; IRON 2.2mg; FOLATE 57ug; MAGNESIUM 119mg; ZINC 1.3mg; SELENIUM 11.1ug
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup quinoa
3 cups water
5 Medjool or 10 regular (Deglet Noor) dates, pitted
2 cups unsweetened soy, hemp, or almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅛ cup slivered almonds
⅛ cup coarsely ground walnuts
½ cup dried currants
1 cup finely chopped baby spinach
1 cup finely chopped kale leaves
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Rinse quinoa and drain through a fine-screen strainer.
In a large saucepan, bring quinoa and 3 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until grains are translucent and the mixture is the consistency of a thick porridge, about 20 minutes.
In a high-powered blender, blend dates, soy milk, and vanilla. Add this mixture to the cooked quinoa. Stir in the nuts, currants, spinach, and kale.
Pour the mixture into a lightly oiled 9-inch square baking pan, sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve warm or cold.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 347; PROTEIN 13g; CARBOHYDRATES 60g; TOTAL FAT 8.5g; SATURATED FAT 0.9g; SODIUM 93mg; FIBER 7.5g; BETA-CAROTENE 2,418ug; VITAMIN C 23mg; CALCIUM 138mg; IRON 5.9mg; FOLATE 65ug; MAGNESIUM 144mg; ZINC 2.1mg; SELENIUM 7.1ug
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
1 small (about 1 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped in ½-inch cubes (see Note)
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cup water
2 cups frozen wild blueberries
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup currants or raisins (reduce to ¼ cup for diabetic and weight-loss diets)
DIRECTIONS
Place squash, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes, adding more water if needed. Mash with a potato masher, leaving the mixture chunky.
Heat frozen blueberries with walnuts and raisins and stir well.
Top mashed butternut squash with blueberry mixture.
NOTE: To save time, use precut or frozen butternut squash.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 280; PROTEIN 6g; CARBOHYDRATES 49g; TOTAL FAT 10.5g; SATURATED FAT 1.1g; SODIUM 9mg; FIBER 8g; BETA-CAROTENE 4,834ug; VITAMIN C 30mg; CALCIUM 96mg; IRON 2mg; FOLATE 54ug; MAGNESIUM 76mg; ZINC 0.7mg; SELENIUM 1ug
Slow Cooker Eggplant Breakfast
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
1 medium eggplant, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 cups chopped tomato
1½ cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas), or 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added or low-sodium garbanzo beans
1 cup chopped onion
1 apple, cored and chopped
1½ cups carrot juice
1½ cups no-salt-added or low-sodium vegetable broth
6 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
In a 3.5-, 4-, or 5-quart crock pot, combine eggplant, tomatoes, beans, onion, and apple.
Combine carrot juice, vegetable broth, tomato paste, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour over vegetables.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours in a crock pot. This recipe can also be made on the stove top. Cook for 1 hour over low heat.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 310; PROTEIN 18g; CARBOHYDRATES 59g; TOTAL FAT 4.3g; SATURATED FAT 0.9g; CHOLESTEROL 6.3mg; SODIUM 147mg; FIBER 12.9g; BETA-CAROTENE 9,784ug; VITAMIN C 31mg; CALCIUM 111mg; IRON 4.8mg; FOLATE 180ug; MAGNESIUM 87mg; ZINC 2.5mg; SELENIUM 9.8ug
For a quick and delicious breakfast, make this recipe the night before, refrigerate, and then reheat before serving.
SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
4 cups frozen butternut squash
2 medium apples, peeled, seeded, and chopped
4 cups (packed) kale, tough stems and center ribs removed and leaves chopped, or frozen kale, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons fruit-flavored vinegar or Dr. Fuhrman’s Pomegranate Vinegar
5 cups carrot juice
½ cup unsweetened soy, almond, or hemp milk
½ cup raw cashews
¼ cup hemp seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
Place squash, apples, kale, onion, vinegar, and carrot juice in a soup pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the kale is very tender.
Puree half of the soup with the milk, cashews, and hemp seeds in a food processor or high-powered blender. Return blended mixture to soup pot. Add cinnamon and nutmeg.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 260; PROTEIN 8g; CARBOHYDRATES 49g; TOTAL FAT 6.6g; SATURATED FAT 1.3g; SODIUM 96mg; FIBER 6.7g; BETA-CAROTENE 26,447ug; VITAMIN C 94mg; CALCIUM 180mg; IRON 3.5mg; FOLATE 64ug; MAGNESIUM 115mg; ZINC 1.5mg; SELENIUM 4.5ug
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
6 apples, cored, peeled, and chopped, divided
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup chopped walnuts
3 dates, pitted
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
¼ cup unsweetened soy, almond, or hemp milk
½ cup raisins
½ cup old-fashioned oats
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a high-powered blender, combine 1 cup of the chopped apples with cinnamon, walnuts, dates, flax seeds, and soy milk. Place remaining chopped apples in a baking dish and cover with blended mixture. Add raisins and mix well. Sprinkle oats on top. Bake for 15 minutes.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 331; PROTEIN 10g; CARBOHYDRATES 58g; TOTAL FAT 11.8g; SATURATED FAT 1.2g; SODIUM 13mg; FIBER 9.1g; BETA-CAROTENE 113ug; VITAMIN C 10mg; CALCIUM 55mg; IRON 2mg; FOLATE 31ug; MAGNESIUM 80mg; ZINC 1.1mg; SELENIUM 5.6ug
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
1 head Boston lettuce, torn into pieces
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb
1 medium cucumber, peeled, thinly sliced in rounds, and halved
1 apple, peeled and sliced
¼ cup chopped walnuts
2 apples, peeled and cored
1 orange, juiced
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Combine lettuce, fennel, cucumber, apple, and walnuts.
Blend remaining apples with orange and cinnamon in a high-powered blender until smooth.
Pour blended dressing over salad and toss.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 273; PROTEIN 10g; CARBOHYDRATES 45g; TOTAL FAT 10.4g; SATURATED FAT 1g; SODIUM 48mg; FIBER 9.5g; BETA-CAROTENE 3,271ug; VITAMIN C 63mg; CALCIUM 103mg; IRON 2.1mg; FOLATE 97ug; MAGNESIUM 73mg; ZINC 1mg; SELENIUM 1.6ug
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
3 whole scallions, diced
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 cups firm tofu, drained and crumbled
No-salt seasoning blend, adjusted to taste, or 1 tablespoon Dr. Fuhrman’s MatoZest
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
5 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Aminos
Freshly ground pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet over medium/high heat, sauté scallions, red pepper, tomato, and garlic in ¼ cup water for 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and cook for another 5 minutes.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 164; PROTEIN 12g; CARBOHYDRATES 28g; TOTAL FAT 2.7g; SATURATED FAT 0.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.1mg; SODIUM 218mg; FIBER 5.1g; BETA-CAROTENE 5,901ug; VITAMIN C 87mg; CALCIUM 202mg; IRON 5.3mg; FOLATE 355ug; MAGNESIUM 112mg; ZINC 1.7mg; SELENIUM 14.2ug
SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale (preferably dinosaur “lacinato,” not curly) or collards
1 teaspoon oregano
No-salt Italian seasoning blend, adjusted to taste, or 1 teaspoon Dr. Fuhrman’s MatoZest
1 teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 cup coarsely ground cornmeal (not instant)
DIRECTIONS
Water-sauté garlic over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes.
Add greens, oregano, and MatoZest or other no-salt Italian seasoning blend, and cook 5 to 10 minutes or until greens are wilted.
In a separate pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add dry mustard, pepper, and nutritional yeast, then whisk in cornmeal and continue cooking and whisking 5 more minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the greens. Cook, stirring another 10 minutes (until a wooden spoon can almost stand up in the pot). Spread into a pie pan that has been wiped with a small amount of olive oil and cool for 2 hours to allow it to firm up. Reheat in the oven before serving.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 114; PROTEIN 4g; CARBOHYDRATES 23g; TOTAL FAT 0.6g; SATURATED FAT 0.1g; SODIUM 17mg; FIBER 2.8g; BETA-CAROTENE 2,212ug; VITAMIN C 29mg; CALCIUM 50mg; IRON 1.5mg; FOLATE 171ug; MAGNESIUM 27mg; ZINC 0.6mg; SELENIUM 3.3ug
AM (Avocado and Mango) Lettuce Wrap
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
½ mango, diced
½ cup peeled and diced cucumber
1 tomato, diced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6 leaves Boston or romaine lettuce
DIRECTIONS
Mash avocado in a small bowl. Stir in mango, cucumber, tomato, and lime juice.
Spread a dollop of avocado mixture on each lettuce leaf and roll into a wrap.
NOTE: This also works well with collard green leaves.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 281; PROTEIN 8g; CARBOHYDRATES 36g; TOTAL FAT 16g; SATURATED FAT 3.1g; SODIUM 15mg; FIBER 12.9g; BETA-CAROTENE 2,908ug; VITAMIN C 83mg; CALCIUM 58mg; IRON 1.3mg; FOLATE 162ug; MAGNESIUM 68mg; ZINC 1mg; SELENIUM 0.9ug
Antioxidant-Rich Breakfast Bars
SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
1 cup cooked or canned black beans, low-sodium or no-salt-added
1 medium ripe banana
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
¼ cup raisins
⅛ cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped dates
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons goji berries
2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Puree beans in a food processor or high-powered blender.
Mash banana in a large bowl. Add pureed beans and remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Lightly wipe an 8-inch square baking pan with a small amount of olive oil. Spread mixture into the pan. Bake for 75 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and cut into bars.
Refrigerate any leftover bars.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 188; PROTEIN 6g; CARBOHYDRATES 35g; TOTAL FAT 3.9g; SATURATED FAT 0.4g; SODIUM 11mg; FIBER 6g; BETA-CAROTENE 13ug; VITAMIN C 10mg; CALCIUM 24mg; IRON 2.1mg; FOLATE 61ug; MAGNESIUM 83mg; ZINC 1mg; SELENIUM 6.8ug
» Talia Fuhrman
Have you ever been berry crazy? I mean crazy for berries! The health benefits of berries are enormous, and their rich color and juicy flavors are definitely worth pining for. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries—this treat has them all.
Makes 12 muffins
INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole-wheat flour
½ cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons ground chia seeds
1½ cups white beans or 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added or low-sodium white beans, drained
10 Medjool or 20 regular (Deglet Noor) dates, pitted
2 bananas
10 ounces frozen strawberries, thawed and divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, combine whole-wheat flour, almond flour, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a cup, mix ground chia seeds with ½ cup water and let sit until it forms a gel, about 5 minutes. In a high-powered blender, combine white beans, pitted dates, banana, half of the thawed strawberries (leaving the other half to be put in the muffins whole), chia seed gel, and vanilla and almond extracts. Once blended, combine with the dry mixture and stir thoroughly until well combined.
Drain the remaining strawberries and stir in, along with the blueberries and raspberries, so they are evenly distributed throughout.
Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake papers and, using a spoon, scoop in batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and serve warm.
To make cookies, drop batter by spoonfuls onto a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
PER SERVING: CALORIES 166; PROTEIN 6g; CARBOHYDRATES 38g; TOTAL FAT 1g; SATURATED FAT 0.1g; SODIUM 4mg; FIBER 6.3g; BETA-CAROTENE 35ug; VITAMIN C 15mg; CALCIUM 65mg; IRON 1.8mg; FOLATE 37ug; MAGNESIUM 54mg; ZINC 0.9mg; SELENIUM 8.1ug