Paleo Diet breakfasts can easily be stuck in the "bacon and eggs" and "fruit smoothie" groove. I was warned about that! Sure enough, breakfast is the meal I have been the least creative in so far. I do have a few suggestions that I have actually made, and a recipe I am going to get to--maybe tomorrow.
I love fried eggs over medium, so I cook these in a Pam-sprayed pan, or sometimes a dab of olive oil-based margarine. Adding a little chicken stock to the pan get the eggs closer to poached, but I like to flip the eggs, and more liquid makes that messy. I used to salt my eggs while they were cooking, but I found that just a sprinkle after the eggs are on the plate has the salty flavor, but in smaller amounts.
I eat scrambled eggs, poached eggs, and boiled eggs for breakfast, but given a choice, I am going fried or an omelet or fritatta. An egg breakfast soufle' is just too much trouble.
My omelets are often made with whatever add-ins are easiest to get to. I love to add mild salsa or picante sauce, or even a package or two from a fast food place. I have used chopped fresh parsley, but I usually do not have fresh herbs in the house (although I love them), so I used dried herbs: Italian seasoning, basil, herb mix, even the seasoning mix for dips and marinades. Chopped fresh tomatoes or stewed tomatoes with seasoning (like Mexican style, Italian style, etc.) are great. I have not found a substitute for cheese, but I am still looking! Any chopped cooked meat such as crispy bacon, beef weiners, sausage (turkey or pork), brisket, or chicken adds more protein and good flavor. If the omelet gets too well done before I add the extras, instead of folding the omelet, I just let it keep cooking until everything is hot, and call it a frittata. Scrambling the eggs and add-ins together makes a more authentic frittata, but I don't fret the precision.
All my fruit smoothies so far start with a banana in a blender, then I add whatever fruit, fruit juice, or fruit jelly, jam or preserves I have; then I add almond milk, and sometimes club soda or Sprite or a little lemon or lime juice; sometimes I add crushed ice from the ice maker in the fridge. I have added milled flax seed, chopped pecans or walnuts, and artificial flavorings. I seldom use artificial sweetener, but once I added honey. I don't want to try seaweed or spinach so far, but some people do. A few seconds in the blender, and I have two big glasses of smoothie. (The second glass is often my morning snack, with some seasoned nuts.)
I sometimes have turkey bacon, turkey or pork sausage, sausage links or BBQ sausages, or a small hamburger pattie with my breakfast, or add an egg to a smoothie, for a little more protein, but I keep the serving size small because of the fat and calories.
Almond flour pancakes were a mixed treat: it looked like bread (not on the Paleo Diet), but was flatter and did not brown the same. The taste was bland, but I'm sure the pancake batter could have been seasoned better when I have more experience. Mix 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup almond flour ($12.99 at my local grocery--I'm going to look for a better price, but freshness counts), 1/4 cup water or club soda, 2 T. oil (I used canola), 1/4 t. salt, 1 T. sweetner (I will try fruit juice the next time.) Fry in a little oil or spray the pan with Pam. Top with (sugar-free) syrup, blueberries, cranberry-orange relish, strawberries, chopped pecans, or cinnamon sugar, or something more creative. My batter made two omelet-pan-sized pancakes, and I ate one each at two breakfasts. The batter for the second kept fine for three days in the fridge.
Almond Flour Muffins (the recipe I plan to try soon): 2 cups almond flour, 1/4 t. salt, 1 stick butter, melted (how can I substitute for this in my non-dairy Paleo Diet?), 4 eggs, 1/3 c. water, and 1/3 cup sweetener or fruit. 350 degrees for 20 minutes, estimated. I regular muffin, or a couple of tiny muffins, is a serving. I'm sure that with herbs or bacon, these would be a completely different taste, too.
Don't skip breakfast, even if it actually is a mid-morning meal, with a lighter lunch. Happy eating!
Recipe for the (near) future:
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