Steal my breakfast idea!

If it ain't broke, why fix it?

Many moons ago, I was an oatmeal-for-breakfast kinda gal. I'd add some coconut oil, cinnamon, walnuts and blueberries. It was delicious! And unfortunately, it wasn't balanced well enough so when I found out I was unwell and had some work to do, I switched up my breakfast.



I share about my daily breakfast often up in my stories on instagram, posts, or with my clients who ask for ideas. A bunch of my clients now have the same breakfast and even lovingly refer to it as "The Tara Breakfast". Ha! But I don't think I've ever shared about it in a blog post?!



Ready for it?



I typically have 1 full egg plus 1 cup of egg whites scrambled in (olive) oil and topped with: spinach, sometimes other greens or microgreens / sprouts, real sauerkraut, sriracha and salsa.



This puts me right in the sweet spot of a balanced PFF meal with 38g or so of protein, fat (from oil and egg yolk), fiber (veggies), probiotic food (sauerkraut) and then the sriracha and salsa is really just for taste. Sometimes I'll add some leftover roasted veggies in too if I have that on hand or grab kale from the garden on the rare occasions that we run out of other greens.



This breakfast fuels me well with steady energy, keeps me full until lunch, and is low carb which means I typically eat my starchy carbs at other meals / snacks throughout the day to ensure I'm getting in a moderate amount there. The savory start to the day vs. sweet start to the day also plays a role in staving off sugar cravings.



If you want to make breakfast one of your intentional carb meals, you could always add some fruit or potatoes on the side or a slice of your favorite toast.



Oh, and this meal come together much faster than going to a drive thru. No one has time to be gourmet on a Wednesday morning, amiright?



So go on ... steal my weird but oh-so-good breakfast and tell me whatcha think!



Here's a recent reel during which I was making said breakfast in case you're a visual person.



XO,
Tara



P.S. Here are a couple of ways we can work together, if you need some help with your health + body composition goals:


1) Join the waitlist for the next round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind -- my 28-day metabolism-boosting course. The next round will be in January but stay tuned for an opportunity for early access like ... ahem ... a Black Friday deal or something. ;-)


2) TRANSFORM: 1:1 coaching is great for those who want a deeper dive, customization, who have unique situations or just know they need that accountability and hand-holding. Learn more here.

Eggs in a Butternut Squash Nest

Eggs in a Butternut Squash Nest
(Serves 2)

Ready for a new recipe?! This works just as well for Breakfast-for-Dinner as it does for regular Breakfast-for-Breakfast. Sorry, Lunch.


Ingredients:


1.5 cups butternut squash (spiralized into noodles)
2 tsp. coconut oil
4 whole eggs
sea salt + pepper to taste
1/4 microgreens (optional)


Directions:


1. Form the spiralized squash noodles into nests, making a small well in the center for an egg.


2. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the coconut oil. Use a spatula to transfer the squash nests to the pan and cook for about 7 minutes.


3. Crack eggs into cups and transfer them into the wells of the squash nests.


4. Transfer the egg nests onto a plate and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with microgreens (optional) and enjoy!

In good health,

Tara

P.S. If you enjoy recipes like this one, you’re going to want to hop onto my newsletter list! ;-)

Coconut Cherry Chia Overnight Pudding

We’ve been speaking a lot about healthy habits lately here at Tara Allen Health - what with the New Year and all. I can't think of anything more helpful than setting yourself up for success the night before.  For me, this looks like making the kids' school lunch and snacks, setting out my workout clothes (I either train clients or myself very early every morning), and taking a look at my schedule for the next day so there are no surprises.


Another helpful trick - especially if your mornings are typically frantic - is to pre-make breakfast for whoever you're responsible for feeding in the AM.  Some of my favorites that can be made ahead are overnight oats, veggie-egg cups, and this Coconut Cherry Chia Overnight Pudding recipe...

Coconut Cherry Chia Overnight Pudding
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 3 T Chia seeds

• 1 cup coconut milk (or another non-dairy milk of choice)

• 1 cup chopped cherries (frozen or fresh - your choice!)

• 1 T raw honey

• Dash of pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a glass container and stir well.

2. Cover the container and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

3. When it's time to eat, place a serving in a bowl and garnish with an optional teaspoon of almond slivers, or another kind of nuts / seeds.


If you try this recipe (or any of my other recipes) and decide to post to social media, please tag me so I can see it!  


Facebook: Tara Allen Health
Instagram: @tara_allen_health


In good health,
Tara

Pumpkin Spice Waffles

So I have to start by letting you know I forgot to snap a decent picture of these waffles for you, and instead have this paper towel quickie that I sent my hubby to let him know we had breakfast to bring on our road trip.  :-)

Now that that's out, do NOT let it take away from the fact that these are DELICIOUS and should be made immediately - even before Starbucks announces that it's pumpkin season this year.  

These waffles worked as breakfast on-the-go as well as a snack in our hotel room the following day.  They are gluten free, dairy free, have no added sugar, and are packed with protein, healthy fat, fiber, and some veggies!  

***Swap the nut butter for seed butter to make these friendly for nut allergens if you have allergies in your family or school rules to follow.***

Are you ready?!

Pumpkin Spice Waffles

Ingredients:

Wet:

• 5 large eggs
• 2 large bananas
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup walnut butter (it's what we had - any nut butter will work)
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

Dry:

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1.5 T pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Mix all wet ingredients in a blender.

2. Add dry ingredients and blend until well-combined.

3. Cook in a greased waffle iron. Makes about 8 waffles (pictured are waffles cut in quarters).

4. Enjoy!!

WIll you be trying these??  Let me know!

Banana Bread ---> grain-free, dairy-free

It's Spring break, Easter, and Passover all this week!  You may need a good dessert that doubles as breakfast and snacks for the kids this week.  It should hold up well in the freezer, be delicious, taste like a treat, and be nourishing to you, your kids, and your guests.  Am-I-right?!?!  

This Banana Bread was born out of the need to use up my mushy bananas.  I already have a freezer stash to use for smoothies and to make 'nice cream', so I wanted to make bread.  For us, it needed to be gluten-free, dairy-free, no refined sugars, full of healthy fat, protein, and fiber.  I'm fueling my busy & active body along with my family's.  And, with the things my toddler says on the regular, let me tell you, her brain is very happy with the kinds of fuel it's been getting!  ;-)  

Example from today:

Magnolia to Jagger:  "Jagger, please stop jumping in your crib.  We worked very hard for that bed and I wouldn't want to have to buy a new one and put it together again."

So, I'm sure your kiddos are just as hilarious - especially when they're getting in that good nutrition!  Leave me a comment and tell me what funny things they've said recently.  

And, make this bread immediately (if there are no egg or nut allergies in the house).  It's a good one to have on hand for a busy & special week like this one.

Banana Bread

(gluten-free, dairy-free)

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

4 bananas (ripe or overripe)

½ cup almond butter (sub: peanut butter)

4 T coconut oil, melted (plus extra to grease pan)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/5 cup hazelnut flour (sub: almond flour)

1 T cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt

Directions:

1.    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.    Combine all wet ingredients in a blender.

3.    Add dry ingredients to blender and mix well.

4.    Grease an 8X8 cake pan (ok to use loaf pan, but cooking times will vary).

5.    Pour batter into pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).  Top of bread should be golden-brown and center should be set.

6.    Allow to cool before slicing and serving.