How to Build a Healthy Breakfast Bowl

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How to Build a Healthy Breakfast Bowl

If there’s one trend that’s firing everyone up this year, it’s the bowl phenomenon. Smoothie bowls, lunch bowls, dragon bowls – it seems that this year the plate is passé. Serving breakfast in a bowl isn’t all that new to us, of course, but we can still stay on trend by learning how to build a healthy breakfast bowl.

The Breakfast BowlThe Breakfast Bowl

Throwing some cereal into a bowl and dowsing it in milk might seem fairly straightforward, but a satisfying, healthy, breakfast bowl requires a little creativity. Like so many things in life, building a good bowl is all about layering. You’ll want to factor in the density of ingredients, their crunchiness, moisture, and size so as to build a bowl that doesn’t disintegrate into a soggy mess. This is especially true if you’re creating a breakfast bowl to take to the office.

Try the following excellent breakfast bowl ingredients (listed from bowl bottom to top) for a healthy and delicious start to your day:

1. Cereal Bowl

  • Heritage grain cereal flakes (kamut, for example)
  • Homemade or store-bought granola (opt for sugar free or low sugar)
  • Seeds, such as hemp, chia, flax, pumpkin, and sunflower
  • Nuts, such as almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts
  • Dried fruit
  • Dark chocolate chips or cocoa powder
  • Non-dairy unsweetened milk, such as soy, rice, hemp, oat, almond, coconut, or cashew

Mix a scoop of PGX Satisfast Whey Protein Drink Mix into your milk for extra protein and fiber to start your day off right!

2. Mango and Coconut Bowl

  • Almond yogurt
  • Bran flakes (unsweetened)
  • Chia seeds
  • Pistachios (raw, unsalted)
  • Fresh mango
  • Orange segments

3. Oatmeal Bowl

  • Oatmeal
  • Tofu puffs, smoked tofu, or split red lentils
  • Mushrooms (sliced portobellos, for example)
  • Toasted pumpkin seeds
  • Bok choi (lightly steamed or sauteed)
  • Nori (seaweed) strips
  • Hot sauce and/or soy sauce

4. Quinoa Bowl

  • Quinoa
  • Refried beans
  • Scallions
  • Fried tomatoes or salsa
  • Avocado slices
  • Toasted pumpkin seeds

Overnight Breakfast BowlsOvernight Breakfast Bowls

You could also opt for a healthy breakfast bowl that is partially made in the evening and then fully constructed in the morning. These are known as “overnight breakfast bowls!”

Wide-mouthed Mason jars are ideal for building a breakfast bowl to take with you, and for creating bowls for the whole family for the whole week. Have fun layering your dry ingredients, then store these in a cupboard until it is time to pop the lid. Pour over your favorite non-dairy milk and enjoy right from the jar, or sprinkle your breakfast fixings over some fresh coconut or almond yogurt once you get to the office!

Overnight Oats

  • Small oats
  • Chia seeds
  • Maple syrup
  • Mashed banana
  • Almond milk
  • Dash of salt
  • Granola clusters
  • Fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries
  • Pumpkin seeds

Chia Pudding Bowl

  • Chia pudding
  • Coconut milk
  • Chia seeds
  • Agave
  • Kiwi slices
  • Banana slices
  • Raspberries
  • Shredded coconut
  • Cashew or peanut pieces