Breakfast: doesn’t it seem like everyone has a different opinion about which morning meal choice is best? Among the NAA founders, our go-to breakfast picks vary widely, and we think that’s natural, as all of us have different bodies and constitutions. One thing we agree on is that our AM food and drink choices have a major impact on our day—and our skin. And we’re certain that many of the ‘traditional’ breakfasts marketed to us aren’t at all what our bodies want to take in in the morning! Ahead, we show you some of the skin-healthy and nourishing breakfast choices that we reach for on busy weekday mornings. And we add in some new breakfast ideas that might inspire you— and us too!— to shake up our breakfast routine this week.
When you’ve finished reading through our picks, tell us, what’s your preferred weekday breakfast, and why?
NAA Better Breakfast Picks
Jolene:
I love a smoothie in the morning, after I’ve had a cup of warm lemon water with ginger and turmeric to warm up my body. My smoothies vary, but they all must have some combination of healthy fats, protein, and veggies (usually leafy greens/broccoli stems, or pumpkin/winter squash). This combination supports stable blood sugar all day long, which is key for clear, glowing skin! Smoothies are also an easy way for me to add many different nutrient-dense foods into one meal that tastes great, fills me up, and travels easily. Because it’s pre-blended, smoothies tend to be easy for me to digest as well. I always add a few nuts or seeds that are not blended for crunch and to remind me to chew, which supports digestion and the breakdown of food as well. If it’s not a smoothie day, I also love scrambled pastured eggs with mushrooms and herbs (my go-to recipe is on page 29 of Eat Pretty Every Day!).
Tisha:
Breakfast at my house is often dog food! This is a good thing, as my dogs routinely eat healthier than my home’s humans. I simply adapt the the fresh ingredients I have already prepared for the canines, adding in a generous serving of greens and fresh spices to make my own hearty meal. Lately, that has meant Japanese red sweet potatoes and free-range turkey that I warm in the pan with a bit of coconut oil and a generous amount of Rogan Josh seasoning (paprika, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and saffron) and two big handfuls of spinach or chard. YUM! I actually have quite an “anything-goes” approach to my morning meal, and have been known to eat cold dinner leftovers right from their containers. In the summer, or anytime when I am not feeling quite as carnivorous, I love to dip fresh cucumber slices in my homemade avocado hummus.
Rachael:
Confession time: I’ve never been one for the ‘traditional’ breakfast, and for many years skipped it because I didn’t like many typical breakfast foods–eggs, oatmeal, home fries? No thank you. For most of my life, even if I’d try to eat common breakfast breadstuffs like pancakes or waffles, my stomach would get upset. Later on I learned that I have gluten sensitivity, so that’s likely why. But for whatever reason, my body got used to not eating right upon waking, and even with the availability of gluten-free choices now, I still don’t gravitate towards breakfast foods OR eat first thing. What I do is drink a full 16 oz glass of room temperature water upon waking to rehydrate myself and begin alkalizing accumulated overnight stomach acids. Then I have some warm water with lemon, and an hour later or so, I’ll have either a green smoothie or a fresh salad and a mug of either homemade bone broth, chicken vegetable soup, or vegetable broth with a bowl of matcha. I leave about 2 hours between this mid-morning meal and my lunch, and that’s worked really well to keep me satisfied and energized.
5 more skin-healthy breakfasts to add to your repertoire
- For a hot, comforting breakfast, swap oatmeal for quinoa, buckwheat, or millet hot cereal.
- To make things quick, reach for dinner leftovers. They’re usually protein-packed!
- Go savory with a breakfast taco. Start with avocado, greens, eggs, and salsa, and put it all into an organic corn shell.
- Satisfy a sweet tooth with chia pudding, topped with spices and fresh fruit.
- Go for a smoothie bowl, topped with raw nuts and seeds for extra skin-healthy fats.