I love eating breakfast and there's nothing better than a slow leisurely breakfast with family on a Sunday morning. On weekdays though, I don't have that luxury because EDSA traffic forces me to be out the door by 7am if I want to get to work on time. So here are 5 of my go-to breakfasts on a typical workday, all of which are primal, paleo and keto compliant:
1. Tapsalog (tapa-salad-itlog)
Turn all your usual silogs into salogs! Substitute the garlic rice for a side of veggies or some cauliflower rice and you're good! Try the grass-fed beef tapa from Down to Earth, or head over to the Sunday Eton Market and pick up some tapang usa. Otherwise, go for some free-range pork bacon or even wild-caught sardines to go with your egg and veggies.
2. Smoothies!
You want to go for something with a good amount of protein, fat and flavor! My smoothies can keep me full from 530am all the way until noon! Here's how I usually make them:
A base of full-fat coconut milk with water or unsweetened almond milk / other nut milk
Some low-glycemic fruit like strawberries and blueberries (frozen or fresh, doesn't matter)
Half a frozen (not-quite ripe) saba or green banana so you're ingesting resistant starch and not a fructose bomb. I buy saba while they're green, then peel and freeze them right before they ripen.
A big spoonful of coconut butter or almond butter
1/2 to 1 scoop of grass-fed whey protein powder
On some days I'll add some cocoa powder or chia seeds to change things up, or I'll skip the fruit and pile on the veggies (kale or spinach leaves, or maybe shredded beets or carrots). Lots of options!
3. Fauxtmeal and Grain-Free Granola
If you're an oatmeal or cereals kind of person, here are some paleo alternatives:
There are many fauxtmeal recipes out there and many of them involve cooking, which I'm often too lazy to do at 5:30am. My no-cook shortcut is to just soak some nuts overnight in water (macadamias, almonds, cashews and pecans are always a great choice), drain them in the morning and spin them for a bit in the food processor until they're broken down but still chunky, and then I mix in chia seeds and cinnamon, or even a spoonful of muscovado-covered cacao nibs, and then pour over some almond milk. Just make sure you're using unsalted nuts (!).
Granola will require a little more time, so it's best to do this over the weekend. there are plenty of recipes online, such as this one, but essentially:
Dump a bunch of your choice of unsalted nuts into your food processor and pulse until they're broken down but still chunky.
Mix some coconut oil with honey and a bit of dried fruit (coconut flakes and cranberries are great) and mix this into the nuts
Toast in the oven under low heat (150 C) for 10 minutes, mix and then toast for another 10 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes, then break up into large pieces. Enjoy on its own or with your choice of milk.
4. Omelettes
You know the drill. Eggs and whatever add-ins you want including yesterday's leftover ulam. Cook in your preferred healthy fat, such as bacon grease, butter or coconut oil.
5. Eggs on (Flaxseed) Toast
Bake your own Paleo bread and have yourself a BLT or simply slather with pesto and top it with a sunny side up egg. Paleo breads tend to be SUPER filling though, so usually 1 or 2 slices are enough to keep you full all the way until lunch! If you bake these on a weekend you can store the loaf in the fridge for up to a week, then slice and toast as needed.