As we know Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and foods like nuts and seeds and fish. And these ingredients can create a variety of delicious and filling Mediterranean breakfasts. So, without wasting any more time let’s jump in. And identify six of the simplest yet best things to eat for breakfast when you are following the Mediterranean diet.
1. Peanut Butter and Banana Toast
This simple no cooked Mediterranean breakfast can be thrown together in moments and eaten on the go. With whole grain bread, you’ll be eating more fibre and vitamins than in white bread. This will make you enjoy the healthy fats and proteins that peanut butter offers. The banana will add more fibre and some sweetness along with your daily dose of heart-healthy potassium.
2. English Muffin with Greens and Beans
Another easy breakfast on the Mediterranean diet is opting for an English muffin. Piled high with hearty toppings. Smear a whole grain English muffin with bean spread. You can add a handful of potassium packed spinach and then top it off with a poached egg. Any bean dip will do here such as hummus. Black bean dip or white bean dip with a little salty and tangy flavor. So, go for whatever dip you like. Along with its nutritional punch, it’s a great stand-in for cheese which should be used only sparingly.
3. Greek Yogurt with Berries
Greek yoghurt is strained in a way that makes it higher in protein than regular yoghurt. Yoghurt is also rich in probiotics. Which are good bacteria necessary for gut health as well as aid many bodily functions. If you want a bit of sweetness you can add a light drizzle of honey. And for an extra crunch try adding ground flaxseed. It’s rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Which are important for fighting inflammation in the body. It’s recommended to choose ground flaxseed rather than regular flax seeds. Because they are absorbed better in the body.
4. Almond Butter
Almonds are a popular snack and ingredient in Mediterranean meals from breakfast through to dinner. Almonds offer a filling and energizing combination of protein, fibre and healthy fats to help you feel satisfied. Ground or sliced almonds are a delicious addition to your oatmeal cereal, granola, muesli, yoghurt ricotta or whole-grain muffins. While almond butter is the perfect drizzle for whole-grain pancakes waffles and fruit.
5. Incorporate Eggs in Mediterranean Breakfast
Incorporate protein-heavy eggs into your breakfast. By topping smoked salmon toast with a poached egg or by scrambling them with feta cheese and tomatoes. Another tip from the Mediterranean diet, eat the yolks. Egg yolks contain fat which helps you stay satisfied longer. Egg yolks are also rich in choline. A nutrient that is needed for brain health and helps transport nutrients around your body.
6. Avocado
Although they are not native to the Mediterranean region, avocados do offer monounsaturated fat. Which is the same type found in olive oil. These fats offer heart-healthy benefits and can help with satiety. That is the feeling of fullness and suppression of hunger. Avocados are also a good source of fibre. At approximately 3 grams per serving which is about one-third of a medium avocado. Fibre also helps you stay full and helps keep your blood sugar levels more stable. Which is crucial to stabilizing weight, mood and energy levels. Though having avocado and eating with a spoon is totally an option. You can also add avocado to smoothies, baked eggs or even savoury oatmeal. And that will make a healthy Mediterranean breakfast of your day.
Mediterranean Breakfast Recipes
Tahini Avocado Toast
Fancy a good fresh and nutritious toast in the morning? Just find homemade bread, local bread or bread with really good ingredients at your store. Top the first toast with tahini, which is a sesame seed paste. Sesame seeds have healthy fats and actually have a really good amount of calcium. Which is a great source of plant-based calcium. Add a drizzle of molasses or you can also use maple syrup or honey. Top it up with nuts or seeds like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or toasted pine nuts. Those are delicious, you could also top with some berries like wild blueberries or raspberries.
To make the second toast more Mediterranean we’re using some mashed up avocado. Then add a dollop of yoghurt. So, again use unsweetened yoghurt and add a pinch of herbal salt. Herbal salts with ingredients like garlic, white pepper and other Italian ingredients can easily be bought from the market. Just to add a perfect flavour to your Mediterranean breakfast toast. Then finish off with a drizzle of olive oil. If you’re following the Mediterranean diet guys you got to learn to love olive oil.
Walnut Yogurt Parfait
The second recipe is a super simple, yoghurt parfait. Get your favourite kind of yoghurt? I recommend one that’s unsweetened. So you can use your favourite sweetener as a drizzle like molasses, maple syrup or honey. So go ahead and put your yoghurt in a bowl and then add your drizzle of sweetener. I love molasses because it has tons of nutrients in it. it’s actually really high in iron. Top your yoghurt with walnuts. These are an amazing source of healthy fat a little bit of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. You can also add some pumpkin, sunflower or ground flax seeds. And that’s it, it’s super simple and appealing right?
That wraps up this article on the six best Mediterranean breakfast ideas. Try adding some of the foods listed, to your diet. As they are actually pretty simple and not overly complicated to make yet so full of nutrition.