[RECIPE]: Balanced Breakfast Bowls

[RECIPE]: Balanced Breakfast Bowls


These breakfast bowls might be my new favorite breakfast!

 

I got the idea when I bought the Healthy Choices Power Bowls: Unwrapped Burrito Scramble. This frozen meal was SO delicious. I loved the flavors and it was just enough food to give me a little nutrition in the morning and hold me over until my mid-morning snack. My biggest complaint: they're freaking EXPENSIVE! $5 at my Kroger for ONE bowl. I knew I could make these myself for a lot cheaper and customize them to make them myself.

 

 

My total cost for these bowls came out as less than $1 per bowl. In other words, I made FIVE breakfasts for the cost of ONE of the Healthy Choices bowls. The trade-off is that I had to do some cooking! Still, it didn't take too long for me to whip up these breakfast bowls on a Sunday morning so that I had breakfasts I could pop in the microwave and reheat all week long.

 

These are perfect for meal prep and check all the boxes for a balanced, nutritious meal. 

 

I still have a few of the Healthy Choice bowls in my freezer for any time I'm in a pinch and need to grab something quick, but these aren't something I'd be willing to spend money on every week. The price comparison comes down to this for 5 breakfasts:

Healthy Choice Power Bowls: $25 total

Homemade Balanced Breakfast Bowl: $5 or less total

 

As for how I made them, I made the barley and black beans ahead of time since they take longer to cook. I love barley because it is so chewy and full of fiber, but farro, quinoa, or your favorite grain would work here too. I really love how velvety black beans are and I wanted to stick with the "burrito" theme, but again, you could use your favorite bean!

 

 

The kale is the tricky part here. I cannot drive this home enough - you do NOT want to overcook your kale. There's a happy medium here. You want to cook it enough that it breaks down some of the fibers and you have a softer chew, but you don't want it to wilt so completely that it's mushy, especially if you're going to be reheating it. I purposely just used cooking spray instead of oil so that it wouldn't get too soggy (also helps with calorie control!) My best tip for this is to saute it until the leaves turn BRIGHT green and have softened just a bit then pull the pan from the heat. You want it to still have some bite!

 

Eggs really round this dish out and again, do not overcook them. Nobody likes rubbery, reheated eggs!

 

Salsa provides just enough flavor and cools down this warm dish. I LOVE a fresh salsa over a jarred salsa when I can. I also like adding a dollop of nonfat plain greek yogurt to add a creamy factor.

 

The beauty of this dish - you can make it your own.

 

Choose your favorite green, like spinach or collard. You can change the egg up and do hard-boiled or add your favorite protein source, like turkey, chicken, or regular sausage. You can add ALLLLL the veggies, like peppers and tomatoes. Pick a flavor enhancer you like, like hot sauce or green salsa. The options are truly endless!

 

 

Check out all of the nutrition deets for this recipe below and if you make these, let me know! Send me a picture! I love hearing when you guys make my recipes!

 

 

 

 

NUTRITION HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Eggs are a true superfood. They are a high quality protein that contain all of the essential amino acids our body needs. Eggs also contain the healthy fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which help regulate insulin levels.
  • Eggs contain choline, a nutrient important for cell membranes, that many are not getting enough of. Lutein is an important antioxidant found in eggs that is key for eye health as we age.
  • Barley is a grain that contains soluble fiber which slows digestion and helps you feel fuller for longer. Barley is also rich in magnesium which has an important part in insulin production.
  • Kale contains a great deal of Vitamin C - an important water-soluble vitamin that has many important functions in the body and can help keep your immune system healthy.
  • Black beans are packed full of protein and fiber which can help keep you full through the morning until lunch time.
  • Salsa is a low-calorie flavor enhancer that is made mostly of veggies - opt for fresh salsa with a low sugar content when possible!

 

What You'll Need:

  • 7 1/2 cups kale, washed and torn to pieces
  • 1 1/4 cups cooked barley
  • 1 1/4 cups cooked black beans
  • 5 eggs
  • 10 tablespoons salsa

 

What You'll Do:

  1. Spray a large pan with cooking spray (I use avocado oil spray) over medium heat.
  2. Add the kale to the pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (or your favorite seasonings) and cook until bright green.
  3. Divide kale among 5 tupperware containers.
  4. Add 1/4 cup cooked barley to each container.
  5. Add 1/4 cup cooked beans to each container.
  6. Scramble eggs over medium heat until cooked through.
  7. Divide eggs among the 5 containers.
  8. Add 2 tablespoons salsa to each container (or save salsa for after reheating and add before eating).
  9. Let cool before placing lids on containers and placing in refrigerator.
  10. Reheat in microwave before eating.
  11. Enjoy!

 

Yield: 5 servings. 1 serving contains 240 calories, 5g Fat, 34g Carbs, 6.75g Fiber, 1g Sugar, 14g Protein