We all can learn how to create delicious clean meals. It just takes a little time, education, and a belief that it matters. But it’s very easy to get overwhelmed, especially if we have a busy schedule. We think the best way to start your day is a delicious and filling Daily Shake, but sometimes we know you want to change it up. We are breaking down clean breakfast ideas and how to prepare a better start to your day.
“Now what do I eat? How do I prepare healthy meals?”
And even if you’ve been eating clean for a while, we all hit a point where we experience “food fatigue” and need to shake up our approach.
Clean Meal Templates
Meal templates are like the frame of a house. They don’t focus on what color the walls are or on the style of furniture. They focus on the most important elements so they can help you make decisions quickly.
Below, we’ve created five breakfast meal templates that you can use to create clean breakfast options each and every day. These aren’t the specific recipes but they will guide you when you’re figuring out what you want to eat. They can also help you make suggestions to friends and family about what daily clean eating looks like.
Breakfast Meal Ideas
We love having people focus on their breakfast options first when they are looking to add in more clean food to their diet. It’s not just because it’s the first meal of the day but because research has shown that our food choices get worse throughout the day.
A simple way to improve this situation is: get into the habit of having a clean breakfast.
1. Shakes
One of the most important tools of the 21-Day Clean Program, shakes are a great way to get a blast of water, easily digestible nutrients and fiber.
Shakes are simple to make, affordable, and infinitely changeable. They’re great to have after a morning workout and while traveling. More and more, you can find smoothie and juice bars around the country. Many of our team members will ask them to add a Daily Shake packet to their order for extra nutrients.
2. Hot Cereals
There’s no need to get rid of hot cereal from your breakfast options if you’re eating clean. We recommend that you switch out the normal gluten-based cereals for rice, quinoa, or buckwheat. Quinoa flakes and rice-type flakes are also great alternatives to oatmeal if you find it doesn’t work for you.
Add in some coconut or almond milk with berries and you’ve got a nice affordable and sustaining meal.
3. Fruit + nuts
A few pieces of fruit plus a small handful of nuts have been a breakfast and snack option for bodybuilders for years. Any combination of your favorite fruit and nuts or nut butter will work.
4. Protein + veggies
Savory breakfasts are a great way to add variety. A simple combination we make at the Clean office all the time is Protein + Veggies cooked in coconut oil. Add a protein such as pastured eggs, salmon, or chicken sausage with any veggies you have (spinach, chard, carrots, onions, etc.). For vegetarians, beans and potatoes can work as well. This is also a great way to use up any dinner or lunch leftovers.
5. Yogurt and Fruit
A classic breakfast option, we recommend going non-dairy much of the time using a homemade coconut yogurt or making a chia pudding. Add fruit as a topping and you’re good to go.
Written by the Clean Team
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