Healthy breakfast recipes 

                                             Breakfast should be kingly,

                                                        Lunch should be princely,

                                                        Dinner should be pauperly.

     These are the words of famous nutritionist Adelle Davis, and they hold true for food intake. Food intake should be based on local and seasonally available foods. That is best for health. Occasionally, the food culture of the West is also becoming popular among Indians. Nowadays, people are very health-conscious.

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Oats

Oats are a staple food of North Indians and some Western countries. Nowadays, it is a popular breakfast in every part of the world considering its nutritive value.

Whole grain oats are the best as they are the least processed. Usually, I buy them through Amazon from Urban Platter. The next best option is steel-cut oats. 

I unpack and keep them in glass jars.

I take four scoops at a time.

Clean them thoroughly till the water becomes clear.

They can be cooked in two ways. 

• After soaking overnight. Clean them thoroughly, soak them overnight in water, and cook them in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes.
• Without soaking overnight. Clean them thoroughly, put them in a pressure cooker, add water, and cook for 25 minutes

After the first whistle, reduce the gas and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the gas and wait till the pressure goes off on its own, then open the cooker and keep it for some time so that it cools down.

Take five dates and a handful of raisins in a bowl and clean them thoroughly.

                                   

Cut the dates into small pieces and mix them with the raisins.

Pour the cooked oats into the above mixture and add a dash of cinnamon powder to enhance the taste.

Mix thoroughly and eat.

  

If there is no time to cook, like for college-going students who are staying in Pg's Muesli is a good option. Just take a few scoops of muesli in a bowl and add milk or peanut butter. This is also a fulfilling, healthy breakfast.

String hoppers

 

Another healthy breakfast option is string hoppers. They can be had with various curries like vegetable stew, non-vegetable curry, or egg curry. It is tedious to prepare them. Now there is a lot of electrical equipments available in the market to make them easily.

Puttu

 

As someone from Kerala, I can vouch for puttu as a healthy, easy-to-make breakfast option. It is a staple in Kerala. One of my Bengali friends once asked me, "Don't you need that rocket to make it, and cleaning it is cumbersome?" I told her that smaller alternatives are also available.

Puttu was usually made up of rice flour. But as low-carb is the norm now, various alternative flours like wheat, maize, and millet flours are used. 

After coming to Bengaluru, I make use of millets, which are easily available in Karnataka. Among the millets, I make use of Great millet flour, which has the highest protein content.

This can be made in two ways:

• I take three spoonfuls of millet flour on a steel plate and add a little water to make it wet. When done, I take the small puttu maker and spread a layer of coconut over which flour will be filled. Again, layer with coconut and fill with flour until the puttu maker is full.

•  An easier alternative is to put the flour in a mixer grinder, add some water, and pulse it two times.

• Then take the pressure cooker, fill it with a little water, close it, and keep it on the gas burner. Heat it for some time. When steam starts coming, place the puttumaker with flour on the opening of the lid. 

     Within a few minutes, the steam starts coming through the small openings on top of the puttumaker, hinting that the flour is cooked. Reduce the gas and keep it for five minutes, which ensures steam passes through every corner of the flour and the puttu gets thoroughly cooked. Then remove it from the top of the cooker and turn it upside down onto the plate.

• It can be had with veg and non-veg curries. The usual combinations are Bengal gram curry, green gram curry, egg curry, banana, etc in the morning hours. Mostly non-veg curries are used during other times.
•  My breakfast combination includes millet puttu, cooked nendran banana, and one bull's eye.

Some people may be allergic to millets. Such people can opt for flours of red rice, oats, etc

Idly, Dosa, Sambhar, chutney

These are also staple breakfasts of South Indians, which don't require much description. They can also be made with healthier options like millets, oats, green gram, etc.

Some more healthy stuffs which can be had in the morning includes chia seeds and soaked black grapes.

Soak a few black dry grapes in water after cleaning thoroughly. Before going for a morning walk, it is good to have a few soaked raisins.

Other stuff which I use is Quail's egg. Boil it, cool and remove the shells, and have one each on a daily basis. They are vitamin bombs.

A healthy drink

Gooseberry juice: Take four gooseberries, cut into small pieces, and remove the seeds. Grind it in a mixer grinder, add some water, sieve, thoroughly squeeze, take the water, and have it. It is a refreshing drink after a morning walk.

In this article, I have suggested a few healthy breakfasts and food and drinks. I have been using this for many years and comfortable with it. Those who read this, please don't follow the same regimen blindly. Consult your doctor or nutritionist and choose what is suited to your health conditions.