Fast and fantastic breakfast in a jar

By Sari Huhtala

I’ve experimented with many healthy breakfast ideas over the years, but this one tops my list of a superbly easy, crazy good-for-you way to break the fast. It’s fabulous at home, in your hotel room, while camping, well you get the picture. Last week my two-year-old grandson helped me devour my breakfast. Even the tiny tots love it!

So easy:

• Pour about ½ cup nut milk (cashew, almond, etc.) in a jar or glass container. PS. If you are running low on nut milk, stretch it by using half water, half nut milk. It works too!
• Add 2 tbsp of chia seeds
• Add 1 tsp cinnamon
• Add 2 tbsp of buckwheat groats or rolled oats or oak flakes
• Add 2 chopped dates (optional…for those who like a bit of sweetness)

Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for up to three days.

When you are ready to eat your fast and fabulous breakfast in a jar, add 3 tbsp ground flax (fresh ground flax is best healthwise) and chopped apple, or other fruit. If you are prone to experiencing digestive upset, start with small doses of flax seeds.

Double up the recipe to have breakfast set to go for a couple of days.

Why am I crazy about this breakfast?

1. It promotes satiety for a long time. I can eat it at 7 a.m. and not be hungry until around noon hour.
2. It literally takes 30 seconds to prepare.
3. It tastes great and has everything my body needs to fuel up nutritionally for a perfect start to the day.
4. This breakfast combo provides my body with about 12 grams protein, 40% of daily magnesium, about 75% of my daily fibre needs, 20% of daily iron, 20% of daily calcium, and tons of other minerals.
5. It keeps your bowels beautifully regular, which is vital for your health, your energy and vitality.
6. It feeds the good bacteria in my gut. Woohoo!
7. Flax and chia seeds are among the richest sources of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid that your body can’t produce, so you need to get it from food.) and high in omega-3s, according to https://www.hsph.harvard.edu. Remember to eat fatty fish regularly or supplement with plant-based DHA to ensure you get the full DHA your brain and body needs.

• Flax contains up to 800 times more lignans (phytoestrogen plant compounds that help prevent hormone sensitive cancers like breast cancer and prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, oxidative stress and inflammation, according to https://www.healthline.com.)
• Flax and chia act like a scrub brush cleansing my colon. Yay!
•  Flax and chia are rich in amino acids, protein building blocks essential for good health.
•  Chia seeds are considered among the healthiest foods on the planet.
•  This breakfast travels well. You need nothing more than a jar and a spoon   to enjoy this breakfast while on the road, camping or anywhere. Using small tetra packs of almond milk makes it easy to create single servings the morning of, if refrigeration is an issue. Omit the buckwheat groats, and use only oats, if you are not making it the night before. Give it a couple of hours to soak and you’re good to go!

Note:

Start with small doses of flax if you have digestive problems, and gradually increase. Consult a doctor if you are pregnant or have medical concerns.

Remember to drink plenty of water in the morning to hydrate properly.

Sari Huhtala is the publisher and editor of Alive and Fit Magazine. She is a mother of 3 adult children. She has spent the last 20 years navigating a healthy path for her family, one health hack at a time, as a single mom feeding her kids healthy on a shoestring budget. She has over 15 years experience as a fitness specialist and personal trainer, and over 25 years experience in journalism.