The paleo diet restricts the consumption of dairy products, grains, processed foods, and legumes. Oatmeal is out of the question, and so is bread, milk, cheese, and butter. As a result, it’s easy to be left wondering what to have for breakfast on a paleo diet.
A paleo-friendly breakfast may consist of lean meat, eggs, nuts, fruit, vegetables, and seeds, so the exclusion of dairy and processed foods shouldn’t stop you from filling up every morning. Of course, you might have to give up cheesy omelets and lattes, but you have protein substitutes like bacon and steak, not to mention regular old eggs, to balance your meal.
Switching to a paleo breakfast may take some doing if you’re accustomed to coffee and processed carbs every morning. However, most paleo-friendly breakfast recipes look like regular meals because they lack breakfast staples like buttered toast and cereal bowls.
However, Going Paleo In The Morning Can Be Very Beneficial
- Fruit and vegetables have complex carbs that digest slowly and keep your body fueled for longer. That means no more sugar and caffeine crashes and balanced energy levels throughout your morning.
- Proteins and fats take longer to digest than carbs and sugar, so going paleo can leave you feeling sated for longer.
- Paleo-friendly foods are rich in nutrients that are missing in processed foods.
- A healthy paleo breakfast is gluten-free and therefore suitable for everyone.
- Whole grains contain lots of fiber, which cleans up the gut, giving you better gut health and improving digestion.
What Should A Paleo-Friendly Breakfast Contain?
Protein
A paleo breakfast should have a protein source; whether that’s eggs, bacon, steak, poultry, or fish is entirely up to you.
If you’re confused about what not to eat, ask yourself, did troglodytes eat this? For instance, all dairy counts as processed foods. Milk was not always on our diet.
Even though your options may seem limited, many delicious breakfast combinations can be made using paleo-friendly foods. We’ll look at some of them later on.
Healthy Fats
Healthy fats come from various sources, from fatty meats like bacon and steak to coconut and olive oils to avocado slices.
You can also get your paleo oils from seeds and nuts. Cashews are a good source of plant-based fats, and as for seeds, pumpkin, chia, and sunflower are all excellent options.
Healthy fats do not include trans-fats or fatty processed foods. If it doesn’t come naturally from a plant or animal (except dairy), it’s not paleo.
Complex Carbs
If your usual breakfast bagel leaves you hungry by ten o’clock, adding some complex carbs to your diet can make a world of difference.
Complex carbs take a while to digest, while simple carbs are converted into energy quickly. That’s why the rush from coffee or processed pastries doesn’t usually last.
The energy you get from natural carbohydrate sources like leafy green vegetables and sweet potatoes, on the other hand, lasts much longer. This is because these foods contain complex carbohydrates, which are broken down at a slower rate than refined carbs.
That’s why your breakfast must include vegetables. Unfortunately, it’s not optional, and you can’t substitute a serving of vegetables with a serving of fruit.
Fruit
Most fruits are considered paleo, so there’s no excuse not to have a portion of fresh fruit with your breakfast. Fruits are a source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and complex carbohydrates. They keep you energized while providing essential nutrients.
You can’t go wrong when it comes to choosing the right kind of fruit for your diet. Use fruits to garnish your dishes, eat them as a side dish, or incorporate them into your breakfast by baking them into pastries (we’ll check out a few recipes in the next section).
Five Paleo Breakfast Recipes To Get You Started
Steak And Eggs
Steak and eggs is a classic American breakfast meal that was phased out by the rise of breakfast cereals. However, it remains one of the most nutritious breakfast combos, especially when paired with a side of leafy green salad and some fruit.
This steak and eggs recipe comes together in minutes and keeps you sated for hours. It’s a rich and tasty paleo breakfast that you’ll be looking forward to every week.
Bacon And Cloud Eggs
The paleo diet may restrict you from many breakfast staples, but at least bacon is still on the menu. In addition, bacon and eggs are good sources of protein and fats, so that you can include this American classic on your breakfast menu as well.
You can prepare your crispy bacon the usual way, or you can use an air fryer to make this delicious oil-free alternative. It’s just as crispy and delicious and contains all the good nutrition you need.
Cloud eggs look amazing and taste delicious. The slightly runny yolk created by this recipe gives your breakfast a savory dip for your bacon and egg whites.
Breakfast Stacks
Homemade sausage patties, avocado, and eggs, breakfast stacks are not only as paleo as you can get, but they’re also a delicious morning meal. They take thirty minutes or less to make, and for the effort, you are rewarded with lean proteins, avocado oil, and fat-rich egg yolk in a single meal.
The recipe is pretty straightforward, and there is room for variation should you prefer different seasonings or spices. You might need a mason jar lid to get the patties and eggs to be the same shape and size.
Sweet Potato Bowl
If you miss oatmeal and would like a paleo alternative, this recipe, nicknamed sweet potat-“oats,” might satisfy some of your cravings.
It includes the carb-rich sweet potato tubers, almond milk, ripe bananas, cinnamon to taste, and fruits/almond butter/walnuts as a garnish. Though it may sound like a decadent treat, you can prepare this tasty and filling oatmeal alternative in a few minutes.
It’s the perfect answer to your cinnamon cravings in the morning. Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, carbs, and vitamins. In addition, they are filling enough to keep you energized throughout the morning so that this breakfast recipe could be the perfect replacement for oatmeal.
Pan-Fried Potatoes
Potatoes are paleo-friendly, and that’s good news if you’re looking for a familiar starchy vegetable to start your day. This pan-fried potato recipe is simple, delicious, and nutritious. It also pairs well with many side dishes, whether it’s a few strips of bacon or some well-done eggs.
To get them nice and crispy, you’ll need to use the correct oil. The best choice is olive oil, which is paleo-friendly and makes thin slices of potatoes nice and crispy.
Add dried spices and herbs during the last couple of minutes of cooking to preserve their flavor. This tasty breakfast idea will take you as little as fifteen minutes to make.
A Quick Word On Paleo-Friendly Bread/Pastries
Going paleo does not necessarily mean giving up bread, bagels, donuts, and pancakes. Almond flour is often used as a substitute for wheat flour to create iterations of refined foods—but don’t make these your breakfast staple either.
Almond and coconut-based pastries ultimately have a ton of sugar and not much in the way of proteinous value. It’s OK to have them occasionally as part of a filling breakfast, but I think of them as treats, not breakfast staples.
The same applies to homemade granola bars and health smoothies. Nuts and seeds are a good source of protein and fat, but you can’t use them to substitute for lean protein and animal fats. Likewise, smoothies, although healthy, are typically low in protein.
Conclusion
Moving to the paleo diet could make breakfast a little bit more challenging, depending on how much time you spend preparing breakfast now. However, meal planning will save you a lot of time and help with the dilemma of what to have for breakfast this morning.
As you can see, these six paleo breakfast ideas are an excellent option to start with, which you can adapt to your liking.
