7 Not-So-Boring Breakfasts
something different for everyday of the week
You can thank my friend Mia Rigden for making me love—and crave—breakfast again.
Maybe it’s because I’m approaching 40 and maintaining my hormone balance is something I quietly work on with my doctor. Or maybe it’s simply because I love to eat. Either way, embracing the ritual of making myself breakfast each morning has significantly improved the quality of my day and helped fuel me for whatever the world tosses at me.
For years, breakfast was often an afterthought—in the name of “intermittent fasting” or simply being busy. Coffee was my sustenance until suddenly it was lunchtime or worse, 5 pm. But over the last year, I’ve started treating breakfast the way I approach entertaining: a little planning, a few staple ingredients on hand, and something I actually look forward to.
Most of these breakfasts take less than 15 minutes to pull together, they’re not particularly groundbreaking, but they’ve become part of a routine that makes me enjoy my mornings more and improved focus throughout my day…shocker, skipping meals is not advised.
So here’s a roundup of what I keep on hand for quick workday breakfasts, along with a few options for slower weekend mornings.
Not-So-Boring Breakfast
Cucumber-Pistachio Smoothie
This might sound like an odd combination, but cucumber, vanilla protein powder, and pistachio are unexpectedly delicious together. It’s refreshing, lightly sweet, and feels far more indulgent than it actually is. I use Be Well by Kelly Protein or Primal Kitchen Vanilla Coconut Protein, depending on what I have on hand.
Smoked Salmon Plate
These are much easier to throw together than you might think and make an appearance in my kitchen almost every week. I usually keep a few jammy eggs in the fridge and then build from there. A swipe of harissa, tomato confit, or hot sauce instantly makes it feel special. Depending on my mood, I'll pair it with avocado toast, seed crackers, or a scoop of Skyr yogurt.
Lazy-Fancy Muesli
I spend a lot of time around Germans and Austrians, where muesli is a breakfast staple. Many versions rely heavily on fruit and sweetened yogurt, which can quickly become saccharine. This version is simpler and more satisfying: thick Skyr yogurt, oat flakes, a touch of honey, and just enough fruit to brighten things up.
Seedy Oatmeal with Poached Fruit
I eat enough yogurt bowls out of ease that I crave something different but the same. Enter this seedy oatmeal, which became a staple for me last fall and continues to be my favorite breakfast on cool, gray California mornings.
I add a scoop of Kroma Wellness Vanilla Protein Powder because I’ve found plant-based protein works best in oatmeal. Combined with oats, seeds, and coconut butter, it creates a thick, creamy bowl that’s substantial enough to keep me full for hours.
Cottage Cheese Parfait with Strawberries, Honey & Aged Balsamic
My latest breakfast obsession is inspired by one of my favorite Italian desserts: panna cotta topped with fresh strawberries and aged balsamic vinegar. It has that same balance of creamy, sweet, and tangy flavors, but with enough protein to carry me through a busy morning.
I skip the panna cotta for cottage cheese, which becomes surprisingly luxurious when topped with ripe strawberries, a drizzle of raw honey and aged balsamic. The vinegar might sound unusual if you’ve never tried it, but good balsamic has a natural sweetness and complexity that pairs beautifully with strawberries and cream. The cottage cheese is less tangy than yogurt so it’s a delicious combination.
One note: when shopping for balsamic, look for an authentic aged balsamic rather than the glaze-style versions that contain added sugars, thickeners, and other additives. A little goes a long way, and the flavor is worth it.
Kitchen Scraps Frittata or Quiche
The beauty of a frittata—or quiche, if you’re feeling ambitious—is that it’s one of the best ways to clean out the refrigerator. Slightly wilted herbs, leftover roasted vegetables, half a wheel of goat cheese: it all works.
I almost always have feta, goat cheese, or Parmesan on hand, so breakfast is never far away. Make one on a Saturday morning and you’ll have something delicious waiting for you throughout the weekend.
Porridge Pancakes
I didn’t grow up on fluffy American pancakes, so my version leans denser, with a mix of oats, almond flour, and seeds. They take on more color in the pan than a traditional pancake, but that’s exactly why I love them. Layered with almond butter, seeds, and plenty of maple syrup, they’re the kind of breakfast that makes staying home on a weekend feel like a luxury.
Notes on Coffee
I’m a coffee person, and a very particular one at that. I prefer coffee at home versus at a coffee shop. I prefer to drink coffee before eating, and my friend Mia also taught me this one easy step that helps sustain me from wake-up to workout. If you haven’t joined the collagen coffee crew, give it a try. At home, I use Needed Collagen, and while traveling I’ve recently become a fan of Ancient + Brave’s marine collagen sachets—sometimes it’s nice to switch things up from bovine collagen. I also add a packet of creatine, per my doctor’s recommendation.
Breakfast Essentials
A few things I keep stocked year-round that make breakfast easier and a bit more nourishing:
Skyr Yogurt + Cottage Cheese.
Eggs + Smoked Salmon.
Almond Flour, Oat Flour and Brown Rice Flour
Oats, and a rotating assortment of nuts and seeds.
Nut Butters: Big Spoon Roasters Pistachio Almond Butter, CAP Beauty Coconut Butter, Local Almond and Peanut Butter from Farmers Market.
Kroma Wellness Protein Powder (vegan) and Be Well By Kelly Vanilla Protein (grass-fed bovine)
Needed Collagen for my morning coffee at home.
Ancient + Brave Marine Collagen sachets for travel. I like being able to switch things up from bovine collagen every day.
A packet of Thorne Creatine in my coffee, per my doctor’s recommendation.
Breakfast doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs enough protein, enough pleasure, and enough variety that you actually look forward to waking up for it.
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I loooooove your recipes!! My fav remains the one for lamb burgers!!! Thank you.
Hooray for non-boring breakfasts! I need to get you to try Nightowl Sourdough. It is my daily AM situation. I get a little edgy when it looks like I might run out.