Healthy, gluten-free breakfast ideas

A note from the GFT Blog Team: We are thrilled to welcome back GFT guest blogger, Nathaniel Wellin for his second post. Nathaniel knows the struggles associated with celiac disease all too well: his brother Gus suffers from the disease. Their mother Pam is a successful commercial baker who now focuses on maintaining her blog, Gluten Free Gus, a resource described by Pam as “demystifying gluten-free cooking by sharing recipes, expert advice and some of my favorite products.” Nathaniel has a special interest in healthy eating and shares two of his favorite gluten-free recipes to energize your next breakfast.

Healthy, gluten-free breakfast ideas

By Nathaniel Wellin

So often eating gluten free means consuming unhealthy fillers to substitute for the missing gluten. Here are two breakfast recipes for you that are healthy, unique and flavorful. Give them a try, they are sure to shake up your normal morning meal and interject some new flavor.

A note from the GFT Blog Team: The following recipes use rice but quinoa can also be substituted. Quinoa is often recommended by doctors as a nutritious addition to a gluten-free diet and was recently the subject of a study from a team of researchers in Leon, Spain. The study concluded that quinoa was safely tolerated by celiac patients, in fact patients saw a mild reduction in blood pressure. Read more here.

Tumeric Breakfast Bowl

One of my favorite things to do is decorate my food. When I was a kid, nothing was better than building an intricate ice cream sundae. Adding toppings at the end to whatever I am making really allows you to taste the intricate flavors of each ingredient and can be a fun activity that gives each dish a personal flare and personality.

A breakfast bowl is a great way to start your day and can be taken in almost any direction. I have had great success with all varieties of sweet and savory, from apples and cinnamon, to feta, sun-dried tomato, basil, with a splash of olive oil. There is no end to the possibilities, which is why this recipe is always a great meal to turn to, especially in a pinch.

I devised the turmeric breakfast bowl over this past summer while researching the benefits of this medicinal herb. A powerful but safe anti-inflammatory, turmeric, when regularly consumed results in a host of benefits, especially for those with an autoimmune disease. One interesting fact is that turmeric has a powerful synergistic effect with black pepper. Combining the two in your meal can boost the bioavailability of turmeric’s beneficial properties by up to 1,000 percent.  The addition of coconut oil slows down digestion, helping to regulate blood sugar levels and keep you feeling full longer. Easily digestible dates take it easy on your stomach early in the morning while naturally sweetening the dish and providing a plethora of vitamins and minerals. I encourage you to explore the endless toppings in your fridge and local health food store and find ones that work for you. Other recommendations include, apple, banana, blueberries, goji berries, golden berries, figs, raisins and unsweetened cranberries, honey, goat’s milk yogurt (easier on my digestive system than cow’s milk), almond butter, walnuts, freshly ground flax seeds, and cacao nibs.

I have a relatively radical way of preparing my rice. I have become a fan of soaking, sprouting, and fermenting when eating grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes. I like to ferment my rice for one to two days, using about 2 tablespoons liquid starter for every 1-2 cups dry rice. (I usually use Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, but any other ferment liquid from whey on the top of your yogurt to sauerkraut juice can be used.) The result is a hint of sourness and it adds a sour acidic taste that helps to round out the flavor. You do still cook the rice, so you lose most if not all probiotic benefits.

The reason I like fermenting and cooking the rice is because I feel that is the best way to reduce the anti-nutrients in the grains. I encourage you to do some research on your own and determine the method of preparation that works best for you.

Ingredients:
2 cups dry rice
2-4 tbsp. fermenting liquid (whey, apple cider vinegar, kombucha, kefir water, etc.)
½ cup milk of choice (dairy, soy, almond, coconut) (optional)
2 eggs (optional)
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tbsp. turmeric
1/8 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon or teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

Toppings:
5 Dates, 1 tbsp. chia seeds, 1-2 tbsp. coconut flakes

Directions:
*If not soaking, skip to step 3.
Using milk and eggs is optional. I like them as they provide a creamy texture while also providing complete protein and other benefits.

*Skip step 4 if not adding eggs.

1. Place rinsed rice in soaking vessel, I use a large mason jar, and add four cups of water, followed by 2-4 tbs of your fermenting liquid. Cover top with cloth or unsealed mason jar top and let sit for overnight or longer. Small bubbles will appear and mixture will begin to smell sour.
2. Pour soaked rice into sieve, draining the water, and rinse.
3. Place soaked rice in pot. Add 3 ½ cups of water (4 cups if not soaking). Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then immediately reduce to simmer (low) and cover for 25-30 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid and reached your desired consistency. The less you stir, the more the rice will hold its shape.
4. While simmering, whisk two eggs. Add the eggs once the rice is done. Make sure to mix in thoroughly. Cover and continue cooking on low for another 5 minutes.
5. Turn off heat and add milk, oil, spices, and acid. Mix until smooth. Cover and let steam for another 5-10 minutes.
6. Add more liquid if too dry.
7. Serve desired portion and decorate as you see fit.

*Tip: if you plan on continuing to use this method for your rice, two cups of the leftover liquid can be saved and stored in the fridge and substituted for the 1 tbs. of fermenting liquid. Simply pour in the old rice water and then add remaining water (about 2-3 cups) accordingly. After 3-4 batches (saving 2 cups of liquid each time) almost all of the anti-nutrients will be removed during the soak.

Here is some bonus reading for cooking with rice and quinoa, sprout quinoa as well as additional information about cooking with grains

Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Smoothie

Hopefully you have some cooked grains leftover from when you made your Turmeric Breakfast Bowl. Here is a healthy treat to spice up your morning or successfully satisfy your late afternoon ice cream craving.

This smoothie is a nutritional powerhouse full of many low glycemic foods to balance blood sugar levels and give you steady energy throughout the day.  Pumpkin is an amazing food that is rich in fiber, beta-carotene, potassium, and vitamin C – helping you feel full quicker, neutralize free radicals, reduce inflammation, and bursting with energy. The rice will boost your nervous system, the dates will provide a plethora of vitamins and minerals and the cinnamon is a natural antibacterial. Not bad for a quick and easy breakfast meal on the go.

I like to eat in season as much as possible, so this recipe starts popping up in my repertoire around fall and stretches through the winter as long as local pumpkin supplies last. We are what we eat, so in my opinion the closer you can get to fresh, local, and organic produce, the better. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where you can get your hands on fresh pumpkins, I recommend smaller heirloom varieties that are closer to their healthier ancestors and to use the steaming method of cooking.

I would like to also note that this recipe is not pumpkin exclusive. I have had great success experimenting with a number of squashes from a local farm here in Maine, so I encourage you to explore and experiment.

Ingredients (Makes two smoothies)
2 cups Milk (I recommend almond or soy)
1 cup cooked grains (rice or quinoa)
1 tbsp. Chia Seeds
1 cup steamed pumpkin
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. grounds ginger (or I recommend 1 tsp fresh)
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
6 dates (preferably fresh)

Directions

1. Soak dates and chia seeds in milk of choice for at least one hour. This is optional, but helps to soften the dates and allows chia seeds time to expand.

2. If using fresh pumpkin, cut pumpkin into eighths or until they fit into your pot. Bigger chunks are easier for scooping. Steam until you can easily pierce the skin with a fork (roughly 10–20 minutes). Here is a helpful link for steaming and pureeing a pumpkin: http://foodfamilyfinds.com/how-to-steam-and-puree-a-pumpkin/
3. Let pumpkin cool, then scoop out roughly 1 cup into blender. Scoop out the rest into storage container to save for eating later. I like to eat it like mashed potatoes.
4. Add spices, grain, and milk mixture and then blend.

Optional Health Boosts
1 tsp. maca powder: I recently discovered maca powder, an Incan superfood praised for its ability to nourish the endocrine system and combat fatigue. It also has a unique, butterscotch type flavor that mixes well with the other spices.

Please let us know what you think when you try out these recipes and include what variations you enjoy. Happy eating!

Nathaniel Wellin graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies. Once a lover of Starbucks and Subway, he now spends his time researching the food he eats and trying to live as healthy as possible. He believes that food is medicine and an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.

This original article is made possible by Gluten Free Therapeutics. Our mission is to educate, inform, and provide the most effective nutritional products possible to allow those with celiac disease and serious gluten intolerances to heal their bodies. CeliVites complete line of superior gluten free supplements includes multivitamin/multimineral supplements, iron supplements, and calcium supplements for people living with celiac disease. All CeliVites products are designed to help you heal, restore and rebuild your body, because going gluten free isn’t enough!