Breaking free from breakfast rules

Breakfast inspiration from the big wide world and 5-minute Yemeni-inspired scramble.

Hey! I’m Dina, a registered Nutritionist, I chat about realistic healthy living for diverse bodies, with monthly 5-minute meals and delicious discoveries. If you’re new here, you can read more about what to expect on the D-List.

During a recent nutrition consultation, my client nervously confessed that she didn’t like porridge. She was worried I would force-feed her porridge as part of her nutrition plan.

Firstly, I would never make anyone eat something they don’t enjoy, eating is not punishment. Secondly, I felt relief, it was not just me. It was a reminder that I also didn’t need to punish myself. Why am I subjecting myself to this claggy, sloppy breakfast that only tastes acceptable drenched in maple syrup, just to fit in with society?

Breakfast tends to have more rules than the other meals of the day. People are unashamedly judgemental and fiercely protective of what is acceptable as breakfast food. Anything beyond this set list of legal foods makes them gag in your face and question your humanity.

Whenever I have dared to explore ‘unconventional’ choices for breakfast, such as dinner leftovers or an Iraqi breakfast, it has always been met with raised eyebrows from colleagues, and polite words such as ‘interesting’ and ‘exotic’ (subtext for ‘uncivilised’) or a less polite ‘urgh, hummus for breakfast!?’.

Why does it feel so dirty to stray from the societal morning norms? And why so many rules in the morning? Mornings are stressful enough, without being shamed for eating forbidden foods.

For some people, fewer options work best. With one functional breakfast on repeat every morning, there is less to think about. But for those who don’t like porridge (and the entire cereal family), the limitations are not helpful.

What to eat for breakfast is one of the most common struggles I come across with clients. So this month, I’m sharing some super easy, family-friendly options for the chaotic morning rush, plus a variety of breakfast inspiration from the big wide world, including one of my Iraqi favourites.

---

I’m not here to piss on anyone’s chips. If you love porridge and it gives you the hearty comforting glow it promises in the adverts, that’s great, it’s a decent breakfast.

If, like me, it turns you into a hangry beast way before lunch, with sugar cravings, dizzy spells and energy dips, try switching to a savoury or high-protein breakfast.

Protein in the morning helps us balance our blood sugar and hormones, keeps us fuller and reduces cravings, and gives us more energy. It can make all the difference to your day!

Traditionally, cereals have been sold as ‘breakfast food’, thanks to excellent advertising by Mr Kellogg. They are cheap, fast and convenient, but they don’t provide the nourishment, energy and brain fuel of other equally convenient options, that are not marketed as breakfast food.

Breaking free from the morning rules gives us more options. Try basing your breakfast around protein foods instead of ‘breakfast foods’. Some good protein sources include: chickpeas, beans, lentils, nut butters, fish, meat, eggs, peas, edamame, tofu, spinach, cheese, quinoa and Greek yoghurt.

---

Here are some super quick and nourishing, family-friendly breakfasts:

1. Spanish omelette. The easiest breakfast you can imagine, ready to eat straight from the packet. Serve with a leafy salad if you have time. Great for kids too, my fussy 2-year-old wolfs it down.

2. Hummus on toast. Toast is always an easy option, but adding a protein, like hummus, instead of butter and jam will help stabilise your energy. Get creative with the combinations: hummus + avocado, hummus + leftover roast veg, hummus + kimchi or just hummus.

3. Banana & almond roll-ups if you fancy something sweet without the crash - banana, almond butter and cinnamon in a wholemeal wrap. It takes a minute to assemble.

4. Dirty rice. Leftover rice or quinoa makes a nice savoury alternative to porridge, especially if you struggle to digest oats or gluten-based breakfasts. Stir-fry with leftover veg or frozen peas and a dollop of Greek yoghurt. I season with za’atar and olive oil, but the variations are endless.

5. Breakfast burrito. Refried beans (ready to eat), guacamole, tomato salsa and a boiled egg in a wrap. Boil a few eggs for the week, they last up to 5 days in the fridge in their shell.

6. Sardines on toast, marinated in herbs and tomato sauce straight from the tin. Or mackerel pate on toast. And feed your cat at the same time.

7. Lentil soup. Why the hell not? Just as sloppy as porridge if you’re into that, but savoury, delicious and nourishing. Make a batch and freeze individual portions, ready to heat and eat.

8. Tuna and chickpea salad. Combine tinned tuna and chickpeas with lemon, olive oil and Greek yoghurt. Optional additions: olives, boiled egg, spring onion, cherry tomatoes, spinach.

9. Egg and veg scramble. 5-minute recipe below.

10. Dinner leftovers. Anything goes (what an animal!).

---

Global breakfast inspiration

If you fancy breaking free from your usual routine, here are some morning favourites, shared by fellow Substackers. I loved learning about all these different breakfast cultures and cannot wait to try them all.

This is a reminder that all foods are breakfast foods if you want them to be!

Tashreeb bagila - one of my favourite Iraqi breakfasts.

1. Iraq: Tashreeb bagila - Fava beans on soggy bread, seasoned with dried spearmint. Often served with fresh tomatoes, spring onion and a fried egg.

2. Japan: Steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish and pickled vegetables. Sometimes served with a raw egg, mentaiko (fish roe) or natto.

3. Poland: Kanapki - Polish open-faced sandwiches with kielbasa (sausage), veggies, cheese and pickles on big soft rolls.

4. South India: Masala dosa with coconut chutney and lentil sambar. Or Idli sambar, soft fluffy steamed cakes served with a vegetable lentil stew. Yum!

5. Ireland: A full Irish breakfast with black and white pudding, baked beans, eggs, Irish bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, brown bread and marmalade, washed down with tea.

6. China: Congee, boiled soft rice with various toppings. A lighter, savoury alternative to porridge.

7. Germany: Baked pancakes - simpler than traditional pancakes, baked in a single dish, with blueberries.

8. Pakistan: Paratha, omelette or fry anda (fried eggs), and chai.

9. Vietnam: Pho - A huge bowl of rice noodles in a flavourful broth, topped with thinly sliced beef or chicken, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime.

10. Italy: Socca bread (chickpea pancake). Or ricotta cheese topped with lemon zest, with bread and some nuts, from Sicily. Mmmmm.

11. Malaysia: Coconut rice and chilli sambal sauce with fried anchovies and peanuts.

12. Yemen: Yemeni shakshuka (different to the traditional North African shakshuka). The eggs are scrambled with finely chopped onion and tomato, served with chapati. Check out my non-authentic, 5-minute version below👇

---

Thank you for your contributions to this list 🙌🏼

Abdulrahman.

Jenni Gwiazdowski

Casandra Campbell

Claire Venus

Gastroillogica

Daniel Tysinger

Thérèse Judeana

Anna Muckerman

Hanna Delaney

Caroline Osella

Full of Beans with Rohini

Tanya Shakil

Abel James

---

Here’s your monthly 5-minute meal. Simple recipes with minimal cooking and prep, when you can’t be arsed to cook.

---

Yemeni-inspired scramble

A vegetable egg scramble, inspired by a Yemeni shakshouka, with a few shortcuts. This was so tasty in just 5 minutes (or maybe 6, sorry), so imagine how good the authentic version is!

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 4 eggs

• A handful of frozen chopped peppers

• 1 tsp of pre-chopped garlic

• 1 tsp tomato paste

• ½ tsp turmeric

• ½ tsp cumin

• Olive oil

• Salt & pepper

• Parsley or coriander

• Flatbreads

Directions

1. Heat a little olive oil in a pan on medium/high heat and add the peppers and garlic for a couple of minutes. Then stir in the tomato paste.

2. While the peppers cook, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk with a fork. Add the spices and mix well.

3. Pour the egg mixture into the pan with the peppers and stir continuously with a wooden spoon for around 3 minutes until scrambled.

4. Season with salt and pepper and throw in a handful of parsley. Serve with flatbreads.

If you have more time: Include chopped onion and tomato in the pan with the peppers.

Make it vegan: Try scrambled tofu? I’ve never tried it myself, so at your own risk! See link to tofu education below.

Baby-friendly: Serve up the scramble before adding salt and pepper.

---

Things I eat, read and love.

---

• Fava beans - A staple in Middle Eastern breakfasts, and perfect for getting things moving in the morning 💩

• Chopped garlic - No peeling or chopping with this handy garlic shortcut, ideal for quick everyday cooking.

• Refried black beans - One of my favourite recent discoveries. Pre-cooked and spiced, ready to eat cold or heated up, used in my breakfast burrito. And I’ve just realised how much I talk about beans 😳

• Tofu is sometimes used as a plant-based egg substitute. I’m no expert so I’m handing over to

  Andrea Nguyen
  of Pass the fish sauce, who has written several posts on how to cook with tofu. I’m excited to experiment and learn.

• A Japanese breakfast is one of my favourite breakfasts, and this post by

  Emiko Davies
  sums it up beautifully: Why I love Japanese breakfasts most of all

  

As always, let me know your thoughts or if there’s anything specific you’d like to hear about. I love hearing from you!

Everything here is free, but if you’d like to support my mission of making healthy living more accessible, please share, subscribe or upgrade. Your support is much appreciated ❤️