Hey babez (at least let me pretend I have some street cred 😂), coming at you with something old-new-different today: Very Berry Quinoa Breakfast Bowl!
Last week I shared on my IG that I’m in such a bad breakfast rut. In between getting the kids dressed, baking beds, taking my daily shower (haha I wish) and feeding my hungry lion cubs.
It’s become way too easy and convenient for me to eat the same. exact. thing. every single morning.
Which would be oatmeal, if you wanted to know. But now the weather is way too hot hot hot to have a warm breakfast, AND I feel like my body could do with at least some variety in my meals, so I dug out one of my old breakfast faves:
A delicious quinoa breakfast bowl topped with all the nuts, seed and fruit!
I’m going to be totally honest with you, it’s a lot easier to get stuck in a rut than to be kind and intentional with your body when you have little kids.
I’ve been either nursing or pregnant for almost 5 years now, without a break, and I’m feeling it. Namely, I feel like my body is not my own property any more, because I’ve been sharing it with my tiny humans for half a decade now.
But now that I’m slowly getting out of the baby-fog (no, really, it takes around 2 years for me and I’m NOT ashamed to admit it), I want to put more value into looking after myself again.
And let’s face it… Looking after myself also means looking after the munchkins, because if you check out the end of the video you’ll see that I didn’t actually get to eat all of my quinoa breakfast bowl 🙈
I definitely don’t mean I’m going to make super elaborate meals or workout for 5 hours or anything, but like I told you in one of my latest posts, it’s about time I fill my own cup, too.
I’ve been getting in 30-60 minutes of actual exercise (vs walking) each day lately, and I’ve been nourishing my body as well as I can.
I was never a bad eater… I just got lazy and stopped listening to my body, which recently started telling me in unpleasant ways that I’ve been overdoing wheat and sugar and dairy 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
So, today I’m sharing a SUPER easy, nourishing breakfast full of real food ingredients you can put together in no time, meal prep ahead AND actually enjoy. Win win win!
How to make a Berry Quinoa Breakfast Bowl:
- Have cooked quinoa ready (it will keep in the fridge for a few days if you pre-cook it; otherwise it will take a little longer to make this, but you can also just cook your portion of quinoa in the evening and have it ready for the morning if you don’t feel like storing cooked grains) – I use about 1 cup cooked, but judge according to your own appetite and needs.
- Warm a little milk of choice (I’ve been using oat milk and loving it) with maple syrup and vanilla. For my 1 cup cooked quinoa I do about 1/2 – 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup.
- Place your quinoa in a bowl and pour the milk over it.
- Top with all the things: berries, banana, nut butter, hemp seeds and sliced almonds are usually on my portion… 😬
I usually keep quinoa cooked in lightly salted water in the fridge, so I can use it for both sweet and savory dishes.
But if you’re cooking it specifically for this breakfast bowl, it’s even more delicious if you cook it in milk vs water!
How to Meal Prep this Breakfast:
- Cook quinoa in water and rinse it under cold water as soon as it’s done
- Pack the quinoa, berries, nuts/seeds separately.
- Assemble just before eating with the milk and banana.
- The quinoa, berries and nuts will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can top this with pretty much any berries, nuts and seeds you like. I bet it’s also delicious with lightly steamed apples, walnuts and maple syrup for fall – totally going to try this once we hit October!
Print the recipe for keeps:
Very Berry Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!Ingredients
- milk of choice (I like oat milk, about 1/2 - 3/4 cup when I use 1 cup cooked quinoa)
- maple syrup (I use about 1/2 tablespoon)
- vanilla extract (I use about 1/2 teaspoon)
- cooked quinoa (I use about 1 cup cooked, judge according to your own appetite and needs)
- 1/2 cup berries (I used blueberries and raspberries)
- 1/2 banana (sliced)
- hemp seeds (sliced almonds and nut butter, to taste)
Instructions
- Warm the milk, maple syrup and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Place the cooked quinoa in a bowl and pour the milk over it.
- Top with berries, banana, nuts, seeds and nut butter.
Step by Step Recipe Video
Nora's Tips
- If you don't have any cooked quinoa on hand and are making some just for this recipe, it's even more delicious if you cook it in milk instead of water!
- To meal prep this recipe, cook quinoa in water and rinse it under cold water as soon as it's done. Pack the quinoa, berries, nuts/seeds separately. Assemble just before eating with the milk and banana. The quinoa, berries and nuts will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
More recipe information:
Questions for you:
- Do you ever get stuck in a food rut?
- How long has it taken you post-baby to feel like yourself again?
- What’s your favorite healthy breakfast?
Barbara says
What if I want this as a grab amd go in the morning? I can assemble when I get to the office. Could I heat the milk in the microwave before eating?
Nora Rusev says
Barbara, yes you absolutely could. I would pack the quinoa at the bottom of a large mason jar and add the berries on top, keep it chilled/in a cooled lunch bag until ready to eat. Then heat the milk in the microwave and pour into the jar when you want to eat it 🙂