Breakfast is considered to be the most important meal of the day, as it keeps us energised and productive for the entire day. That’s exactly why you shouldn’t skip breakfast. Every year, India’s Republic Day on January 26th, gives the whole family an occasion to sit together and watch the colourful Republic Day parade. Stay glued, but also try some quick breakfast recipes to stay healthy!

For quick breakfast recipes, HealthShots connected with Greata Sherene Robinson, executive nutritionist – Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Chennai. Here are some easy and quick breakfast options that you can prepare before the Republic Day parade starts early morning!

1. Protein dense breakfast (Preparation time – 15 minutes)

Ingredients

• 2 beaten eggs
• Tomatoes (de-seeded and chopped) – ½ cup
• Onions (chopped) – ½ cup
• Bell peppers (chopped) – 1/4 cup
• Paneer (chopped ) – 75 grams
• Salt – as per taste
• Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Chilli powder – ¼ tsp
• Oil – 2 tablespoon

Method

• Mix all the ingredients together, and make sure that the consistency is a little thick.
• Add oil in a pan and pour the mixture.
• Once it is cooked, flip it on the other side. You can also add in ingredients like oats.

This protein dense breakfast is easy to make and doesn’t take time.
Robinson says that protein (vegetarian protein sources) is important for our muscle development. It also keeps us satiated and cuts our cravings for carbohydrates or simple sugars. Vegetables like tomatoes and bell peppers add in some antioxidants as well.

2. Oats wheat rava idli (Preparation time – 10-12 minutes)

Ingredients

• Oats – 1/4th cup
• Broken wheat – 1 cup
• Curd – 1 cup
• Green chilli (chopped) – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander and curry leaves – 1 teaspoon each
• Urad dal – 1 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds – 1 tablespoon
• Bengal gram – 1 tablespoon
• Carrots (grated) – 1 tablespoon
• Beans (chopped) – 1 tablespoon
• Oil
• Salt
• Water

Method

• Dry roast the rava and let it cool.
• Take a bowl and add in the rava, curd, salt and water. Leave it for some time and then add the remaining ingredients.
• Pour the well mixed batter in idli container and cover it. Allow it to steam and then serve it hot.

The expert says it is always good to include complex carbohydrates on your plate. It helps in slow rise in blood glucose levels compared to the simple carbohydrates where there is a rapid hike. Also, adding vegetables and oats makes it more fiber dense.

3. Yogurt and nuts smoothie (Preparation time – 10 minutes)

Ingredients

• Yogurt -1/2th cup
• Milk – 1/4th cup
• Honey for sweetness
• Nuts – (2 tablespoon)
• Cinnamon powder
• Banana – 1
• Orange juice – 1 teaspoon

Method

• Combine all ingredients and put them in a blender until they become smooth. • You can add some chopped nuts and fruits of your choice on top with some mixture of pumpkin seeds, melon seeds, flax seeds and then serve.

Yogurt is a good probiotic and helps with the gut health (benefits of yogurt). Nuts and seeds are healthy sources of fat.

4. Bread sushi (Preparation time – 15 minutes)

Ingredients

• Whole wheat bread – 4 slices
• Butter – 2 teaspoon
• Carrot (long and thick stripped) – 1/2
• Radish – 1/2
• Cucumber -1/2

Method

• Peel the carrot, radish and cucumber and cut them into long slender stripes. • Cut off the crust in the bread and use a rolling pan to flatten the bread.
• Spread some butter on the bread and place the vegetables there.
• Roll up tightly and then cut the bread roll. Your bread sushi is ready and can be served.

The vegetables add some fiber and antioxidants to the plate. You can also use chickpea hummus as a dressing which will add some proteins as well.

Enjoy these simple breakfast options while watching Republic Day parade this year.