"Rise and Shine: 10 Quick and Healthy Breakfasts to Start Your Day Right"

I love breakfast, it's probably some of my favorite meal to plan for! Here are my favorite quick and healthy breakfasts to start our days on the right foot:

1. Breakfast Casserole

I started making these at Christmastime for my family years ago. I've loved adding new things and swapping out different ingredients in every casserole I make. The beauty of these are you can add just about anything to one and they are easy to make ahead of time and cut portions up for the week!

• 2 lb ground breakfast sausage

• 1 dozen eggs

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 4 green onions

• 1 bell pepper

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.

2. Cook up ground sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into little pieces until fully cooked, drain and set aside

3. Sauté bell pepper and onion for 2-3 minutes

4. Add eggs, sour cream, milk, cheese salt and pepper into a large bowl and whisk until combined

5. Add cooked sausage, peppers and onions into the egg mixture bowl and give a good stir

6. Pour contents into prepare baking dish and bake in oven 35-50 minutes until edges are set

2. Chia Seed Pudding

A simple dump and go recipe that is ready over night! I love adding fresh berries to this nutrient rich breakfast.

• 1/2 cup Almond Milk

• 2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds

• 1 teaspoon Honey

• Choice of Berries to top

1. Place milk, chia seeds and honey into a small container (I like to reuse glass jars with a lid) mix together well and let sit for 2-3 minutes

2. Mix again (otherwise the chia seeds won't all get soaked evenly) and set in fridge for 2 hours or over night

3. Top with fresh fruit and enjoy!

3. Pancakes

Pancakes used to be a luxury growing up, they only came out for special occasions, so it can be hard for me to remember these as a quick and easy breakfast, that I can make ahead of time. It's even easier when all I have to do is blend them all up!

• 4 large eggs

• ¾ cup almond milk

• ¼ cup avocado oil

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 ½ cups blanched almond flour(about 250g)

• ¼ cup Swerve Sweetener

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Additional oil for the pan

1. In a large blender, combine the eggs, almond milk, oil, and vanilla. Blend 30 seconds to combine. Add the almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, and salt and blend again until smooth. Let the batter rest 5 minutes.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add lightly grease with a little oil. Use about 3 tablespoons of batter for each pancake and spread into a 3 or 4 inch circle. Cook the pancakes until bubbles begin to appear on the tops and the edges are set and dry, 2 to 4 minutes.

3. Carefully flip the pancakes and continue to cook until golden brown on the second side, another 2 to 4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed.

**Also makes great waffles

4. Breakfast Sandwiches

Simple, fun and easy. I like to make a bunch of these, wrap them and freeze them for easy to-go breakfasts.

• 2 eggs

• 2 cups shredded cheddar

• Sausage Patties

• Sliced Cheddar

1. Mix together 2 eggs and 2 cups cheddar and pour mixture into a greased waffle maker

2. Cook up sausage patties and start assembling sandwiches

3. Egg, sausage, sliced cheese, top with 2nd egg

**I have a larger waffle maker so the egg mixture makes 4 sandwiches

5. Omelets

Such a simple breakfast and yet so fancy feeling! I love how versatile these can be and how you can throw anything you have on hand into one.

• 1-2 eggs per serving

• Cheese

• Ham, bacon, sausage (cooked)

• Spinach, bell peppers, broccoli, asparagus (cooked)

1. Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk until scrambled

2. Heat a small/medium pan on medium heat.

3. Pour eggs into pan. Once eggs have set use a spatula to lift an edge and slightly tilt the pan, so that the top part of the egg flows to the bottom of the pan and can fully cook.

4. Add cheese, meat or veggies of choice to the top of the egg and gently fold in half and cook until cheese is melted

5. Serve on a plate with fresh fruit and cottage cheese

6. Overnight Oats

This is another great one to make the night before and then divvy up into individual to-go bowls for the week ahead!

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats

• 2 teaspoons chia seeds

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• pinch of salt

• 1 cup milk of choice

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 1 Tablespoon Honey

• Peanut butter, jam, chopped nuts, fresh fruit for topping (optional)

1. In a medium bowl, combine oats, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt. Add milk, yogurt and honey and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate over night

2. When ready, stir up oatmeal and add any desired toppings

7. Frittatas

This is such an easy breakfast and it only takes 1 pan!

• 10 inch cast iron skillet

• 6 large eggs (8 if using a 12 inch skillet)

• 1/4 cup milk

• 2 cloves of minced garlic

• salt and pepper to taste

• oil for drizzling

• 1 red bell pepper (diced)

• 2-3 cups of spinach

• Cheese of choice

1. Preheat oven to 400 F

2. Whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, salt and pepper

3. Cook up your veggies in oiled pan until peppers are tender and spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

4. Add egg mixture to skillet, topping with cheese before placing in oven for 15-20 minutes.

8. Sweet Quinoa Breakfast

I was getting bored and frustrated with a lack of ideas for breakfast. I found this sweet quinoa bowl recipe and it's become a favorite in our house!

• 1 cup of quinoa (rinsed)

• 2 cups water

• 1 Tablespoon oil

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

• 1 cup dried apricots (quartered)

• 4 Tablespoons maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon orange zest

• 1/2 cup ricotta

1. In a small pot add quinoa and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover pot with a lid and let quinoa cook for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium pan heat oil over medium heat. Add almonds and get them toasted. Add in apricots, maple syrup, cinnamon and orange zest and cook until warmed through.

3. Combine apricot mixture with cooked quinoa and then dish up single servings. Serve warm with 1 Tablespoon of ricotta per serving.

9. Smoothie Bowls

I'd seen these get really popular, and I had to see what all the fuss was about. I found it fun eating a smoothie from a bowl, and felt like I was eating ice cream for breakfast!

• 1 ripe banana sliced and frozen

• 1 heaping cup of frozen fruit

• 2-3 Tablespoons milk

• Optional Toppings: shredded coconut, chia seeds, hemp seeds, fruit or granola

1. Add banana a frozen fruit to blender and on low speed blend together

2. Add in milk and blend until you've reached your desired consistency

3. Top with toppings of choice and enjoy

10. Savory Lentil Bowls

Another filling and healthy breakfast! I love trying new recipes and this new one made it into our breakfast rotation :)

• 2 1/2 cups water

• 1/2 cup lentils (rinsed)

• 2 cloves garlic (1 smashed and 1 minced)

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

• 4 cups spinach

• 1 cup roasted red pepper (drained and thinly sliced)

• 1 avocado sliced

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 4 large eggs

• salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil water in a medium sauce pan on high heat. Add lentils, smashed garlic and bay leaf. Return to boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook stirring occasionally 20-25 minutes. Remove garlic and bay leaf and drain liquid.

2. In a medium bowl combine yogurt, lemon zest and juice, minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Add spinach and toss until coated

3. Divide spinach mixture into 4 bowls top with roasted red peppers, avocado and cooked lentils

4. Heat oil in a large skillet on med-high heat. Crack eggs into pan and cook for about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and cover pan and cook for 2 more minutes. Place the cooked eggs on top of each of your bowls.

5. Serve warm.