4 Diet-Friendly Breakfast Recipes to Start Your Day

1. Sweet Potato Muffins

• Cuisine: American;
• Category: Baking;
• Serves: 4-6;
• Prep Time:15 min;
• Cook time:35 min;
• Nutrition Per Serving: 363;

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked mashed sweet potatoes
• 2 egg whites
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup applesauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Zest of one orange
• 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup whole cranberry sauce (not jellied)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin tins with nonstick spray and set aside. In a large bowl, mix sweet potatoes, egg whites, sugar, water, apple sauce, oil, orange zest and vanilla until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine flours, salt and baking powder. Add flour mixture to sweet potato mix and combine. Gently stir in cranberry sauce, and pour into muffin tin.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops spring back when gently pressed in the center.

Try This! Add chopped pecans and a small handful of flax seeds before baking to give these muffins a hearty crunch.

2. Fruit and Yogurt Popsicles

Popsicles for breakfast? Why not? These cool and creamy treats are perfect for warm summer mornings and for those who are lucky to have a warm winter, and they make a great snack any time of day.

• Cuisine: American;
• Category: Desserts;
• Serves: 2-4;
• Prep Time:15 min;
• Cook time:4 hr;
• Nutrition Per Serving: 363;

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vanilla yogurt
• 1 kiwi, peeled and diced
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ cup strawberries, hulled and diced
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ cup granola

Directions:

Combine yogurt, kiwi, blueberries, strawberries and one tablespoon of the honey in a bowl, and then pour into Popsicle molds. Freeze overnight. Remove from molds, brush lightly with remaining honey, and roll in granola.

Try This! You can make different variations of these yummy breakfast pops depending on what you’ve got on hand. Try strawberry yogurt, agave nectar, orange slices and bananas.

3. Orange Cranberry Power Smoothie

This fresh protein smoothie will power you through your morning workout and beyond. A great way to use up that whey protein.

• Cuisine: American;
• Category: Drinks;
• Serves: 2;
• Prep Time:5 min;
• Cook time:5 min;
• Nutrition Per Serving: 289;

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup whey protein powder
• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 1 large banana, roughly chopped
• 1 small can mandarin oranges in juice
• ¾ cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
• ¼ cup orange sorbet
• 1 cup ice

Directions:

Drain can of oranges. Add all ingredients to blender, blend well and pour into two glasses. Garnish with orange slices or mint, if desired.

Try This! For a tarter smoothie, try raspberry or lemon sorbet instead of the orange, and add a handful of blueberries before blending.

4. Breakfast Cookies

Who wouldn’t love to start their day with a little something sweet? These wholesome cookies taste great with your morning coffee.

• Cuisine: American;
• Category: Baking;
• Serves: 4-6;
• Prep Time:25 min;
• Cook time:15 min;
• Nutrition Per Serving: 476;

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup white flour or ground flax seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup honey
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Spray baking sheets with nonstick spray and set aside. Add almonds to food processor and grind until they resemble crumbly flour. Add to a bowl, and mix in rolled oats, flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the peanut butter, oil, honey, vanilla, eggs, and brown sugar. Mix well, and then fold in the raisins and chocolate chips. Add in the flour mixture and combine well. Fold in chocolate chips and raisins. (Mixture will be very thick, don’t worry.) Roll dough into balls of about 1 tablespoon each and place onto baking sheets about 2-3 inches apart. Bake 7-10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flatten warm cookies with a fork or spatula and allow to cool.

Try This! Mix up this recipe by adding a peeled shredded carrot, the zest of one lemon, and a handful of dried cherries. Omit the chocolate chips in favor of dried cranberries for a chewy, moist treat.