I’ll admit that when all of my friends started going gluten-free, I was critical. I thought the only reason to go gluten-free was if you had celiac disease. After I started following an anti-inflammation diet (brought on by a shoulder injury) which kicked gluten out of my diet, not only did I feel better, but I also dropped 15 pounds in 5 weeks without changing my activity level. I had also kicked dairy, sugar, and red meat out of my diet, so the weight loss was likely due to a combination of all those eliminations. So, I’ve been searching for recipes to help me adhere to my new eating plan without sacrificing variety and flavor.
The Challenge of a Gluten-Free Breakfast
The biggest challenge so far has been breakfast. Traditionally, breakfast belongs to flour, milk, and greasy meats. Pancakes, bagels, yogurt, cereal, bacon, sausage – none of these options was allowed on my new diet. Thankfully, I did find a bounty of gluten-free breakfast recipes that also happen to be dairy-free (if you don’t count eggs) and full of other healthful ingredients. Here are some of my favorites.
New and Creative Gluten-Free Breakfast Ideas
When you’re eating gluten-free, most of your breakfast options involve oats or eggs. I get tired of eating the same thing every day so I love when I find new and creative ways to serve up these gluten-free breakfast staples. Take, for example, these sunny-side-up eggs that Avocado Pesto transforms by serving them on an asparagus and brussel sprout hash.
Another egg-cellent (sorry, I couldn’t resist) transformation is this recipe for Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce from Cool Moms Cool Tips. Better yet, this dish is much easier to make than you’d expect. It’s made with Ragu pasta sauce so read this article from The Gluten-Free Blog first to make sure you choose one that is completely gluten-free if you have a gluten sensitivity.
This Carrot Sweet Potato Hash from the Good Hearted Woman is one of my personal all-time favorites since it combines so many of my favorite flavors – sweet potato, rosemary, onions, and carrots.
I’m kind of a quinoa fanatic so I was delighted to find a recipe that let me incorporate this superfood into the first meal of the day. If you like quinoa, you’ll love this Quinoa Breakfast Scramble from Housewives of Frederick County.
Another great gluten-free breakfast recipe from the Housewives of Frederick County is this Squash & Tomato Cassoulet. I’m looking forward to enjoying this later this summer when my generous neighbor shares the bounty of summer squash and tomatoes from her garden.
These Gluten-Free Egg Cups from the Gardening Cook are a great option for the whole family. They’re easy to grab and go and very easy to put together.
This last recipe isn’t actually gluten-free, even though the star of the recipe (amaranth) doesn’t contain gluten, because it’s a complete protein, it can’t be used alone. So, in this recipe for Amaranth Pancakes, Cynthia from Feeding Big has paired it with whole wheat flour which DOES contain gluten. I’m including it here though because most gluten-free pancake recipes rely on flour blends which don’t usually incorporate amaranth which is such a healthy choice. If you follow a strict gluten-free diet, consider replacing the wheat flour in this recipe with gluten-free pancake mix so you can get the benefits of amaranth into your breakfast.
If you missed my other healthy breakfast recipe round-ups, be sure to check them out for many more gluten-free options. Many of the Healthy Breakfast Cookies are both gluten-free AND dairy-free.
I also shared several of the gluten-free muffin recipes I found in my roundup of Healthy Breakfast Muffins.
You might also enjoy my post that highlights 20 healthy and delicious oatmeal variations, from sweet to savory. Oatmeal doesn’t have to be a boring breakfast choice!
These look like some delicious ideas, and I’m especially looking forward to trying the Squash & Tomato Cassoulet. I’ll be sharing this post with some of my gluten-free friends as well!