Something different for Breakfast

Eating low carb, it’s sometimes a real challenge to find something to eat for breakfast other than eggs and protein. I don’t mind eating them once in a while, but even every other day is too often for me. I just don’t love them. I was getting pretty bored with my choices, so I started searching the internet for ideas.

I came across something I have never made before: a layered parfait kind of thing that intrigued me and looked pretty. The idea is to layer items in a mason jar at night, and then in the morning you’ve got breakfast. Since I’m a little particular (!) with what I eat, I had to improvise, taking ideas from different recipes to create something I could digest. A lot of recipes called for oatmeal, but I can’t see eating cold oatmeal, this is just too disgusting. Other recipes called for milk, which I don’t drink, or almond or coconut milk, which is fine, provided you can find one that doesn’t contain carrageenan or other thickeners/gums that can be treacherous to the sensitive digestive system. Far better to get some probiotics in to the diet anyway, so I use yogurt, or kefir, which is even better for you than yogurt. Do make sure to get plain, whole milk, cultured dairy. It’s far healthier than the low-fat variety!

So if you Google Mason Jar Parfaits, you’ll come up with thousands of images and recipes. The ideas out there are endless. People add granola, all manner of fruits, nuts, seeds, whatever. Some don’t look very healthy at all! I just had this today, and really liked it.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain whole milk kefir or yogurt, preferably organic
1 tsp. chia seeds
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp raw almonds
1-1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh organic blueberries and / or 1/2 banana
1 Tbsp sliced raw almonds (optional)
1 tsp honey, divided

Add the kefir and chia seeds to your mason jar, add a little honey and stir really well. Fit it with the screw top lid and put it in to the fridge overnight. The chia seeds will soak up the liquid (whey) from the kefir and expand, creating a sort of pudding consistency by morning. The more chia seeds you add the stiffer the pudding. Experiment to see what you like better. I like it a little smoother, so I don’t add too many.

In a separate small bowl, soak the sunflower seeds and almonds in the water and add the salt. Stir. Let sit out on the counter overnight. In the morning, drain the salt water and rinse. This soaking is the right way for people with digestive issues to eat nuts. They are much easier to digest and to absorb their nutrients if they are soaked. Plus, if you’ve never had soaked almonds before, you’re in for a treat: they are really buttery and tasty that way. Better than raw.

Add the seeds/nuts to the mason jar on top of the chia/kefir. The next layer is the fruit. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top if you want a little crunch, drizzle on some honey, screw the lid back on and take it to work.

At your desk, enjoy!