By Yuri Elkaim

A Raw food breakfast is the ultimate way to start your day. It will kick start your energy, and infuse your body with nutrients. When you start the day with a raw healthy breakfast, then you are much more likely to stick with positive eating habits for the rest of the day.

Quinoa can be the basis of many super healthy breakfast ideas, both Raw and partially Raw.

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is technically a seed (from the Goosefoot plant), although is widely used as a grain substitute. It is gluten free, and is a complete protein source. It is also is a great source of iron, B-vitamins, zinc and copper. It deserves a place as a staple ingredient in every vegan diet, but people are often unsure about how to prepare it. Here is one of my favourite healthy breakfast ideas using quinoa. This recipes use cooked quinoa, which is still incredibly healthy and is ideal for cold mornings, along with an abundance of Raw ingredients. This is a great “Raw transition recipe” for when you are trying to up your intake of Raw food, but still enjoy the comfort and sensation of eating cooked food.

Healthy Breakfast Ideas – Simple Quinoa Porridge

Serves Four

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa, still warm
• 2 tbsp soaked nuts or seeds of your choice, chopped (almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower make good choices)
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 2 tbsp dried apricots or figs, chopped
• Pinch himalayan sea salt
• Pinch cinnamon
• 1/2 – 1 cup Raw nut milk
• Agave syrup or honey to sweeten

Method

Combine all ingredients and leave to stand until nut milk is absorbed. Add more or less milk to achieve the desired consistency.

There are many variations on this quinoa porridge, but as long as you follow the basic principles (nut milk, dried or fresh fruit, plus some nuts, seeds and sweetener), the possibilities are endless.

If you want a 100% Raw recipe, then you can sprout the quinoa and the combine it with nut milk, nuts, seeds and fruit to make quinoa museli.

Other Raw Healthy Breakfast Ideas

If you don’t have time to make a healthy quinoa breakfast, then some other quick and easy Raw healthy breakfast ideas include:

• Smoothies (especially green smoothies)
• Freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable Juices
• Fruit Salad
• Raw desserts (which are healthy at any time of day!)

[Ed. Note: Yuri Elkaim is a leading fitness and fat loss expert, certified kinesiologist, registered holistic nutritionist, and the strength & conditioning coach for the men’s and women’s soccer programs at the University of Toronto. Yuri’s ‘Amazaing Abs Solution’ will give you the diet and exercise tools you need to get the abs you’ve always wanted. To get started click here.]