How to create the perfect healthy breakfast
Over the last 5 years, I've transformed from a night owl into a morning freak. When I say freak, I mean that in the sense that I obsess about every last detail of my routine. I've written before on the big picture, so check that out for perspective. Today, we drill into my favorite part of the morning, which is breakfast. Here’s my daily breakfast, based on a balanced diet, that ticks all the boxes from macros to micronutrients and taste. I’ve also included health benefits, recipes, calorie counts, and macros for all dishes.
NOTE: Define “healthy”! Before you get to the photo and start blasting me on social media, let me make it clear this is not a keto breakfast. This is not a low-fat breakfast. This is not a vegan breakfast, nor a carnivore breakfast. This is a whole food, balanced breakfast and hence that is my definition of “healthy” here.
By now, you already know this is a big breakfast. There will be calories. How can I have this every day and not bloat into a blimp? Well, two things. Firstly, I usually have this breakfast between 10 am and 11 am, and then skip lunch. So you might say this is technically the perfect brunch. I just like this food so much more than a boring lunch, so I don’t want to skip breakfast while getting my 16 hours of Intermittent Fasting done!
Macros for the perfect breakfast
If you ate what’s in the picture, this is what you get. Remember, while it seems like a lot, you can obviously have less or leave parts out, or like me, just skip lunch! If you’re on a keto diet, skip the muesli. If you want low calories, just have the muesli and skip the rest. You’ll see dish specific macros as you scroll down.
TOTAL: Calories: 822.5. Fat: 62.3g. Carbohydrates: 60.8g. Fiber: 12.2g. Sugars: 10.8g. Protein: 36.6g.
Intermittent Fasting
As the word implies, I use breakfast to break my overnight fast, which I aim to keep at around 16 hours, but never less than 13 hours. In practice, that means I have breakfast quite late, which is no problem working from home. Technically, it's already more of brunch since I have breakfast between 10 am to 11 am. Usually, that means I skip lunch. But this breakfast is so good I simply can't live without it!
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Metabolic flexibility and insulin response.
Stabilize blood sugar levels.
Increase resistance to stress
Suppress body inflammation.
Read more about Intermittent Fasting on our Science page.
Macros for Intermittent Fasting
Zero. Well, technically negative, since not eating will burn calories. Depending on your exact metabolic rate and activity, the ballpark is 50-100kcal per hour of fasting.
Black Coffee
A few years ago I made a decision to move strictly into black coffee. There's a few reasons. The first is purely practical: to allow myself to drink coffee even during a fast. When fasting, whether just overnight or prolonged, a cup of coffee can be the difference between giving up or sticking to the fast. Adding milk, cream or sugar are strict no-nos for fasting.
The second reason was to learn to appreciate the coffee itself. When I got into scotch whiskey a few years go, it made me think. Good whiskey is always served neat so that you can experience the full range of flavors and textures. If you add ice, coke, seltzer, or anything else then you taste less whiskey and more other stuff. This made me think about why I insist on blending my coffee with milk to hide the underlying flavors. I transitioned from Latte to Americano, which is basically a double Espresso topped off with hot water. Now I can clearly distinguish the differences in roast and bean sources. Some coffees are nutty, some fruity. Some dark and smokey, others light and toasty.
Benefits of Black Coffee
Activate the digestive system.
Nootropic effects of caffeine.
Wakes you up!
Keto alternatives
If you’re on a ketogenic diet, then you might want to bump this up with some grass fed butter, coconut oil, MCT powder, or plain old heavy cream. Obviously, the macros will be a little different…
Macros for Black Coffee (1 cup)
Calories: 1. Fat: 0g. Carbohydrates: 0g. Fiber: 0g. Sugars: 0g. Protein: 0.3g. So not a lot.
Greens Powder
I love juice, especially fresh squeezed natural orange juice. But as your dentist will tell you, that's not a daily habit you want to keep if you also want to keep your teeth. The acidic profile of citrus wreaks havoc on your precious pearls. So if you want to complement a delicious breakfast with a juice, but keep it healthy, what can you do? The obvious choice is of course sugar-free juices, which are of course pumped full of artificial sweeteners and nasty chemicals with E codes.
A few years ago guys like Tim Ferriss popularized the idea of greens powders as a way to get natural vitamins and micronutrients into your day, especially when traveling. Rather than packing your bags with dodgy looking pills and white powders, one small container of greens powder will easily last a week or two.
There are many brands out there, with many formulas and flavors. Watch out for additives, sweeteners, and flavorings. The less non-fruit non-vegetable ingredients, the better. My personal favorite in terms of the balance between ingredients and flavor has been Amazing Grass. Other popular brand names include Orac and Athletic Greens. Initially, you might scoff at a $50 container, but in my case, they last several months. To me, the taste is best with a full glass of cold water and a half measure of green powder. Less swampy, more refreshing.
Benefits of Greens Powder
Activate the digestive system (cold water).
Massive micronutrient dose from all those superfoods.
Get a whopping dose of veggies in without the smell of kale and broccoli.
Saves your teeth from citric acid and sugars in juice!
Macros for Greens Powder (1 scoop)
Calories: 25. Fat: 0g. Carbohydrates: 4g. Fiber: 2g. Sugars: 0g. Protein: 1g. Hence even when fasting I would have a quarter or half scoop, if I was desperate to just taste something other than water.
Overnight Oats with Fresh Fruit (“Birchermuesli”)
Given I live with my family in the tropics, but we're all born in icy Finland, our annual Christmas tradition has been to visit Switzerland for some much-needed snow and yuletide spirit. There really is nothing like Christmas in Europe. The little towns light up with markets and just a tangible warmth of spirit in the darkness of winter. As a family of foodies, our travels are also often associated with local food. One of the first things I will find in Switzerland is good Birchermuesli. With some kneaded Zopf bread, and a glass of Rivella.
Some time ago it suddenly dawned on me, that I could just make my own Birchermuesli and have it every day. So I googled some recipes and have kind of adapted my own version, with a longevity twist.
Overnight Oats Recipe (3 minutes):
I’ve noted the ingredients as a weekly batch as you can make enough for a week and then just add yoghurt & toppings when serving up a bowl.
1 cup Rolled Oats (best texture)
Squeeze of fresh lemon (important for texture!)
1/2 cup Almond milk (or any kind of milk you like)
Optional: chia seeds, raisins, and/or any dried fruit
BONUS: Colostrum powder for inflammation
Add to serve (per serving):
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
Cinnamon (Ceylon for inflammation)
Optional: fresh fruits and/or berries
Optional: any type of nuts
Optional: honey or sweetener if needed
BONUS: Homemade probiotic yoghurt
If you want to go the whole nine yards, then you should make your own yoghurt. There’s really simple recipes, like just break a probiotic capsule into some boiled milk and leave overnight. But if you really want to go all out, you would order the Bravo cultures that longevity researcher Dr. David Sinclair has every morning with his Resveratrol. It tastes great, but work your way up to it with cheaper cultures. You don’t want your first batch of $50 cultures to get ruined! Alternatively for non-dairy yogurt, try this cheaper option on iHerb. Fewer cultures but tastes pretty good and rarely fails.
Benefits of Overnight Oats
Improved gut microbiome and immune system from probiotic yogurt and colostrum.
Good source of fiber from chia seeds and oats.
Good source of protein from yogurt.
Macros for Overnight Oats (1 bowl)
Rolled Oats (1/4 cup): Calories: 76.5. Fat: 1.3g. Carbohydrates: 13.5g. Fiber: 2g. Sugars: 0.2g. Protein: 2.6g.
Almond Milk (1/8 cup): Calories: 7. Fat: 0.3g. Carbohydrates: 1g. Fiber: 0g. Sugars: 1g. Protein: 0.1g.
Chia Seeds (1/2 tsp): Calories: 29. Fat: 1.9g. Carbohydrates: 2.5g. Fiber: 2g. Sugars: 0g. Protein: 1g.
Greek Yoghurt (3 tbsp): Calories: 30. Fat: 1g. Carbohydrates: 1.5g. Fiber: 0g. Sugars: 1.5g. Protein: 4g.
Blueberries (handful): Calories: 8. Fat: 0.1g. Carbohydrates: 2.0g. Fiber: 0.3g. Sugars: 1.4g. Protein: 0.1g.
Honey (1 tsp): Calories: 15. Fat: 0g. Carbohydrates: 4.1g. Fiber: 0g. Sugars: 4.1g. Protein: 0g.
TOTAL (1 plate): Calories: 165.5. Fat: 4.6g. Carbohydrates: 25.1g. Fiber: 4.3g. Sugars: 4.1g. Protein: 7.8g.
Slow Scrambled Eggs
For me, the perfect breakfast has always included eggs in some form. Boiled, meh. Sometimes an omelet is nice, but they're really hard to get just right. I like a sunny-side-up fried egg, too. But scrambled eggs is the king. Once on a backpacking trip, a friend and I splurged on a supposedly legendary breakfast buffet at a 5-star hotel near the Iguazu Falls in Brazil. We got the tip from the Lonely Planet Shoestring Guide to South America. This was before Tripadvisor or Foursquare, or the iPhone, mind you. They had the absolute best scrambled eggs I've ever had, by a long way. It was creamy and the egg was chopped up somehow into these uniform fluffy pillows. I've never forgotten.
Fast forward 15 years of making my basic scramble, and I see Adam Savage describe a slow cooked scrambled egg recipe he learned from a pro chef. I had to try it. It was exactly the same as 15 years ago in Brazil, I swear. So now I make it pretty much every day.
NOTE: If you're on the Keto diet, this is a dream, because you can pack as much fat with butter and olive oil as you want. The eggs just drink it all up without any greasiness.
Recipe for Slow Scrambled Eggs (7 minutes)
We’re all busy in the morning, so you might cringe at the word “slow”. But here the word slow is more in reference to the way the eggs are cooked through constant mixing, not the time itself.
Break cold eggs and a good chunk of (grass fed) butter into a cold frying pan, as much butter as you can stomach, more is generally better for texture and taste. As you cook the eggs the butter will basically emulsify and disappear, leaving zero grease behind. It's restaurant magic!
Turn on the heat to medium high and immediately start constant mixing with a spatula, scraping bottom and sides. Never pause at all, even for a moment, or you will get uneven cooking of the egg.
The trick to learn is to keep the pan on the heat for 30 seconds at a time, then move the pan completely off the heat for 10 seconds. This prevents uneven or premature cooking, allowing the whole dish to develop a homogenous texture that you want.
Once there is no longer a clear separation of liquid moving in the pan, add a drizzle of (extra virgin) olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste. You're almost done now, so don't overcook it. It is meant to be runny but not liquidy. Transfer immediately to a large bowl. It will solidify a little as the butter cools off.
Basic alternatives
Boiled egg (8 mins)
Omelette (5 mins)
Fried egg (3 mins)
BONUS: Natto
I generally try to eat some type of fermented food each day. Often that is kimchi or sauerkraut with dinner, but a lesser known alternative is Japanese fermented beans, or Natto. If you're a picky eater, skip the rest of this description. If you're open-minded, Natto really can become an acquired taste. My kids love it, too. You buy it either frozen or fresh, and it comes in little packets that you mix before serving. It looks like the kind of slime you would dig out of an alien's egg before it ate your face. For first timers, it might even taste that way. It's funky.
Benefits of Scrambled Eggs
Natural source of protein from eggs.
Natural source of high-quality fats (grass-fed butter, egg yolks, extra virgin olive oil).
Probiotics from Natto to boost your microbiome and immune system.
Macros for Scrambled Eggs
Eggs (3): Calories: 234. Fat: 15g. Carbohydrates: 1.8g. Fiber: 0g. Sugars: 1.5g. Protein: 18g.
Butter (1 tbsp): Calories: 102. Fat: 12g. Carbohydrates: 0g. Fiber: 0g. Sugars: 0g. Protein: 0.1g.
Olive Oil (1 tsp): Calories: 40. Fat: 4.5g. Carbohydrates: 0g. Fiber: 0g. Sugars: 0g. Protein: 0g.
Natto (1 pack): Calories: 60. Fat: 3.1g. Carbohydrates: 4.0g. Fiber: 1.4g. Sugars: 1.4g. Protein: 5g.
TOTAL (1 plate): Calories: 436. Fat: 34.6g. Carbohydrates: 5.8g. Fiber: 1.4g. Sugars: 2.9g. Protein: 23.1g.
Handful of Veg
While I am getting a good helping of veggies from the Greens Powder, there’s just something nice about having something raw & fresh on the plate. It could be some cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, or cucumber depending on what’s available. Plus, the antioxidants from fresh veg might help to offset some of the fried foods like toast and scrambled eggs. Also, it just looks nice.
Benefits of Veg
Some raw food to contrast other dishes.
Antioxidants and micronutrients.
Some color for your Instagram feed! #breakfastideas
Macros for Handful of Veg
Cherry Tomatoes (handful): Calories: 19. Fat: 0.2g. Carbohydrates: 4g. Fiber: 1.2g. Sugars: 2.7g. Protein: 1g.
Avocado Toast
Okay, I know what you're thinking. This guy is a poster boy millennial. How obvious, avocado toast. There are two main reasons I like to eat a slice with my breakfast. The first is texture. Bircher muesli and scrambled eggs are both soft and gooey. It's just nice to have some crunch, and toasted sourdough delivers that big time. Besides avocado, sometimes I might go for liverwurst to get some innards into my diet, especially when ripe avocados aren't available. Nevertheless, my perfect breakfast absolutely includes avocado, which just happens to go really well on toast. Sorry, not sorry.
Recipe for perfect Avocado Toast (3 minutes)
THICC slice of sourdough
Toast till crunchy but not quite burnt
Drizzle a little (extra virgin) olive oil first, it really makes this sing.
Smear ripe avocado with spoon, not fork.
Salt & pepper to taste.
Low carb alternatives
Replace sourdough with a low-calorie (gluten-free) cracker. Boring but effective.
Just smash some avocado on your plate, drizzle some olive oil, sprinkle salt & pepper, it's awesome with scrambled eggs.
Benefits of Avocado Toast
Healthy fats from avocado and extra virgin olive oil.
Prebiotics from sourdough to ease digestion.
Lower insulin response than white bread.
Macros for Avocado Toast
Sourdough Bread (1 slice): Calories: 100. Fat: 15g. Carbohydrates: 19g. Fiber: 1g. Sugars: 1g. Protein: 3g.
Avocado (1/4): Calories: 57. Fat: 5.2g. Carbohydrates: 2.9g. Fiber: 2.3g. Sugars: 0.1g. Protein: 0.7g.
Olive Oil (1/2 tsp): Calories: 20. Fat: 2.7g. Carbohydrates: 0g. Fiber: 0g. Sugars: 0g. Protein: 0g.
TOTAL: Calories: 177. Fat: 22.9g. Carbohydrates: 21.9g. Fiber: 3.3g. Sugars: 1.1g. Protein: 3.7g.