Avoid Being Toast at the Office With 3 Mindful Breakfast Ideas

For decades I avoided eating bread at breakfast, for fear that this often demonized food staple might prove to be the gateway drug to all day eating. Boy was I wrong. In fact, these days when I miss a slice in the wee hours of the morning, unless I’m otherwise engaged in a bowl of oatmeal, I feel cheated.

Bread companies have really stepped up their nutritional game, offering varieties packed with more protein, fiber, omega fats, super grains and seeds. Also, waffle manufactures have gone beyond buttermilk, offering more easily digested sprouted grain waffles, gluten free, cinnamon, chia and flax — all toaster-ready.

Gone are the days of stocking my pantry with a single variety jar of peanut butter too. Instead, a veritable dollhouse-like assortment of favorite spreads appears in both my pantry and fridge. They’re my jam. These toast toppers are simply made, in most cases from exclusively nuts or seeds- raw, sprouted or roasted, and ready to sustainably fuel my morning in the office.

My inspiration for eating a breakfast with bang for your nutrient buck comes from the simple formula of selecting the bread base, the mouthwatering spread that covers it, and then showering that bread topper with more plant-powered toppings! These range can from crumbled nori and toasted nuts to cacao nibs and a coterie of other super foods. These uber additions add satiety to a meal and can keep the engine running on high octane until lunch.

Millet-Flax toast with freshly ground peanut butter, Valencia peanuts and raw cacao nibs.

Avocado Toast 2.0 — This advanced version of the original concept includes sprouted bread, toasted, with crushed, roasted seaweed snack sheets, chia seeds and walnuts over mashed avocado. Coarse salt optional.

Gluten-free Cinnamon Toaster Waffle topped with raw, organic cashew and pecan butters, raw walnuts and protein-rich hemp seeds.

Want more energy in the morning?

Eat foods that are simpler for the body to digest. Experiment with sprouted bread if you can tolerate wheat. Sprouting the grains before bread-making breaks down Phytic acid, an absorption inhibitor found in grains, making nutrition more accessible and digestion easier.

For many, the gluten-free option may provide clearer thinking and a boost in mood and productivity. Playful experimentation with the toaster can lead to big gains al desko!