Breakfast Quinoa Power Bowl
(oatmeal on steroids)
This is a porridge-style breakfast meal I used to have a lot before long bike rides or swim sessions. I’ve recently come back to it as I ramp up my training now that the weather is a bit nicer. It provides a good amount of protein, carbs, and healthy fats to fuel a long workout or just to have as a healthy filling breakfast.
Many people do not think of quinoa in the context of a sweet dish like porridge, but it absolutely works. It’s an upgrade to the standard oatmeal providing more micronutrition and protein. It’s also gluten free for those that are so concerned. In terms of toppings I’ve chosen for this recipe, you will get antioxidants and extra fiber from the fruit, the cinnamon will help to attenuate the blood sugar rise from the meal, and the nuts provide healthy fats and a little more satiety. I also like to add 2-3g of matcha green tea powder. It will provide a little caffeine and extra antioxidants. If you pair it with coffee, the L-theanine the matcha contains will help to attenuate the caffeine crash you may have later in the day from the coffee. Feel free to omit this if you like. The matcha can admittedly be a little bitter and off putting for people not used to it. I also like to add turmeric and ginger powder. I generally just add this to all of my meals as they help to battle inflammation and improve digestion.
*For better digestibility: wash and soak the quinoa beforehand: Wash the quinoa until the water runs relatively clear, then soak in enough water to submerge it entirely. Let sit for at least 2 hours or up to 12. The soaking helps to bind out phytates, which are known to cause digestive distress in some people. This is only necessary for those with sensitive stomachs, so don’t feel like you NEED to do this.
55g quinoa (dry weight)
1 cup (140g) blueberries, raspberries or other fruit (dried fruit is great too. I really like raisins with porridge)
15g of nuts or favorite nut butter (1 tbsp)
25-30g of protein powder of choice
1 tbsp honey/maple syrup
Cinnamon/other spices to taste
2-3g matcha green tea powder
583 calories 38g protein 66g carbs 16g of fat
Add quinoa to stove pot with around 150g of water or roughly 3x the weight of the quinoa. Bring to a boil, cover and then turn down heat to low. Simmer for 20min or until most of the water is absorbed.
Stir in protein powder, nuts, matcha, spices and berries.
Transfer to a bowl and add more water as needed for desired consistency. Top with honey.
If you want a more creamy porridge and can afford the calories, cook it in ½ water, ½ milk. The honey can be omitted to bring the total calories to roughly 500 if that is a goal for you. If you want a more filling meal, add more nuts or protein. You could also top this with a bit of 90% dark chocolate, coconut shavings, raisins, chia seeds, or hemp seeds for a little variety. I often swap the protein powder for 3 or 4 eggs when I have a long day of training ahead of me. This makes for a more hearty meal, but a word of warning, the calories do get quite high in this case, especially if you are cooking the quinoa in milk like I do.
