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Breakfast guide

Breakfast Ideas for Steadier Energy

Don’t start your day with a blood-sugar spike and energy-draining crash. Try these delicious—and glucose-friendly—breakfast options instead.

Source: Tasty ideas for a low-carb breakfast

Egg muffins with avocado.

Use this as a starting point.

The ideas below are pulled from existing Levels breakfast articles and recipes. They are meant to help you test meals, not label foods as universally good or bad.

Find your starting point

Build pattern

Start with protein, fat, fiber, and low-glycemic plants.

Whole-food fats and proteins

Eating carbs on their own is more likely to spike your glucose than pairing them with fat and protein.

Nuts and seeds

They contain fiber, omega-3s, healthy fat and protein, and micronutrients. Enough said.

Fermented foods, like yogurt or some cottage cheese

These contain probiotics, or good bacteria, that can be beneficial to your gut microbiome.

Low-glycemic fruit

Fruits that fall low on the glycemic index scale tend to have less of an effect on glucose levels. These include berries, apples, and oranges.

Easy swaps

Keep the breakfast you like. Change the glucose load.

A vegetable tofu scramble breakfast.

Source: Tasty ideas for a low-carb breakfast

If you’re an oatmeal person

Try chia pudding. Chia contains fiber, omega-3s, healthy fat, and protein.

If you want to squeeze in some veggies before lunch

Try a southwest tofu scramble, black bean tofu scramble with creamy salsa sauce, a veggie-filled egg frittata, or breakfast tacos with sautéed zucchini, onions, and cauliflower.

If you love lattes

Try a cinnamon coconut latte made with cinnamon and slow-digesting fat found in the coconut milk.

If you’re a yogurt-and-granola person

Try plain nondairy yogurt or full-fat Greek yogurt topped with nuts, chia seeds, coconut flakes, hemp seeds or ground flax seeds, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of wild organic blueberries or raspberries.

If you tend to grab breakfast on the go

Try a green smoothie. The key with green smoothies is to make sure there isn’t too much fruit, but there are good fat and protein sources.

Smoothie rules

If breakfast is a smoothie, build it like a meal.

A raspberry smoothie.

Choose the right liquid

Skip the sugar and choose unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or flax milk to avoid a blood sugar spike.

Reach for low-sugar fruits

To keep your smoothie healthier favor lower-sugar fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and kiwi.

Embrace healthy fats

Consider chia seeds and flaxseeds, both sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health and reducing inflammation.

Boost nutrition with vegetables

Non-starchy veggies can add nutrients without excessive carbohydrates. Spinach, kale, and cooked or frozen cauliflower disappear into other flavors.

Increase the protein

Adding a quality protein source can transform your smoothie from a drink to a meal that can power your day.

Flavor without sugar

Lean on spices and extracts to flavor your smoothie without spiking blood glucose.

Recipe ideas

Six breakfast ideas from Levels recipes.

Egg Muffins

Source: Egg Muffins

01

Egg Muffins

A perfect way to food prep a nutrient-dense breakfast for busy mornings.

Ingredients

  • 10 eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2-1 cup chopped mixed vegetables
  • 1/4 cup Diced chicken sausage

Process

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or oil.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper until well combined.
  3. Stir in your vegetables and sausage.
  4. Pour the egg mixture evenly into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 2/3 full.
  5. Bake the egg cups in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they are puffed up and set in the center.
  6. Remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the egg cups cool for a few minutes before using a knife to loosen the edges and pop them out of the tin.
Tip: These egg cups are a great make-ahead breakfast or snack, as they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Protein Chia Pudding

Source: Protein Chia Pudding

02

Protein Chia Pudding

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Fresh berries or other desired toppings

Process

  1. In a mason jar or airtight container, combine chia seeds, almond milk, protein powder, and vanilla extract. Shake well to combine, ensuring there are no clumps of seeds at the bottom.
  2. Seal the container with a lid and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results. This will allow the chia seeds to absorb the liquid and thicken the pudding.
  3. After refrigeration, give the chia pudding a good stir to break up any clumps and ensure a smooth consistency.
  4. Makes one meal serving or two snack-size servings. Top with fresh berries or other desired toppings, such as chopped, shredded coconut, or cacao nibs.
Tip: Protein powder scoop sizes will vary. Aim for 25-35 grams of protein in this recipe.
Chia Yogurt Parfait

Source: Chia Yogurt Parfait

03

Chia Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 cup unsweetened Greek Yogurt
  • 1/4 cup fresh berries
  • 1/4 cup grain-free granola or chopped nuts and seeds

Process

  1. In a mason jar, stir chia seeds and Greek yogurt until well combined.
  2. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to allow the chia seeds to thicken the yogurt
  3. After refrigeration, give the chia yogurt mixture a good stir to break up any clumps and ensure a smooth consistency.
  4. To assemble the parfait, alternate layers of the chia yogurt mixture with layers of fresh berries or other desired toppings in serving glasses or bowls.
Tip: This is a great option while traveling as well. Pick up a single serving of yogurt and add 2-3 tbsp of chia seeds.
Chocolate Peanut Butter No Oats

Source: Chocolate Peanut Butter No Oats

Recipe courtesy Nest Wellness

04

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Oats

This super simple overnight recipe can replace your blood-sugar-spiking oatmeal with a protein- and fiber-rich alternative.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp hemp hearts
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
  • 1 tbsp cacao powder
  • 1 tsp allulose
  • 1 tbsp natural peanut butter (no added sugar or oils, just peanuts and salt)
  • 1 cup unsweetened nut milk
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter (as topping)
  • 2-3 tbsp coconut yogurt (as topping)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (as topping)
  • 1 tbsp cacao nibs (as topping)

Process

  1. In a lidded jar, add hemp, chia, flax, cacao powder, and allulose – shake well.
  2. Add peanut butter and nut milk and stir completely.
  3. Allow to sit in fridge overnight.
  4. In the morning, top with coconut yogurt, a sprinkle of cinnamon, peanut butter and cacao nibs.
Quick Low Carb Breakfast

Source: Quick Low Carb Breakfast

05

Quick Low Carb Breakfast

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs, whisked
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 c diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup broccoli (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 tsp basil seeds or chia seeds
  • 1/2 an avocado
  • A side of flackers or flax crackers

Process

  1. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet or a cast iron pan.
  2. Sauté the tomatoes and broccoli or any other veggies that you’re using for 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Lower the heat of the skillet. Add the eggs and cook them low and slow.
  4. Remove when they get to your desired doneness.
  5. Plate. Add salt and basil seeds or chia seeds on top.
  6. Sonja loves to enjoy this with a side of avocado and flackers
Tip: This is a kitchen sink scramble! Take whatever vegetables you have on hand, a few eggs, and an avocado and enjoy!
Vegetable Frittata

Source: Vegetable Frittata

Recipe courtesy Nest Wellness

06

Vegetable Frittata

Ingredients

  • 12 eggs
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 2-3 tbsp avocado or olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 cup celery root small dice (½ bulb)
  • 1 cup zucchini small dice (1 medium zucchini)
  • 1 cup asparagus cut into ¾” pieces (about 12 stems)
  • 1 cup kale minced (about 2 leaves)

Process

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Heat oil in a 12″ cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  3. Sauté onions in heated oil until translucent but not brown, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add celery root and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add zucchini and cook until soft, continuing to stir so the vegetables cook evenly.
  6. Add asparagus and cook until bright green.
  7. Add kale, stirring so the vegetables are well mixed.
  8. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
  9. When the vegetables are soft, gently pour in the eggs.
  10. Turn the heat off the stovetop and transfer the skillet to the oven to bake. The skillet will be hot, so be very careful.
  11. Bake until golden brown, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Next step

Learn how your body responds to your diet.

The best way to understand what habits and foods help you achieve balanced blood sugar is with a continuous glucose monitor and an app like Levels to help you interpret the data.

Take the quizBack to the breakfast article

Sources

Tasty ideas for a low-carb breakfast9 High-protein, low-sugar breakfasts12 Low-sugar, healthy smoothie recipes to fuel your dayEgg MuffinsProtein Chia PuddingChia Yogurt ParfaitChocolate Peanut Butter No OatsQuick Low Carb BreakfastVegetable Frittata

Levels is not intended to diagnose or treat disease. Talk with your healthcare provider before making medical decisions.