Boost Your Energy in the Morning with Vegan Breakfast Quinoa

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day—especially if you plan to get in a morning workout. The go-to healthy breakfast for many might be eggs, with oatmeal being a close second. But these are not the only options when you need some energy to power your morning routine—there’s also breakfast quinoa. Quinoa is a super grain and adding it into your meal plan is a great way to get protein, fiber, iron, B vitamins, and other important nutrients that your body will love. In case that's not enough to get you on the quinoa train, it also happens to be both gluten free and vegan, making it a viable breakfast option for just about everyone. Whether you have some quinoa left over from last night's dinner or are ready to make a fresh batch for breakfast, here’s one of our favorite recipes, from the amazing Kevin Curry and his Fit Men Cook site (and if you're not yet a fan of this amazing site, get thee over there—it's awesome, especially for fitness-minded folks). FitMenCook’s Hi-Energy Vegan Breakfast Quinoa—a tasty morning meal that’s packed with complex carbs, natural sugars, and healthy fats. Ingredients for up to 5 servings of vegan breakfast quinoa:

• 2 cups of cooked quinoa
• 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup of naturally dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup of naturally dried cherries
• 1/4 cup of pepitas
• 1 tbsp. of ground cinnamon
• Chilled coconut or almond milk

Cooking Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package—or reheat your leftover quinoa from last night—and then fluff it with a fork.
2. Toss all the ingredients into a bowl and mix them together.
3. Every morning, scoop out 3/4 cup of the quinoa mixture and then heat it in the microwave or convection oven for up to 1 minute.
4. Pour in about 1/2 cup of cold coconut milk or almond milk.

Using these ingredients, these are the nutrition facts for 1 serving of vegan breakfast quinoa:

• 228 calories
• 6 grams protein
• 9 grams fat
• 32 grams carbohydrates
• 4 grams fiber
• 12 grams sugar

Note that you can add in any other toppings you’d like, such as sliced almonds or coconut flakes, and change up the dried fruit options as well. This will change the nutrition facts a bit, but not much if you stick to healthy toppings like fruit and nuts. Just focus on making it a filling, delicious meal that will boost your energy and give you the carbs, fats, and protein you need to start your day, and your workout, off on the right foot! As we mentioned earlier, if you’re interested in the best in healthy eating and learning about how to use food to fuel fitness, sign up for the FitMenCook blog. Get recipes sent to your email weekly and you'll have plenty of great ideas to keep you busy in the kitchen. Kevin's also got a newly-released app that's all kind of awesome. Want more from FitMenCook—start following Kevin on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. SaveSave