Breakfast Ideas

This afternoon my roommate and I talked about the possibility of her going gluten-free and it reminded me how hard transition can be. As I explained to her, I felt like I lived on corn tortillas, cheese, lettuce, ice cream, and potato chips for 2 months when I first got diagnosed. It took me a while to figure things out, and breakfast was one of the hardest things for me to get used to. Here are a few of the things I learned and my favorite options.

Cereals: I love cereal in the mornings and for snacks because it is so easy and fast. Luckily, there are quite a few cereals available now that are gluten free. In addition to the specialty gluten free stuff (expensive and some of it tastes horrible in my opinion), most Chex varieties are gluten free (not Wheat Chex), Pebbles (Chocolate, Fruity, etc) are gluten free, and Rice Krispies are available gluten free (but make sure you buy the ones that say gluten free on the front because the regular box still has gluten).
*One special note about cereal: Some people with Celiac Disease, especially if they are newly diagnosed and/or healing, have trouble tolerating milk. I personally have less trouble with yogurt so recently I've started using a plainer Chex with a flavored yogurt and fresh fruit or slivered/chopped nuts on top.

Granola: You can buy gluten free granola or make your own. One caution here is that some people have trouble tolerating oats. If you do, avoid the granola altogether.

Smoothies: Sometimes I have to do breakfast on the go or I have to be to work or an appointment extra early so I try to do breakfast in 2 rounds. Smoothies work perfect on these days. I blend one yogurt, 1 cup of fruit, and 1/2 cup of sugar-free juice. I like tropical flavors but use any combination of flavors you like. You can also add gluten free protein powder, use greek yogurt for extra protein, or even add a cup of spinach.

Eggs: I don't take time to cook eggs often but they are an awesome breakfast because they are full of protein and budget friendly. If you get bored with your eggs, play around with them. Try scrambled, fried, hard-boiled, omelets, etc. Also add different toppings: cheese, fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, etc), green onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, ham, bacon etc. You can even mix eggs with your favorite toppings then bake them in a muffin tin in the oven and freeze them to grab on a hurried morning.

Frozen waffles: Van's makes a couple of gluten free varieties of frozen waffles. I've seen them carried in most major grocery chains and they are pretty good for frozen waffles. (Just don't cook them in a toaster used for gluten products.)

If you are up for a little more work, check out the "Breakfast label" which has lots of delicious recipes.