The Breakfast Edition (Part 1)
And low-carb sheet pan pancakes!
I put a lot of focus on quick, easy dinners that are doable any night of the week, but I’ve found that making breakfast can be just as challenging. There are so many pre-made, grab-and-go options available at grocery stores and coffee shops that cater to the ease we need. Combine that with hectic morning routines, lack of planning, mixed appetite/hunger cues, and taste preferences, and it becomes easy to either skip it altogether or reach for sugary, refined foods.
My family loves breakfast. I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m really noticing it this year, most likely because it’s our first year of homeschooling and our mornings are a bit slower and more relaxed. We can sit and enjoy a meal, coffee, tea... at least to the extent that three kids allow. 🙃
But I haven’t always prioritized breakfast, especially for myself.
My typical breakfast used to be a vanilla latte and a banana many mornings on my way to work, or an oatmeal packet that left me full for about an hour, then noticeably hungry until my lunch break.
I was the prime example of metabolic inflexibility— energy highs and lows, frequent carb cravings, a need to snack every couple of hours, and feeling hangry if I didn’t (something my husband and I often joked about).
The reality is that this type of breakfast is so common, for so many reasons. Cultural norms emphasize sugary foods as suitable breakfast items and their convenience allows us to deprioritize making breakfast altogether.
Lack of time and planning, as well as not knowing what to make, are also some big barriers. My goal isn’t to shame or judge how anyone eats, but rather to offer information and recipes so you can make food choices that feel good, work for you, and support your health.
This week’s newsletter is part 1 of The Breakfast Edition. Today, I’m sharing a simple recipe for sheet pan pancakes that are low-carb, gluten-free and blood sugar friendly. They’re delicious topped with Greek yogurt or served with a couple of eggs. I’ve also included a tip for how to increase the protein if you’d like to enjoy these on their own.
Next week’s newsletter will include a roundup of breakfast recipes I’ve developed over the years. They’ll be listed by category for you (e.g. standalone recipes like high-protein breakfast biscuits, meal components like grain-free granola, or weekend extras like a rooibos tea latte).
Next week I’ll also share a breakfast cheat sheet for paid subscribers that will offer solutions to challenges like these:
what to make with specific ingredients on hand
what to make when you’re craving a certain type of breakfast
what to meal prep for a week’s worth of breakfasts
how to build a balanced breakfast plate.
My hope is that, with a little bit of planning and prep, these resources can help you up your breakfast game so you can prioritize a balanced, protein-forward breakfast that will keep you full for hours.
If you’d like a week-long meal plan twice a month, access to every recipe in the Recipe Index, and a new low-carb recipe delivered to your inbox every week, consider upgrading to a paid subscription! Every real-food recipe is created to be low-carb and blood sugar friendly.
Sheet pan pancakes are an easy, simple breakfast that takes all of the effort out of making pancakes. My version is blood sugar friendly, gluten-free and also dairy optional!
Greek yogurt and eggs are the main protein sources, and flours like almond flour, coconut flour, and arrowroot combine to create a soft and light pancake texture that can be hard to achieve when working with low-carb ingredients.
The best thing about this recipe? Everything combines in a blender and bakes in a sheet pan. It’s doable on a Tuesday. It’s great for lazy Saturdays. You can spend 15 minutes to make these ahead of time and meal prep your breakfast for the week.
They’re also incredibly customizable. Swap the berries for sugar-free chocolate chips or chopped pecans. Serve them with sugar-free whipped cream or a swirl of nut butter and strawberry chia jam. Snack on a slice plain or cut it up into bite-sized pieces for a little eater’s lunchbox. Pancakes are so versatile and fun.
Pancake tip: The great thing about making these in a sheet pan is you can divide up the pan into quarters and enjoy four different varieties by swapping in different mix-ins! My kids’ favorite is diced banana with a sprinkle of cinnamon. ☺️
Yield: 8-10 servings
Prep time: ~25 minutes
