I Found A Breakfast That’s More Authentic To Me

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

I used to think breakfast had to be loaded with veggies to be nourishing

If you would have asked me five years ago if I thought an egg muffin sandwich was a nourishing breakfast option I would have said ‘no way’. Now I wrap up two of them every night for Joe to take to work and I feel so good about the nourishment they will give him.  This humble breakfast sandwich represents the evolution of my health journey. It’s simple, convenient, flavorful and was years in the making. Now, this from scratch egg muffin (and some strong coffee) make our mornings glorious.

EPISODE LINKS (Contains some affiliate links)

My breakfast sandwich recipe

Should We Eat Grains Wise Traditions Podcast Episode

Vegetarian Diet In Pregnancy : Nutrients Of Concern Article by Lily Nichols

Real Food For Pregnancy Book by Lily Nichols

Einkorn Flour from Jovial Foods

I was trying to fit my old versions of health into my new life

The pile of root vegetables had been sitting on the counter for weeks. They stared at me every time I walked by reminding me how far away I was from the life that I’d become comfortable with. In that life I was certain about what health looked like. I was minutes away from health food stores and fancy fitness clubs. I had my support system right next to me.

When I married my husband and suddenly I was a new homemaker in a small town I didn’t know with none of the conveniences I was used to. I was trying to make a home of my own in a rented house that was 400 miles away from my family. Changing my opinions of what a healthy and happy life looked like was not something I was prepared to navigate. But it was clear that trying to fit my old versions of health and ways of doing things into my new life wasn’t working.

The most obvious opinion I held that wasn’t working for me anymore was my belief that a plant based diet was the healthiest. I’d been primarily plant-based when I was living in the suburbs of Minneapolis and it worked for me there. But trying to keep it up without easy access to fresh, organic vegetables while feeding a husband who worked a physical job all day (and much preferred a steak to a cabbage) was exhausting.  One fall morning my will to keep fighting for a plant-based diet for us was finally broken by a root vegetable bake.

My will to keep fighting for a plant-based diet was finally broken by a root vegetable breakfast bake

In an effort to eat locally and organically after moving to Wisconsin I had joined a CSA. Here, I picked up in-season vegetables from a nearby farm every two weeks.  I was so excited about joining a CSA. I was sure it would be the answer to making plant-based work in a rural area. But there was a problem.  Getting vegetables from a CSA wasn’t like driving to my health food store and having my pick of whatever lovely, fresh vegetable I was in the mood for or my recipe called for.  These were in-season local vegetables. This meant that, especially in the fall, my CSA box was filled with vegetables that I had no idea what to do with. 

Root vegetables like rutabaga, beets, parsnips, and kohlrabi sat on my counter for days as I googled what to make with them.  I finally gathered my courage to try a root vegetable bake. It seemed like the perfect thing to make ahead for my husband for weekday breakfasts.  I spent hours peeling, chopping, mixing, and baking, all the while feeling so good about myself and my persistence in making healthy meals for us.

The next morning Joe and I sat down at the kitchen table before the sun came up.  In the dim light from the kitchen lamp Joe stared at the plate of what looked like chunky mush that I’d set in front of him.  With the smell of earthly muck wafting towards him, Joe took a bite.  I also took a bite although my optimism was dwindling with every passing second.

Unfortunately, the root vegetable bake did not taste better than it looked and after Joe left I scraped the whole thing into the garbage feeling completely defeated.

I found that healthfully raised animal foods are very nourishing

That day my stubbornness to make plant-based work for us was crushed. But my persistence to come up with a healthy diet that worked for our lifestyle wasn’t. Once spring came I returned to the local farmer’s market. This time I had a more open mind. I started to appreciate the important role that animal products had there. Next to their produce farmers had coolers full of fresh eggs, whole chickens, lamb shanks and short ribs .(not to mention the fresh cheese curds, this is Wisconsin after all).

Talking with farmers and learning about the foods they were growing and raising made me realize how disconnected I’d been from my food. I realized that my old version of health left much to be desired. The imported power greens and boxed vegetable stock from my health food stores paled in comparison to the fresh lettuce and homemade chicken stock made with fresh, local ingredients.

That root vegetable bake was one of the best things that happened to me on my health journey because it forced to me take a different path. This path ended up being a truer and more authentic version of health for me.

As my focus shifted to raising healthy kids I was affirmed in my choice to reincorporate animal foods into our diet. I found resource after resource that advocated for the importance of animal foods in raising young kids. One of my favorites is Real Foods For Pregnancy by Lily Nicholas. Lily says that crucial nutrients for healthy brain development like vitamin B12 and choline are found primarily in animal foods.

Nourishing breakfast foods are made from scratch from quality ingredients

To find healthful foods to nourish my family I started looking at how the plants and animals we were eating were grown and raised.  I started paying attention to how I needed to prepare our food so that it could be easily digested and what foods I needed to incorporate to promote strong gut health.

A breakfast sandwich is a great example of a meal that could be loaded with toxins and empty calories. But it can be very clean and nourishing depending on how the ingredients are prepared.  My breakfast sandwich started as something that I didn’t feel super good about giving Joe. It consisted of your standard store bought english muffins, pre-made frozen sausage, and sliced cheese.  It worked well for us at the time because it was quick to assemble, filling, and Joe loved it.  In the season that followed the root vegetable bake that’s what I needed.

As I learned more about nourishing foods I realized that I could make this convenient and delicious sandwich much more healthful without losing the convince or tastiness.  One by one I began to switch out the store bought ingredients for more nourishing from scratch versions.  I made the english muffins and sausages in batches and froze them so that assembly was just as quick as it was with the store bought ingredients.  

Switching to nourishing versions of all the breakfast sandwich ingredients made a convenient breakfast I’m proud to feed my family

I switched my store bought eggs to pasture raised eggs from my neighbors and the farmers market.  Pasture raised eggs have higher levels of vitamins A, E, and D and more than double the Omega-3 than conventionally grown eggs.  I swapped the store bought cheese slices for raw aged cheese.  This fermented dairy product has high levels of vitamin K and beneficial probiotics.  I ditched the store bought sausages that were filled with ingredients like corn syrup and MSG in favor of homemade patties.  These homemade sausages are a tasty and clean protein.  Lastly, I started making my own nourishing english muffins free of the bleached wheat flour, preservatives, and soybean oil that are in store-bought varieties.  I use a sourdough starter and THIS ancient grain to make my own easy-to-digest version that promotes gut health. 

My version of the breakfast sandwich is so much more than a convenient breakfast food.  It represents my health evolution and my resilience and persistence to find a version of health that was authentic to my family. I wrap Joe’s breakfast sandwiches up every night and on the evenings when I’m really feeling the feels I think back to being in that dim kitchen in our first home together.  I think about how far I’ve come since my run in with the root vegetable bake and how much more confident and adaptable I am now.  I’m so thankful for the deeper connection I have to my food and my more robust understanding of health. The lessons I’ve learned along the way allow me to nourish my family with from scratch foods made with my own two hands.