It’s no secret that a good breakfast sets you up for a good day. It’s also no secret that a scary number us are still either making poor choices or skipping it altogether. I sat down with nutritionist, chef and Vitasoy ambassador Zoe Bingley-Pullin to uncover what exactly makes a good breakfast (and I stole a few recipes for you while I was at it).
We all know eating a good breakfast is important. But what is it about breakfast? And why do so many of us overlook it?
If you skip breakfast, you’re missing out on vital nutrients and energy, which is not great news if you’re running an on-the-go schedule. Let me explain. If you think about it, breakfast is the first opportunity for you to fill your body up with fuel that will give you the energy to function throughout the day. When you wake up, it’s important to eat, to wake up your metabolism and refuel your brain for the day ahead.
So, just what does a ‘good breakfast’ look like?
For me, breakfast should be high in low GI carbohydrates and fibre and low in added sugar and saturated fat. We know that low GI carbs are digested slower, to help keep your body fuelled throughout the day.
Some of my favourite breakfasts are scrambled eggs with avocado and feta or fresh seasonal fruits with yoghurt, puffed quinoa and nuts. I also love smoothies – try one with lots of fruits and vegetables, made using Vitasoy Soy Milky Lite as it’s low GI, high in calcium and is made using Australian-grown whole soybeans.
For those breakfast-skippers out there, there’s plenty you can and do to ensure you grab a good bite to eat before rushing out the door. The secret is prep; either the night before or even on the weekend. You can make things like overnight oats the night before, breakfast muffins on the weekend or even pre-chop the fruit and vegetables for your smoothie so all you have to do is pop them in the blender.
Here are three make-ahead breakfast ideas I love, so you’ve got no excuse to skip brekky this week!
FRUIT BALLS (recipe by Zoe Bingley-Pullin) 
Serves: makes 20 fruit balls
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
10 dried figs, diced, hard stalk removed
1 cup of walnuts
1 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup Brazil nuts
½ cup sunflower seeds
3 tbsp. honey
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup Vitasoy Soy Milky Lite
½ cup raspberries
1 cup LSA mix (linseed, almonds and sunflower seeds)
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine everything except the cocoa powder, raspberries and half a cup of the LSA mix in a food processor until smooth and slightly sticky.
Add the cocoa powder a bit at a time.
Take a bit of the dough, put a raspberry in the centre, and form into a 2.5cm ball.
Roll the ball in the remaining LSA mix to coat.
Put the fruit balls in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
VEGAN OVERNIGHT BLUEBERRY OATS (recipe by Veggieful) 
Serves: 1
Prep time: 3 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes (6 hours’ refrigeration)
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup rolled oats
1 cup Vitasoy Soy Milky Lite
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/3 cup blueberries
INSTRUCTIONS
Add all ingredients to a bowl or jar and stir until combined.
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours until thickened and the rolled oats have softened.
Eat straight from the bowl/jar and be amazed by the ease and deliciousness of overnight oats. Enjoy!
Notes:
This recipe is for basic blueberry oats. Feel free to add any of the following to liven up your delicious breakfast: nuts, chia seeds, dried fruit, banana, vanilla extract or spices such as cinnamon.
VEGAN BANANA BREAKFAST MUFFINS (recipe by Veggieful) 
Serves: 30
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Muffin mixture:
1 cup puréed overripe banana*
15 dates, finely chopped
1 cup Vitasoy Soy Milky Lite
240g (1 1/2 cups) wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup**
Coconut almond butter***:
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/4 cup almonds
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons Soy Milky Lite
Other: 30 slices of banana
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 180C and line muffin trays with 30 mini patty pans.
In a large bowl, add all muffin mixture ingredients and use electric beaters to beat until smooth. (If you don’t have electric beaters, just beat using a wooden spoon and your amazing muscles.) Divide the muffin mixture between the patty pans.
Bake for 10 minutes until the muffin tops bounce back when touched and a skewer comes out clean when poked into the centre. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
In the meantime, make the coconut almond butter by adding the coconut and almond to a high-speed food processor and process until a smooth paste has formed.
Add the maple syrup and Vitasoy soymilk to the processor and process until smooth and creamy.
Spread the almond coconut butter mixture onto the tops of the muffins. Top with a slice of banana.
Serve immediately or freeze for a power breakfast or delicious lunchbox snack. Enjoy!
Notes:
* You must use overripe bananas… these will give the extra banana-ry flavour and also add a delicious sweetness.
** I added 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to the muffin mixture. Feel free to add more sweeteners if desired.
*** The coconut almond butter is optional… you can just eat the muffins by themselves if you like. They will still be delicious!
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