Berry Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

 

I made these berry quinoa bowls for breakfast (and actually had to eat them for breakfast, hence the low-light photo conditions!). The quinoa (healthy carbs) is cooked in milk (extra protein) and served with Greek yogurt (again, extra protein), fruit, and almond butter. This was delicious, and helped keep me pretty full until lunch. I’d probably add more fruit than in the pictures next time. 

½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed 

1 cup lactose-free milk 

1 pinch of salt 

4 tsp. maple syrup, divided 

¼ tsp. vanilla extract or almond extract (I used vanilla bean powder) 

¼ tsp. cinnamon 

½ cup lactose-free plain Greek yogurt 

1 cup strawberries 

2 Tbsp. slivered almonds, toasted (optional) 

almond butter for drizzling on top (optional) 

In a medium sized saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat. When the milk is simmering, add in the quinoa and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Bring the quinoa to a gentle boil then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. 

Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in a tablespoon of the maple syrup and the cinnamon. Cover with the lid and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed most of the milk and is tender. (Check the quinoa occasionally and stir. If it starts to get too dry, add in additional milk.) 

Stir together the Greek yogurt, a teaspoon of maple syrup, and a splash of vanilla extract. 

Divide the cooked quinoa into 2 bowls. Top each with half of the Greek yogurt, berries, and almonds; drizzle with almond butter.