Start your day with a serving of vegetables so delicious you won't believe it! This quick and easy Paleo breakfast porridge is hiding cauliflower rice along with other nutritious ingredients, yet it tastes great! Easy, Paleo, Whole30 and allergy-friendly, this Paleo breakfast porridge is a great substitute for oatmeal and other traditional grain-filled breakfast options.
One of the biggest struggles for anyone following a Paleo or Whole30 diet is what to eat for breakfast. Just about every common breakfast food is made of grains, especially those that are quick to prepare. Cold cereal and oatmeal are probably the most frequently consumed breakfast staples, followed by bagels, toast, donuts, and sugar-filled pastries. None of them are a very good way to start your day, if you ask me!
When embarking on a Paleo diet, grains and dairy are off the menu. The Whole30 diet maintains those strict guidelines but also forbids sweeteners. If you're trying to eat vegetables at every meal - which is an increasingly common recommendation - the dilemma of what can be quickly prepared for breakfast becomes even more complicated. Smoothies are quick to prepare and an easy way to add vegetables, but you can only have so many before you get sick of them.
Hopefully I'm not stressing you out because I have a solution! This quick and easy Paleo Breakfast Porridge is made with a combination of nutritious ingredients, but no grains and no dairy. Bananas provide all of the sweetness needed (which makes it Whole30 compliant) and cauliflower rice provides a porridge or oatmeal-like texture along with a serving of vegetables. This Paleo Breakfast Porridge offers a solution for everyone, because you can add collagen powder for extra protein that nourishes your body, or you can leave it out for a breakfast porridge that is vegan as well as grain-free and dairy-free. No matter how you make this quick and easy Paleo Breakfast Porridge, it will taste great and keep you satisfied!
Healthy Benefits & Nutrition Info
I said that this Paleo breakfast porridge is made out of nutritious ingredients and I meant it! Check it out:
- Cauliflower is low in calories and carbohydrates as well as a good source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, B6, folate and choline. It also contains the antioxidants sulforaphane, isothiocyanates, and glucosinolates that research shows may help to fight cancer, balance hormones and keep the heart healthy (source).
- Bananas provide vitamin B6 and vitamin C as well as potassium, manganese, antioxidants and fiber. As a result, bananas are good for heart health and digestion (source), and may even help the body produce neurotransmitters (source).
- Hemp has been a four-letter word for so long that the nutritional value of hemp seeds have not been appreciated. Thankfully, recent research is starting to change this, because they have a lot to offer! Hemp seeds (also known as hemp hearts) have been recognized as the "perfect" vegan protein because they contain all 20 amino acids and all nine amino acids that cannot be made by the human body. They're also a great source of manganese, magnesium, zinc and vitamin E that do everything from help the body fight free radicals to keeping the bones strong and making neurotransmitters. Hemp seeds also contain the ideal ratio (3:1) of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids and a special fatty acid called Gamma-Linlenic Acid (GLA for short) that is a necessary building block for some prostaglandins. As a result, GLA may help to balance hormones. (source)
- Coconut "meat", which is what shredded coconut is, contains lots of fiber as well as the same types of fatty acids found in coconut oil, namely Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFA for short). Research has found that these MCFA are not only a great source of energy, but also may help with Alzheimer's Disease, weight loss, and give the immune system a boost. For more information, check out this article.
Adding collagen powder to this recipe is optional. It adds protein as well as nutrients that nourish the gut and joints, but it is not vegan. For the vegan version of this recipe, just skip the collagen powder. Collagen powder is flavorless, so this Paleo breakfast porridge will taste delicious either way!
Helpful Hints, Tips & Tools
This Paleo breakfast porridge is so easy that you can make it in just 6 minutes! A few hints and the right tools will make it even easier though, and I've included them below.
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- You certainly could rice your own cauliflower using a standing grater, but I much prefer to skip that step and buy cauliflower rice (a.k.a. riced cauliflower). Fresh or frozen would work for this recipe, just put it in a microwave-safe container and cook according to the instructions on the package (about 5 minutes for frozen cauliflower rice or 3 minutes for fresh). I've seen fresh and frozen cauliflower rice at almost every supermarket, but I buy organic frozen cauliflower rice for a great price at Costco.
- Hemp hearts, a.k.a. shelled hemp seeds, can also be found at Costco for a great price. They're also available at health food stores like Natural Grocers and online at Amazon and Vitacost.
- Be sure your shredded coconut does not have added sugar! Vitacost has unsweetened shredded coconut, or you can buy the generic brand at Natural Grocers for a very affordable price.
- I use my Ninja Master Prep to blend the bananas and coconut milk. It makes it nice and smooth, and the blender and small food processor come together for around $40! You can see it in the ad below.
Quick & Easy Paleo Breakfast Porridge with Vegan Option
Now that you have the scoop on this Paleo breakfast porridge, here is the recipe. I hope you find this to be a great solution for a quick and healthy, Paleo, Whole30 and/or vegan breakfast. Enjoy!
Paleo Breakfast Porridge with Vegan Option
Start your day with a serving of vegetables so delicious you won't believe it! This quick and easy Paleo breakfast porridge is hiding cauliflower rice along with other nutritious ingredients, but it tastes great! Easy, Paleo, Whole30 and allergy-friendly, this Paleo breakfast porridge is a great substitute for oatmeal and other traditional grain-filled breakfast options.
Ingredients
- 12 oz cauliflower rice cooked (or cooked cauliflower that has been pulsed in a food processor)
- 2 medium bananas
- 1 can coconut milk (15 oz) regular or light
- 3 scoops collagen powder provides 30 g protein in recipe, almost 4 g per serving
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup hemp hearts optional
- ½ cup finely shredded coconut optional
Instructions
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Pour cauliflower rice into a microwave-safe container and cook according to the instructions on the package (about 5 minutes if frozen, 3 minutes if fresh).
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While the cauliflower rice cooks, add the bananas, coconut milk, vanilla, nutmeg and collagen powder to blender and blend until smooth.
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Add the banana and coconut milk mixture to the cooked cauliflower rice and stir.
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Add hemp hearts and shredded coconut before serving, or top each bowl with with a tablespoon or two of hemp hearts and shredded coconut before serving. Sliced bananas also make a great garnish!
Recipe Notes
This makes a pretty large batch. To store the leftovers, place in a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the leftover porridge (to prevent oxidation of the bananas in the porridge). Cover the bowl with a lid and refrigerate.
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I am not paleo, but I AM always looking for new and satisfying breakfasts - this one sounds fantastic! I cannot wait to try it, thanks!
Just wondering, it’s a Large batch of porridge... can we keep it in the fridge and eat throughout the week?
Great question, Amelie!
Yes, you certainly can keep this porridge in the fridge for a few days. Just keep in mind that the top of the portion stored in the fridge may darken in color slightly due to a biochemical reaction in banana once it is peeled and exposed to air. It this happens, it is harmless. You can either just stir the leftover porridge before serving or skim off that thin, slightly darkened top layer. Other options to keep the porridge looking fresh include heating it before storing the leftovers (heat will deactivate some of the enzymes that oxidize), or laying a piece of plastic or wax paper over the surface of the leftover porridge to minimize the amount of air that circulates over it while in the fridge. Cutting the recipe in half is also an option.
Hopefully that answer makes sense and gives you some choices. I hope that you enjoy the porridge!!!