I know that skipping breakfast is all the rage now… but if you’re anything like me you might still enjoy a good brekky to set the tone for a healthy day.
With this article, I want to share with you my personal fave autumn recipe! Plus, I asked a few health-conscious peeps in Shanghai what is their go-to brekky. Today’s post will satisfy both your sweet and your salty cravings, no matter what eating style guides your dietary choices.
Ok, now to the recipes…
One thing I absolutely LOVE on an autumn morning is a hearty bowl of warm oats… not only because the house fills with the smell of cinnamon when I make it, but also because it’s just soooooo comforting as the weather gets cooler outside. It’s like eating a slice of warm apple pie in an oatmeal form... breakfast or dessert? That's up to you... no judgment zone here.
Here is the recipe...
Creamy Apple & Cinnamon Oatmeal (GF, VG) (serves 2)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup gluten-free steel-cut oats or rolled oats (soaked overnight to reduce anti-nutrients) you can also substitute oats with quinoa, teff, or millet
1 cup water
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 dates (pitted and finely chopped)
1 organic apple sliced (or pear whatever is in season)
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp freshly ground flaxseeds (helps mitigate mid-morning blood sugar crashes)
a pinch of sea salt
your favourite topping (I’d recommend nuts for an extra boost of protein)
Process:
Put a saucepan on medium heat. Add water, oats, sliced apples, dates, and cinnamon and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
Add the coconut milk, vanilla, pinch of salt, and simmer until oats become nice and soft. Stir often to prevent it from burning. It should take around 5 minutes. Be sure not to boil and if it gets too thick, just add a bit more coconut milk.
Scoop into 2 bowls, stir in the ground flaxseed, and top with your favourite toppings. I prefer mine with chopped walnuts.
TBH once you try this recipe, I'm pretty sure you'll be OBSESSED!
Another all-time favourite of mine is leftover homemade chili sin carne and avocado (an amazing source of healthy fats) on a piece of gluten-free sourdough from Chalk&Flour (WeChat ID:ChalknFlour).
And here is what other health-conscious people eat for brekkie when at home, as well as their favourite spots in Shanghai to eat out.
My name is Shreni (WeChat ID:ShreniShukla) and I am a breathwork facilitator based in Shanghai. I guide people using breath, music and body work to help them find deeper connection to themselves. I help people to work through and release stagnant emotions in the body and the mind.
One of my favorite recipes is called Puda, or savory chickpea pancake. I grew up eating this, and this is a traditional, simple and healthy indian dish. Chickpea flour is full of protein, nutritional yeast is full of minerals and vitamins and turmeric is amazing for its anti-inflammatory properties. (This recipe was adapted from thefirstmess)
Puda, or savory chickpea pancake (GF, VG)
Ingredients:
⅔ cup chickpea flour
¼ cup fresh dill leaves, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional)
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
A little bit of black pepper
Small pinch of chili powder (optional)
⅔ cup water
oil, for cooking
Process:
Heat a saute pan or crepe pan over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, dill, green onion, turmeric, nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, pepper, and water. Once you have a smooth batter with minimal lumps, you’re good to go.
Swish some oil around in your heated pan. Pour half of the chickpea pancake batter into the pan. Let the chickpea pancake cook until golden on the underside and little bubbles are poking through, about 1 ½ minutes. Flip the pancake over and cook for another full minute, or until the other side is browned and the pancake feels firm in the middle. Repeat this cooking process with the remaining batter.
ENJOY!
My name is Jayna (WeChat ID: Jayna_S) and I am a 500 hour registered yoga teacher. I fell in love with the healing qualities of yoga and the beautiful connection between mind, body and breath. I teach at Z&B in Shanghai - come join a class! And I love love breakfast, it’s my favourite meal.
I love EGG and RAC for breakfast/ brunch. They are always a solid choice 💕
And here is my favourite brekky recipe…
Warming Autumn Buckwheat Porridge (GF, VG)
In a pot, cook 1 cup of buckwheat to 2 cups of water. Bring to boil then put on low heat to simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and keep the lid on for it to steam for 5 minutes.
For a little bit more creaminess & sweetness, I blended 2 medjool dates with 1 cup of almond milk and added to the buckwheat once cooked.
Top your buckwheat porridge with your favourite toppings 🤤 I topped mine with cinnamon, chia seeds, pepita seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseed powder, walnuts, almond butter as well as pomegranate & raspberries.
Keep the leftovers for the next days breakfast and just heat it up. So easy.
ENJOY!
My name is Karlene - Mental Health Psychologist (Intern): I am Operations Director & Training Manager at Lifeline China alongside my full time job so my breakfast almost always involves fresh fruit, either simply sliced or topped with some buckwheat muesli or tahini but the weekends are for fun where I have more time so will have something like this loaf toasted or other things I bake at home. When a place in Shanghai finally gives us gluten free vegan pancakes, that will be the best breakfast place in town!
Tumeric-Banana Loaf (GF, VG)
Ingredients:
2 cups of flour (I used gluten-free)
¼ teaspoon of baking soda
pinch of salt
1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 heaped teaspoons of turmeric
(optional pimping: ½ cup each of chopped walnuts, sultanas, goji berries, sunflower seeds, etc)
1-2 bananas
½ cup of maple syrup (more if you like it sweeter)
¾ cup of oil (coconut melted, sunflower, canola)
1 teaspoon of good vanilla paste or equivalent
1 tablespoon of flaxseed or chia seeds
Process:
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Blend the wet ingredients in a blender like you’re making a smoothie. Add the wet mix to the dry ingredients and stir. Use a standard size loaf tin and bake for around 40-45 minutes on 180 degrees. Serve sliced and toasted with berries, fruits, and tahini.
ENJOY!
Hi, I’m Kelly (My IG: kellyg0114) and I’m local to Shanghai. I’m a foodie with a passion for healthy living My fave brekky recipe is Paleo Banana Pancakes - Enjoy!
Banana pancake (GF, PALEO) 香蕉松饼:
Ingredients/ 食材:
1 ripe banana /1根熟香蕉
2 eggs ( flax egg for vegan 🌱) / 2个鸡蛋（素食者可用亚麻籽粉替代）
1 tbsp almond flour/ 1 tbsp 纯杏仁粉（可选）
A pinch of cinnamon / 1些肉桂粉（可选）
Process:
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Once warmed, place coconut oil( or avocado oil )in the skillet. Pour pancake batter into skillet in round circles. 所有食材放入料理机拌匀直至顺滑. 中火加热不粘锅，热了之后，在锅中喷上一些椰子油或者牛油果油. 倒入适量面糊呈圆形。
Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, turn over and cook for another 1-2 minutes. 单边煎2-3分钟，翻转另一边煎约1-2分钟。
You can put Greek yogurt or nuts butter or fruit on the top. 你可以在最上层放上希腊酸奶或者坚果酱，放上一些你喜欢的水
ENJOY!
My name is Valeria (WeChat ID: wholistic_therapies) and I run a wellness consultancy called Wholistic Therapies. I focus on sound and Reiki energy therapy and have been running weekly gong sound baths in Shanghai since 2015.
I have to be at the hospital for my clinical internship by 8am, so I get up early to manage my movement and meditation, and assemble a simple platter. In most frequent rotation are: sardines in olive oil, farm eggs, butter, bacon, meaty leftovers from dinner, plus avocado, sausage, rice cakes, cucumbers and cabbage. I also love Earl Grey tea and got into organic decaf after particularly memorable vacation in Indonesia last year. I get sardines on Taobao, and bacon and fresh sausages from Swiss Butchery. Butter is sold all over FFC in small shops at huge discount, so I usually stock up and freeze it.
As weather will be changing, I will likely be starting my days with cup of bone broth with turmeric and black pepper and squeeze of lime-it’s like pho!-or bone-broth based soup. Lamb chops I have for dinner serve as perfect base for breakfast. Sardines in olive oil are a savior on days I don’t have energy to cook and pack lunch. I love stews and make a really hearty bean-free chili with beef, bone broth and butternut squash that my friend put me on a couple of years ago (recipe also on my official account:wholistic_therapies).
As for indulgences...I recently went to Gelato Dal Cuore and their soursop sorbet, pandan and matcha gelato are so delicious. I love a good butter croissant and all the chocolate above 90% cacao. A slab of sourdough toasted and covered with butter and salt is divine. And no friend and family visit is complete without a trip to Ding Tai Fung for their xiaolongbao and black sesame tangyuan -but nobody visited this year so I have to rally up some dumpling lovers! I always tell my friends that I am a “dessert snob”, I won’t just eat a random candy bar because they taste like sweetened play doh, and that is what keeps me further from diabetes.
This is what works for now. I don’t know if tomorrow or next year my body will want to change direction, but I am prepared to listen and to be flexible.
ENJOY!
My name is Marion. I am a personal coach, Nia, yoga and meditation teacher.
In my philosophy a harmonized relationship between body, mind and soul is the basis of wellbeing. In my classes I combine the bodily sensation of Nia with the mindfulness of yoga and the relaxing component of meditation.
My breakfast is more or less always the same in the morning: a freshly squeezed orange-lemon-ginger-grapefruit-juice and a natural yogurt or kefir.
I mix lots of things in it: chia seeds, flaxseeds, black sesame, goji berries, a spoon of coconut oil and all kinds of superfood powders, preferably shitake, cordyceps and reishi powder and mixtures called “supergreen” and “superberry”. I top it with fruit.
ENJOY!
Hi, I’m Clementin, a French Healthy Chef, integrative nutritionist, and Realicious Butters owner (WeChat ID:ClemHealth). And here is my fave autumn recipe…
Autumn 🍂 Banana Bread
🌿Ingredients:
3 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup coconut syrup (low GI) or maple syrup
1 tsp almond extract ( or vanilla extract)
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened almond butter
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch salt
TOPPING ( Pecan Crumbs) - Optional :
4 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp almond flour or hazelnut!
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, crushed.
🌺Directions:
Heat oven to 350 ( 180 C). Mix together all wet ingredients. Add in dry ingredients. Grease the mold with coconut oil and pour the mixture into the mold. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the top of the bread mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Bon appétit!
ENJOY!
Hi! I’m Jesper, Fitness Coach, Founder of fitness community GCS (WeChat ID: Growth Club Shanghai) and Owner of Snug Coffee (259 Danshui Road).
Living by my “DO MORE BE MORE” mentality where taking what you love and simply put, doing more of it. Helping myself and others grow into what we want to be while having great coffee with great people along the way!
My fave way to jump start the day is with Bulletproof Coffee we serve at Snug. Our Bulletproff Coffee is made with high quality beans, coconut oil and grassfed butter. Come to try it with me!
Yesterday, after a 7 am outdoor fitness session with my fave GCS team I tried Jesper's Rooibos espresso with a dash of creamy unsweetened coconut milk...sooo good and loaded with antioxidants making it the best caffeine-free drink in Shanghai, hands down!
Now, to find out what brekky works for you, check in with yourself after you eat it, using the following cues:
What is my energy level 4 hours after eating breakfast?
Do I crave coffee or something sweet despite having had breakfast?
How does my body feel? Light? Gassy? Constipated?
Experiment and have fun with food, but at the same time, make sure your meals work for you and leave you feeling your best.
Ok, that’s all for now. I hope you’ve had something nutritious and delish to start off your day.
Sending you lots of love! @thriveinshanghai
Izabela Misiuk, MSc, ACC (ICF), PHC
Holistic Health Coach & Positive Psychologist
P.S. if you do make any of the amazing brekky recipes, snap a pic and share by tagging me on your Instagram @thriveinshnaghai or WeChat stories. I always love hearing from you!
P.P.S Here are 5 things I’m loving this month and I want to share with you:
My heart has been filled with joy while reading feedback from the 21- day Fall-in Love with Yourself course participants and feedback from my health coaching clients… seriously, it’s has been so humbling – THANK- YOU! I’ll post some of the testimonies soon. The next round of the Fall-Love with Yourself course will start in January.
I’m loving Okra’s jewelry design as their beautiful earrings and rings have been helping me with my intention for this month, which is to embrace my feminine essence fully with love rather than fear. If you haven’t been to the store, I encourage you to check it out. Here is the address: 683 Julu road, near South Shanxi Road.
I’m re-reading and re-listening to "The Red Tent” by Anita Diamant - my all-time favourite. Honestly, this book is like a bible for women.
The song I have been playing on re-play is “Shoot the Moon” by Nora Jones.
I’m loving the painting by Matthieu Cambier… I feel immortalized ;-)
Matthieu “Back to Life” prints can be seen at King 88 Mall at Changning Road
And, as always, I am grateful for you! Thank you for being here, reading my articles, and for spreading the message so that the articles can be read by more people.
If you like this article, you might be interested in my previous ones too.