A balanced breakfast has a mix of nutrients to provide energy and keep you feeling full throughout the morning. Opt for a combination of carbohydrates, fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals to ensure a well-rounded and nutritious diet.
Find these nutrients in many foods, including plant-based foods. If you are looking for a nutritious Flexitarian morning meal continue reading this Flexitarian Breakfast guide.
As a bonus, I also provide a variety of Flexitarian breakfast recipes!
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Pancakes fortified with protein powder and drizzled with a peanut butter maple glaze
Importance of a Balanced Breakfast
Breakfast is often called “the most important meal of the day” by many health professionals.
Numerous studies have found eating a balanced breakfast regularly is associated with a range of health benefits. Some of these include reduced risk of obesity, andtype II diabetes, as well as better academic performance in children and adolescents.
Flexitarian breakfasts are similar to my recommendations for a non-flexitarian healthy breakfast with one difference – moderate/limit the intake of animal-derived products.
The Key To A Flexitarian Breakfast: Limit Animal Products
To adopt a Flexitarian lifestyle, you moderate/limit your intake of meat and potentially other animal-derived products.
Limiting animal products at breakfast is a great way to kick off your day of Flexitarian Eating.
Some Flexitarian Styles of eating, like Marc Bittman’s“Vegan Before 6”, eating plant-based during the first two-third’s of the day, and for dinner, they have the option of eating a meat-based meal.
This daily routine can make eating more plant-based more feasible for many people.
Health Benefits of The Flexitarian Breakfast
Additionally, embracing a plant-based breakfast offers numerous health benefits worth considering.
Opting for plant-based alternatives at breakfast can help reduce the intake of saturated fats, promoting heart health. Additionally, plant-based breakfasts rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide essential nutrients and diverse flavors, which may contribute to improved digestive health.
So, you might ask yourself, how do I make a Flexitarian Breakfast?
I’ll tell you!
Nut Butters for a Healthy Balanced Flexitarian Breakfast
5 Tips For Creating A Balanced Flexitarian Breakfast
Here are my easy-to-follow five tips for creating a balanced Flexitarian breakfast.
Pick more Protein
Incorporating about 25-30g of protein into your breakfast can significantly extend your feeling of fullness throughout the morning. Protein also provides essential amino acids vital for muscle repair and growth.
Some Flexitarian Breakfast Protein Sources include:
Eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, seeds, nuts and seed butter, beans, tofu, protein powders, and protein-fortified breakfast products such as bagels, pancakes, andwaffles.
Here is a list of excellent protein-packed flexitarian Breakfast Smoothie Recipes. I add protein powder to a smoothie for a quick, easy, and protein-packed breakfast. These Flexitarian breakfast recipes keep me full for hours!
Check out my Avocado Toast Recipe! This recipe has fiber, healthy fats, and protein!
Limit Added Sugar
Added sugar at breakfast can lead to energy crashes later in the day.
To help prevent blood sugar spikes, avoid foods such as muffins, scones, donuts, sugary cereals, and sugary yogurts.
However, note that I said “limit added sugar” not omit!
In moderation, breakfast foods that contain added sugar can fit into a healthy Flexitarian diet and lifestyle.
For example, I love this Croffles recipe for entertaining guests for a special occasion like a Mother’s Day Bruch or Christmas Day Breakfast.
Don’t forget those Vitamins and Minerals
A balanced breakfast needs vitamins and minerals. To incorporate a variety of these nutrients, incorporate lots of colorful fruits and veggies into your diet.
You can also opt for fortified foods such as cereals, dairy products, plant-based milks, and grains.
My Smoothie Bowl recipe is another Flexitarian recipe that includes a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Is Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend Good? A Dietitian’s Review
Here is a Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend Review from a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a Master’s in Nutrition. My review might surprise you!
In this review, I discuss versatility, taste, nutrition, and more!
Please note that this article contains affiliate links. These links incur no additional cost to you but may provide a small commission to support the upkeep of our site. Thank you for your support and understanding.
What is Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend?
Before I jump into the Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend Review, let’s review what the product is!
The Harvest Blend at Trader Joe’s, also called Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend contains the different grains of Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa.
This product comes in a 16oz bag and can be found in the pasta and grain aisle in Trader Joe’s.
Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Product Scorecard
I scored Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend across five categories and allotted points from 0 to 10. The scores below reflect the rating for each category.
Overall Score: 8.25/10
Meal Variety: 10/10
Nutrition: 7/10
Ease of preparation: 8/10
Taste: 8/10
+PRO
You can do so much with this grain mix. It is a fantastic ingredient to add to meals and recipes.
Dinner ready in under 30 minutes
12g of protein (37% calories coming from protein, for a grain mix this is great!)
320 calories or ½ cup dry mix
xCON
Only 4g fiber – this is a con light. 4g is pretty good but it could be better
Needs additional protein sources, veggies, and flavorings for this to be a balanced meal.
Available on Amazon However, you have to buy a pack of three and it is more expensive than purchasing in store.
Applications of Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend
Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend is excellent in a variety of dishes.
It is a great product for when you don’t know what to have for dinner andyoudon’t have much time.
A Dietitian’s Nutrition Analysis
I wish this product had more quinoa or legumes. So, to bump up the fiber and protein, I add more quinoa and some lentils into my mix!
Incorporate the Harvest Grains Mix with your favorite combination of veggies and some protein for a balanced meal, such as goat cheese, pine nuts, chicken, fish, or tofu.
Ease Of Cooking
A Harvest Blend dinner can be ready in under 30 minutes.
The directions say to bring water or chicken stock (you could also use vegetable stock, or vegetable broth) or to a boil then stir in the Harvest blend with one tablespoon of butter (avocado, coconut, or olive oil work well too).
Then bring the mixture back to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Please note, that cooking times may vary slightly from stove to stove.
You can eat this immediately or make a batch in advance for some meal prep! This recipe tastes just as good served the next day.
Taste of Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend Recipes
This product makes so many different delicious recipes. I love the varieties of textures, sizes, and shapes of the grains included. However, alone Harvest Grains Blend does not have tons of flavor.
This product requires you to add your seasoning because they are not included in the package. However, this makes this product super versatile.
You can add so many seasoning combinations from garlic and herb (minced garlic with fresh parsley, dried oregano, and thyme) to lemon pepper (lemon juice, lemon zest, and black pepper) to olive rosemary (olive slices, red pepper flakes, and as the grain mix cooks include a spring of fresh rosemary to infuse the mixture.
Who is this product suitable for?
I recommend this product as an easy weeknight meal staple. It brings fiber and protein to the mix and pairs well with many varieties of foods.
It is excellent for vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians alike!
Please note, thatthis product is not gluten-free.
The Bottom Line
The next time you are strolling the isles at Trader Joe’s consider picking up a bag of their Harvest Blend.
Like this Trader Joe’s Product Review? Check Out These Other Related Trader Joe’s Product Articles!
Are Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles Good? A Dietitian’s Review
My honest Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles review. My review might surprise you!
In this review, I discuss versatility, taste, nutrition, and more!
Please note that this article contains affiliate links. These links incur no additional cost to you but may provide a small commission to support the upkeep of our site. Thank you for your support and understanding.
What are Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles?
Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles are fully cooked, ready-to-eat, and shelf-stable wheat noodles. One package contains three ready-to-use noodle packages located in the Trader Joe’s grocery aisle near ramen and other noodles.
They are made from scratch by a supplier in Thailand. These noodles are soft, chewy, and delicious.
The Product Scorecard
I scored Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles across four categories and allotted points from 0 to 10. The scores below reflect the rating for each category.
Meal Variety: 10/10
Nutrition: 8/10
Ease of preparation: 9/10
Taste: 8/10
Overall Score: 8.75/10
+PRO
You can do so much with these noodles. It is a fantastic ingredient to add to a plethora of meals and recipes.
These noodles are already cooked and ready to go! You can have a nutritious dinner ready in 15 to 30 minutes!
10g Protein per package
5g fiber per serving
xCON
Needs additional protein sources, veggies, and flavorings for this to be a balanced meal.
Available on AmazonHowever, it is more expensive than purchasing in-store.
Thai Wheat Noodles Applications
Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles are excellent in a variety of dishes.
Some of my favorites include:
Noodle Stir Fry: Use a delicious peanut sauce or other Thai-inspired recipes such as pad thai
Noodle Power Bowls: Drizzle with sesame oil and top with sesame seeds
Thai Curries: Rather than rice noodles incorporate the wheat noodles
Soups: I like to draw inspiration from chicken noodle soup. Rather than egg noodles, I use Thai Wheat Noodles
Lettuce Wraps and Spring Rolls: Use these fresh noodles and other veggies such as red pepper or green onions
These noodles are a terrific product for when you don’t know what to have for dinner,and you are short on time.
Thai Wheat Noodle Nutrition
I wish this product had more fiber and protein. So, to bump up the fiber and protein, I add veggies and high-protein food like a fried egg, baked tofu, or chicken.
Easy To Prepare Meals
An easy, complete, and balanced Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodle dinner can be ready in 15 to 30 minutes. Make a stir-fry batch in advance for some meal prep! This recipe tastes just as good served the next day.
How to Cook Thai Wheat Noodles
These noodles are pre-cooked! I like to add them to a bowl of hot water, to warm and break up the noodles.
I remove the noodles from their packaging and place them in a medium-sized bowl. Then, I bring some water to a bowl, then pour it over the noodles until they are submerged. I wait about 5 minutes until they easily break apart.
Taste of Thai Wheat Noodles
This product makes so many different delicious recipes. I love the varieties of textures, sizes, and shapes of the grains included.
However, alone the Thai Wheat Noodles do not have a lot of flavor. It does require a bit of seasoning that is not included in the package to bring more flavor to the mix however, this makes this product super versatile.
A Versatile Product
You can add so many seasoning combinations from Peanut noodles with a spicy sauce to curries topped with chili crisp to chicken noodle soups garnished with fresh green onion.
Who is this product suitable for?
I recommend this product as an easy weeknight meal staple. It brings fiber and protein to the mix and pairs well with many varieties of foods. It is excellent for vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians alike!
Note thatthis product is not gluten-free.
The Bottom Line
The next time you are strolling the isles at Trader Joe’s consider picking up a box of their Thai Wheat Noodles and experimenting with different recipes!
Enjoy This Article? Check Out These Other Article Discussing Trader Joe’s Products!
10 Ways to Use Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles in Recipes
Thai Wheat Noodles from Trader Joe’s are fully cooked, ready-to-eat, and shelf-stable noodles perfect for quick and easy cooking!
Why You Need To Try Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles
They are excellent for when you don’t feel like making a mess in the kitchen but want to have something nourishing, healthy, and delicious.
Because these noodles are preserved at room temperature, they are excellent in anything from stir fries to soups to your favorite power bowl with crispy tofu!
Below are 10 easy ways to make Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles!
Noodle Stir Fries
Thai Peanut Noodle Stir Fry
Peanut Noodle stir-fries are an excellent way to enjoy these noodles. Pair them with your favorite store-bought peanut sauce and veggies!
Alternatively, make your delicious peanut sauce! It is super easy and you can make it with less than 5 ingredients!
I love to top my Thai Peanut Noodle stir fry with Baked Tofu or a chili crisp fried egg.
Pad Thai Inspired Recipe
A Thai takeout fave, Pad Thai! Make your variation of Pad Thai with these thicker wheat noodles. Traditionally, Pad Thai is made with rice noodles, stir-fried with eggs, tofu, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, lime, and crushed peanuts.
Make a Pad Thai-inspired dish right at home with veggies like bean sprouts, bell peppers, onions, and your favorite protein of choice. I like to make a quick pad Thai sauce with fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sriracha!
Make an egg free Pad Thai by using a silken tofu scramble to replace the scrambled eggs!
Thai Noodle Curries
Red or Green Curry
I love to make a Thai Curry full of vegetables and tofu. I’ll make the curry and often serve it with rice. You can easily swap out the rice and enjoy a delicious Red or Green Curry dish with Thai Wheat Noodles.
Massaman Curry
One of my favorite Thai curries is Massaman curry. It is spicy, salty, sour, and sweet! This creamy curry is made with coconut milk and infused with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and cumin.
Massaman curry is excellent as a warm and cozy meal. While traditionally served with chicken, I love adding tofu or even lentils. Opt for Thai wheat noodles instead of rice for a twist on this Thai Curry dish!
Thai Wheat Noodle Soups
Chicken Noodle Soup
Thai Wheat Noodles make for a fun variation of chicken noodle soup.
Just take your favorite chicken noodle soup recipe and exchange the noodles for Thai wheat noodles.
Coconut Curry Noodle Soup
Change things up and make the chicken noodle soup a Thai-inspired Coconut Curry Noodle soup.
To make this, add lots of thinly sliced onion, ginger, garlic, mushrooms, red or green curry paste, coconut milk, and freshly squeezed lime!
Other Ideas for Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles
Noodle Power Bowl
Make a delicious and healthy power bowl by layering the Thai wheat noodles with lots of chopped spinach or other leafy green, chopped veggies, and your favorite salad dressing.
Change up your spring rolls recipe by swapping the vermicelli noodles with Thai wheat noodles! Prepare them just like you would Vietnamese spring rolls, also referred to as salad rolls. You can use Nuoc Cham sauce as a dipping sauce or I love to use Peanut Sauce.
Maybe my favorite way to use these noodles is in lettuce cups! Cheesecake Factory makes amazing Thai Lettuce Wraps, but they use egg noodles. Recreate them at home and use Thai wheat noodles instead! You can have dipping sauces like hoisin, chili oil, or peanut sauce. Just cut iceberg lettuce in half and chop up your favorite add-ins like peanuts, bean sprouts, green onions, red pepper, shredded carrots, shredded chicken or baked tofu, and, of course, Thai wheat noodles.
Have a blast mixing and matching ingredients to make individualized Spring Rolls and Thai Lettuce Wraps.
Like These Recipes? Check Out More Recipe Round Ups!
Chili is rich, hearty, and one of my favorite foods to enjoy when the weather starts to turn and the leaves begin to fall. One of the ingredients I always include in my chili creations is onions. Which is why I am writing this article about The Best Onions For Chili.
You can enjoy many varieties of onions when making and serving up chili. The choice of onion depends on the chef’s tastes!
So, before we dive into the different varieties, let’s review my favorite tool for easily chopping onions and the role of onions in cooking!
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My Favorite Onion Cutting Tool!
Vegetable and Onion Choppers are specialized tools designed specifically for cutting vegetables and onions. They often consist of a container with a grid of blades that you press the onion through, resulting in uniformly diced pieces. Ultimately, the best tool for you depends on your personal preferences and the specific task at hand.
Onions contribute to your chili recipes in three significant ways: flavor, texture, and aroma. Whether you sauté them with chili spices at the outset of your cooking journey or opt to serve them raw as a final flourish, onions make a notable impact.
First, the FLAVOR is one of the most important components of chili. Onions add a depth of flavor and a hint of sweetness elevating your chili to new heights.
The TEXTURE of onions can vary based on how they are sliced, and cooked, and the type of onion. Some melt into the chili, whereas others maintain their shape and crunch. Moreover, when left raw and sprinkled over a bowl of chili, onions have a fresh crunch.
The presence of onions in chili brings forth a noticeable and enticing AROMA. When cooked within the chili, they meld flavors with the other ingredients. However, when served raw alongside the chili, they add a sharp and fresh aroma that compliments the warm savory scent of chili.
Raw onions are my favorite chili topping. They add a snappy crunch, and I love their earthy, fresh, and sweet aroma. Sweet onions are my favorite toppers garnishing a hearty bowl of chili.
Now that I have discussed the role of onions in chili, let’s explore the different types of onions you can experiment with to find the right onion for you!
Yellow Onion
In my opinion, yellow onions are the most versatile onion in the bunch. They work well in almost any recipe.
They have a pungent flavor when eaten raw but are excellent for infusing onion flavor and aroma with your chosen blend of spices during the cooking process. My favorite variety are Spanish onions.
The yellow onion is great choice for incorporating with your ground meat when browning it in the frying pan or chili pot.
For Chili Best When – Cooked
White Onion
White onions offer a milder taste compared to yellow onions, making them versatile for both raw and stir-fried preparations.
You can finely chop them and use them as a topping for your chili to introduce a gentle onion crunch and flavor.
For Chili Best When – Raw
Red Onion
Red onions known for their mild flavor are often used raw in salsas and salads.
In terms of aesthetics, red onions shine as a visual centerpiece, their vibrant purple-red tones contrasting beautifully with the rich hues of chili.
Additionally, they maintain their color when cooked and make for an excellent choice to include cooked red onions with your chili ingredients. Moreover, I love to make pickled onions with red onions. Which would be a creative topping choice for chili!
For Chili Best When – Raw or Cooked
Sweet Onion
Sweet onions are known for their natural touch of sweetness, making them a fantastic choice for adding a sweet flavor to chili without the need for extra sugar.
Sweet onions are great for caramelizing due to their natural sugars. You can cook them into your chili, serve them raw over top chili, chili-topped corn chips, or chili-topped hot dogs. Additionally, you can brown onions for a caramelized sweet onion topping.
Some of my favorite sweet onions are Walla, Walla, Maui, and Vidalia Onions.
For Chili Best When – Raw or Cooked
Shallots (a relative to onion)
Shallots the smaller, milder relatives of onions, bring a delicate flavor profile to the table. They can substitute onions in many dishes.
Whether sautéed alongside the chili’s ingredients at the outset of cooking or finely chopped and served fresh as a topping, shallots prove to be an excellent choice.
For Chili Best When – Raw or Cooked
Green Onions (also called scallions or spring onions)
The most common way to use scallions is as a garnish. Once your chili is ready, finely slice fresh scallions, utilizing both the white and green portion, and generously scatter them over each bowl.
The vivid green hue makes a lovely contrast to the rich and hearty chili the red bell pepper, tomato sauce hues, and earthy ground beef or beans.
For Chili Best When – Raw
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Ready to Make Some Chili?!
And there you have it—an article discussing the best onions for your classic chili recipe!
The next time you are at your local grocery store I encourage you to explore and then use different types of onions in your cooking.
Let your newfound onion knowledge inspiration for trying different onions in your next beef chili, vegetable chili, hot chili, slow cooker, or easy chili recipe. Oh, and don’t forget to add your favorite toppings and consider the onion as a great option.
Reducing the amount of animal protein you eat is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. But if you grew up in a meat-and-potatoes household, a vegan – or even vegetarian – diet might seem a bit out of reach.
The good news? You can significantly reduce your individual carbon footprint without cutting out animal products completely!
To celebrate Earth Month, Registered Dietitian Ann Kent joins us from Peas and Hoppiness to share a few easy meal planning tips to create a Flexitarian meal plan for your family!
A flexitarian meal plan is a plant-forward alternative to a strict vegan or vegetarian diet.
It’s also called a “semi-vegetarian” meal plan because it includes some animal proteins like meat and dairy, but in much smaller amounts than the typical Western diet.
Learn more about the Flexitarian diet and find some simple tips to get started.
#1 Flexitarian Meal Planning Tip: Use your Schedule to Make your Meal Plan
If meal plans haven’t worked in the past, I want you to know: it’s not you. It’s the PLAN.
The truth is, only YOU can make your family’s meal plan.
Why? Because it must work with your schedule, your taste preference, and your cooking ability. And only YOU know those things well enough to create a plan that will work.
Learn our easy 3-step process that has helped hundreds of busy families find their rhythm of meal planning. It makes life SO much easier!
Grab the meal planning template, your calendar, and a cup of coffee – and let’s talk about what to put on your flexitarian meal plan.
Start your Flexitarian Meal Plan with Meatless Mondays
The best way to start following a flexitarian meal plan is to pick just ONE day or one meal to eat plant-based foods.
Once you’ve written out your schedule on your meal planning template and have planned which days you want to cook, decide which of those days you want to make a vegetarian or vegan meal.
The biggest mistake to avoid is to completely change how you’re eating now.
Stick with your usual meals most of the time and start adding in plant-based meals and snacks one at a time.
Think of it this way: if you try just ONE new vegetarian meal each week, a year from now you’ll have 50 new plant-based meals that you know how to cook! Little changes go a long way.
Which Vegetarian Recipes are Best for Beginners?
As you start to add in new meals you haven’t made before, it can feel overwhelming to know where to begin.
To choose the best vegetarian recipes for beginners, make sure to pick well-written recipes and ones that sound good to you!
Choose Well-Written Vegetarian Recipes
As a dietitian, I’ve worked with dozens of clients who *think* they’re not a good cook. But as a meal planning professional who writes and tests recipes for a living, I can tell you this isn’t true…
If a meal doesn’t turn out well, it’s not you – it’s the recipe!
That’s why you MUST choose a recipe from a source you trust when you’re learning a new way to cook.
Sure, Google and Pinterest will give you lots of ideas – but just because it’s on the internet, it doesn’t mean it’s a good recipe.
A good recipe is:
Easy to understand, even if you’re not a professional chef
Clearly written with description of how the recipe should look at each step
Has ingredients you can find in any grocery store
Pick a recipe from a source you trust so your recipe (and evening) will go smoothly.
Choose Vegetarian Recipes that Sound Good to You!
Just because all your vegan friends are telling you to eat tempeh doesn’t mean you have to start there (although if want to, this Vegan Yakisoba Noodle Recipe is delicious!).
There are plenty of plant-based recipes to choose from, so start with flavors you love!
Shifting toward a plant-forward lifestyle is great for so many reasons – the environment, your health, and even your pocketbook! But when you’re busy it can be hard to get started.
Premium subscribers to our meal planning app get a new menu every week which is planned seasonally and provides you a nutritionally balanced flexitarian eating plan.
You even get options for vegetarian or vegan meals, so you can shift towards a plant-based diet as quickly or as slowly as you like.
Customize your menu each week by deleting recipes you don’t need, substituting recipes from our database of 800+ options, and adjust servings to feed more or fewer people. Your changes automatically update a grocery list for you to save you tons of time and money at the store!
Use the code ADDYBEAN at checkout to try premium access FREE for one month. After that it’s just $14.99/month – less than a video streaming service!
The most important thing to remember when transitioning to a flexitarian eating pattern is to do what you can – not to worry about being perfect. If we all make a few small changes, it makes a big difference!
