Breakfast Diaries: 'I made 3 changes to my breakfast habits, and it's changed how I feel.'

I have a confession to make. My friend Gregoire bought me a raspberry plant last year before he went back to his home country of France. I had met him in Australia when he was a backpacker and he was picking raspberries as part of his visa requirements. When he left - he gave me this parting gift, which I vowed to nurture.

Update: It was not nurtured.       

So when Gregoire asked how the raspberry plant was going, obviously I was left with no choice. I lied to him and told him the plant was flourishing and was providing a bountiful harvest for my daily breakfasts.

Little does he know I’ve been buying fresh berries from the supermarket and sending photos of my faux-homegrown breakfasts to him.  Do I feel bad? Yes. Do I intend to keep up this lie forever? Also yes.

I’ve always loved having fresh berries in the house. They add a touch of indulgence to meals, and in my personal opinion, they’re the superior fruit category (sorry, mandarins).

This new year, I’m looking for small, little ways to improve my overall lifestyle (OK, I say this every year, but this time I MEAN it). I think I’m taking it more seriously this year because it feels like a whole new chapter as I’ve also moved out of home for the first time.

I’ve realised an easy win in the lifestyle department is to start the day off with a decent breakfast. If you have a good breakfast instead of wolfing down a muesli bar on the way to work... you just know everything else will be fine. You’ve already given a vote in favour of the type of day you want to have.

So that being said, berries seemed like an easy way to improve my breakfasts without too much effort. They don’t just have to be for a fancy occasion, you can pop them on almost anything and you’ll be getting a great amount of fibre to start the day and also a bunch of antioxidants as well (yay!).

After adding berries to my breakfasts recently, I’ve noticed that I’ve felt fuller for longer and I don’t have that mid-morning slump as I usually do.

Here are three ways I’ve been changing my morning habits with berries, and the recipes I keep on coming back to. All these recipes are under four ingredients and take less than five minutes to make.

1. Three-ingredient pancakes.

When pancakes are on the menu it's hard not to smile. Image: Supplied.

• One pancake packet mix (yes, I know this is cheating but I’m all about keeping things simple.)

• Maple syrup

• Raspberries and blackberries

If there’s one thing that screams decadence, it’s eating pancakes for breakfast. But they don’t have to be reserved just for special occasions. Pancakes are a weekly occurrence for me as I choose a mixture that’s super low sugar and also make sure my toppings are low sugar too (I use sugar-free maple syrup.)

Also, choosing a packet mix means you can whip these up in five minutes before work (yes, really) and ensure you’re getting a solid start to the day, while also showing a little love to yourself. 

To make them, I just added water to the packet mix, shook them, cooked each one for a minute and then popped them on a plate with some berries and a drizzle of maple syrup. Game changer! No need to go to a cafe for pancakes anymore.

2. DIY yoghurt pots.

Coffee, berries yoghurt = no morning slump. Image: Supplied.

Ingredients:

• Greek yoghurt

• Granola clusters

• Raspberries and blackberries

This is another super simple breakfast that looks way fancier than it is. I’m all about making every day feel special, so I wanted to create an at-home buffet-style breakfast. If you've ever been to a hotel buffet breakfast, you’ll know they always have a DIY yoghurt bar. And you’d be lying if you told me you didn’t always load up on the berries. Why? Because berries just feel special.

In my opinion, every day is special so I brought the damn hotel buffet breakfast to me and let me tell you, I still went HARD on the berries at home too.

There’s really no right way to do this one, just layer up the ingredients in whatever proportion and order you so desire (it is a DIY yoghurt bar after all) - so get creative! I just make sure I’ve got at least one berry in every bite and then I’m happy.

3. Pimp your granola.

This also pimps your day. Image: Supplied.

Ingredients:

• Granola clusters

• Greek yoghurt

• Almond milk 

• Raspberries and blackberries

Boring bowl of cereal, begone! Up your granola game by pimping your bowl with yoghurt and berries. It makes it at least 10 times less boring (this is science) and will ensure that every mouthful has different textures - crunchy granola, creamy yoghurt and sweet berries. Heaven.

This one also needs no instructions. Chuck your cereal in the bowl, add your toppings and pour your milk of choice over the top and voila!

So there are three easy ways I’ve upped by breakfast game in the new year and also upheld this grand lie of the bountiful raspberry plant.

Sorry, Gregoire. Image: Supplied.

For more great ideas with fresh Australian raspberries and blackberries, head on over to Fresh Aussie Berries' Facebook or  Fresh Aussie Berries' Instagram and have a drool at their creations.