Flavorful Butternut Squash Breakfast Bowl Recipe

Recipe From Marisa Moon of My Longevity Kitchen

It’s important that your body has enough fuel to power you through the busy day ahead. For some, a healthy breakfast does just that, especially when the meal is rich in organic fruits and/or veggies, beneficial healthy fats, and moderate portions of high-quality protein.

This Butternut Squash Breakfast Bowl recipe from My Longevity Kitchen is loaded with flavor and nutrition. The sweetness of the almond butter and honey paired with the buttery and savory squash provide the right amount of satisfaction and energy to start your day right.

Butternut Squash Breakfast Bowl

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cook time: 90 minutes Serving Size: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 small or medium organic butternut squash, under 2 lbs., roasted whole (see directions below)
  • 1/2 fresh organic banana
  • 2 tsp. almond butter (preferably sprouted or blanched, but any type of nut butter works)
  • 2 tsp. raw honey
  • Pumpkin spice or cinnamon powder to taste
  • 2 Tbsp. crushed or sliced nuts (pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds)
  • Raw, grass-fed butter (to warm squash when assembling into bowls)
  • Optional: toasted coconut flakes

Procedure

How to Roast a Whole Butternut Squash

  1. Roast the butternut squash at night so it's ready in the morning. Simply place the whole squash in the oven and set the heat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. You can place the squash in the oven while it preheats.
  2. Check the squash after one hour. Stick a fork into the top, bottom and center to see if it goes in easily — this is a sign that the squash is done. If needed, you may roast it for another 30 minutes or until it's tender on all sides. You want it to have the softness of a banana, not mush.
  3. Allow the squash to cool on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes.
  4. Being careful not to burn yourself, cut the squash lengthwise down the center to open it like a book (don’t worry about the stem).
  5. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy center.
  6. As if you’re cutting an avocado, take the tip of your knife and cut squares into the flesh, but not through the skin. Simply scoop out the cubes of squash with a spoon.
  7. Portion this in containers for breakfast bowls. You get two main-meal servings or four side-dish servings per squash. Refrigerate for the morning after.

Assembling Your Breakfast Bowls

  1. Lightly warm your cubed squash in butter-greased pan. You want it warm, not hot.
  2. Warm the almond butter so that it’s easy to drizzle. You can do this by running the almond butter jar under warm water.
  3. Thinly slice half of the banana, and then scatter the slices on your bowl.
  4. Drizzle on the almond butter and raw honey.
  5. Lightly sprinkle with pumpkin spice or cinnamon.
  6. Top your bowl with nuts and/or toasted coconut flakes.

Have a Good Morning With This Butternut Squash Breakfast Bowl

Butternut squash, a member of the pumpkin family, is the perfect base for this breakfast bowl because of its simple taste and health benefits.

Flavonoids and carotenoids, like beta-carotene in particular, are abundant in this vegetable. Studies have shown that beta-carotene in butternut squash is linked to lower breast cancer risk. Plus, beta-carotene converts into vitamin A in the body, helping you maintain healthy skin, vision and mucous membranes and increase your body’s defense versus lung and mouth cancers.

Bananas are known worldwide not just because of their sweet taste, but also because of their positive health impacts. These tropical fruits are recognized for their high potassium content that assists in controlling your heart rate and blood pressure. Bananas also have polyphenolics — antioxidants that effectively fight free radicals.

Almond butter, especially when made from raw almonds, is loaded in antioxidants such as phenols, flavonoids and phenolic acids. Almonds are also known to help improve heart health. A study published in the journal Circulation showed that people with high lipid levels who snacked on almonds lessened their risk factors for coronary heart disease.

Raw, organic nuts that serve as the “toppings” of this breakfast bowl are vital for you, as nuts are rich in healthy fat, vitamins and antioxidants. Studies have shown that people who regularly ate nuts experienced:

  • Weight loss
  • Reduced systolic blood pressure levels
  • Decreased metabolic syndrome risk factors
  • Lessened risk for diabetes and/or mortality
  • Greater longevity

The three best types of nuts you can eat whole (perfect as a snack) or use for this breakfast bowl recipe (slice or chop them) are macadamias, pecans and walnuts. All three have high amounts of healthy fat, while being low in carbohydrates and protein. These nuts also have additional capabilities that are able to protect your heart and reproductive system, and even fight diseases such as cancer.

Just make sure to eat nuts in moderation, as most types have high amounts of protein, which can lead to high blood sugar levels when consumed excessively.

A Note on Coconut Flakes

You may add toasted coconut flakes to this breakfast bowl for extra chewiness. Fortunately, they can be bought in the baking aisle at your nearest grocery. Just make sure to check the list of ingredients to see if there are added sugars. These sugars which could be hidden in the coconut, are counterproductive and harmful to your health goals, especially when eaten in huge quantities.

If you have coconut flakes lying around in your home, you can toast them by placing the coconut in a dry pan on low heat over the stove and moving the pan constantly. Once the coconut starts to turn brown, remove the pan from the heat.

About the Author

Inspired by the ideas from the “Perfect Health Diet” and the Weston A. Price Foundation, Marisa Moon started her blog My Longevity Kitchen so she can share with other people her whole food and gluten-free recipes that maximize nutrition and minimize toxins. Her blog has been nominated for Paleo Magazine’s 2015 Best New Blog Award. All of her recipes are gluten free and compliant with a variety of ancestral diets and real food lifestyles.

Apart from managing her blog, Marisa also teaches nutritional lifestyle workshops and develops recipes for HI-VIBE, an organic superfood juicery, all in Chicago, Illinois.

Sources and References