The Breakfast I’ve Eaten for 9 Years (And What Finally Changed)

After nearly a decade of the same breakfast, a dietitian helped me discover a freezer-friendly alternative.

I Am a Creature of Breakfast Habit

Are you like me and you eat the same foods over and over again? I like variety for lunch and dinner, but I am 100% a creature of breakfast habit. 

Because I’ve lived with type 1 diabetes for 45 years, I experience morning insulin resistance caused by early morning hormone releases — something commonly called “the dawn phenomenon” in the diabetes world.

I like consistent food for breakfast. That way I can more accurately dose insulin and give myself the best chance at steady blood sugars to start the day.

The Chia Pudding Years

My typical breakfast is chia pudding as recommended by Adam Brown in his book, Bright Spots and Landmines: The Diabetes Guide I Wish Someone Had Handed Me. I’ve been eating this breakfast nearly every day since 2017, when I first purchased Adam’s book and learned about this delicious breakfast. I even wrote a blog about it in 2018. Full of protein and easy on the blood sugar. 

I confess 9 years of the same breakfast can get a bit old. Thankfully, every once in a while I get to meet with a dietitian to help me continue to make healthy food choices and manage my weight. There are a few perks to living this long with diabetes, and access to nutrition counseling is one of them. I’ve gotten good at finding dietitians with sports backgrounds and Rachel Gorham, MA, RD, LD is one such food expert. 

We talked about my chia pudding focus, and she appreciated how dialed in I am with eating this before my long runs and running races and the excellent results I get as a result. Rachel had the wisdom to ask me how and if I ever mix things up with a different breakfast option. 

I make an effort to tell the full truth when meeting with a food expert, so I told her I occasionally splurge and eat an Amy’s tofu gluten-free burrito. They are frozen and I can keep them in the freezer and have one on a non-stressful, non-athletic day. They aren’t the healthiest option, but they work in a pinch.

Rachel Blew My Mind

The great thing about meeting with a registered dietitian is most of them are outstanding cooks and they know countless things about food when one has limited time and/or energy to prepare healthy food on a daily basis. 

Rachel asked me if I’d be willing to try making homemade burritos and freeze them. 

WHAT?? I had never even remotely considered this option! 

Wait… You Can Freeze Eggs?

I eat eggs and some cheese (for lunches and dinners, not usually for breakfast) and I had no idea you can freeze cooked eggs and cheese! Rachel talked me through how I could make these and over several months I experimented. 

Learning to Make Freezer Burritos

Now, once or twice a month, I make a batch of these burritos and freeze them. When I want a break from chia pudding, I pop one into the microwave and enjoy a little breakfast variety.

The Recipe I’m Loving Right Now

Gluten-free, egg, cheese & greens breakfast burritos, easy to freeze and reheat

Ingredients

• Pack of 6 gluten free tortillas. I use Food for Life Brown Rice tortillas 
• 1 16 oz can of organic refried beans
• 1 bunch of organic broccoli
• 1 handful of organic kale
• 6 eggs
• Sliced up cheese, into small chunks – your choice what kind
• Organic salsa – heat level of your choice
• Turmeric spice to sprinkle on the scrambled eggs
• Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Sesame seasoning blend

Steps

1. In a cast iron frying pan, heat up all the tortillas one at a time. Use a dry pan, no oil or water. Then set them aside. 
2. Add some oil to the cast iron frying pan and add the eggs, kale and broccoli and scramble everything up. Add some turmeric and Everything But the Bagel spice. Turn off the heat once eggs and veggies are cooked. You can add additional veggies if so inclined.
3. Take one tortilla and spread 2-3 tablespoons of the refried beans in the middle. Over the beans, add either the cheese slices or the eggs next, just get both on top of the beans. Then add a few teaspoons of the salsa.
4. Folding the tortilla and insides into a burrito: this took me a while to figure out how to do. The key is to keep everything inside the tortilla. I fold two sides of the circle in, then fold the other sides in. 
5. Wrap each burrito in a beeswax wrap and secure with a rubber band. Then place them in a reusable freezer bag before freezing. I’ve used both Shor and Bees Wrap brands and like them both.
6. I then freeze them for when I want to eat the burrito.
7. To heat up the burrito, I unwrap it from the beeswax and put it in a Fiesta Ware bowl and microwave it for 1.5 minutes. Then flip it over and microwave it for another 1.5 minutes. 
8. To eat it, I add some more salsa and some fresh avocado! Yum! And variety!

Please let me know your breakfast favorites! I love hearing from you. Have you eaten the chia pudding? Do you eat the same foods day after day? Do you think you’ll try these breakfast burritos? Let me know here in the comments!