Breakfast, Food, Lamb, Recipes, Vegetables

Baa Baa Breakfast

I have had a few people comment about breakfast options that do not include eggs.  I know some folks never get tired of eating eggs, I being one, but I do think it’s important to have a lot of variety in our paleo diets.  With that being said, here are some suggestions to scramble things up at breakfast time, sans the eggs.

Leftover dinner!!  This one is my personal favorite.  I love having leftovers for breakfast because this means breakfast is done!  Just the other morning I had leftover lamb chops for breakfast with some kale, and squash.  Another morning after the mad of rush of getting kids out the door was over, I found myself alone in the kitchen with leftover chicken sausages from the previous days lunch, also with kale and some bell peppers and onions.

One of my kids favorite breakfasts is:

Sweet Potato Hash

1 lb ground pork sausage

3 sweet potatoes grated

3 tbsp coconut oil

cinnamon

Brown the sausage in a large soup pan.  Add the coconut oil and shredded sweet potatoes to the cooked sausage (sometimes I’ll also add about 3 tbsp of organic butter as well). Stirring often, let the potatoes cook until they are soft, about 7 minutes.  Add a TON of cinnamon and serve.  This is a bit too much of a carb load for me in the morning but it’s great to get the kids going!  I do love eating a little bit of it with, uh oh, a poached egg.

Some morning we’ll have just bacon, ham, or sausage with coconut milk smoothies for the kids and a handful of nuts and maybe a few blueberries for Mom and Dad. I make the smoothies with either 3-5 cups of unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk or 1 can of coconut milk + 1 cup water, along with with frozen strawberries, mango, blueberries, and a banana – or any other fruit combo that sounds good!  Of course the smoothie I have pictured is accompanied by some EGGS and sausage scrambled together (another favorite breakfast option for Rowan – the 2 year old).

My breakfast advice for those of you who are darn tired of eggs or want a change in your morning routine is to look outside the “breakfast box”.  No matter what time of day it may be, as long as you have a hunk of protein, some sort of veggie, and some good fat – you are dialed!!

Disclaimer: if you are trying to lean out, I do not suggest eating a ton of sweet potato hash or fruit in the morning.  These foods, although great, are best reserved for post workout enjoyment.  Even for folks who might be healthy and lean, this kind of carb intake in the am might send them crashing a few hours later.  I personally do better if I skip the fruit at breakfast and maybe enjoy a little bit at lunch with a lot of protein.  Kids on the other hand are good to go with this stuff!!  Lucky kids…

Enjoy!

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Sarah Fragoso

Sarah Fragoso is an international best selling author of 6 books, co-owner of the Chico, CA based gym JS Strength and Conditioning, and founder of the Everyday Paleo franchise. Sarah is the co-host of the popular Sarah and Dr. Brooke Show podcast and she also conducts workshops and retreats on the subjects of nutrition, lifestyle and fitness.

Her message is from the heart and she carries a genuine desire to help other families looking for guidance. These attributes have contributed to her successes and provide the drive to keep the discoveries coming.

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38 Comments

  1. mamaraby says:

    I always appreciate the non-egg breakfast ideas. Both my husband and my daughter have egg allergies which really puts a hamper on almond flour, coconut flour, and breakfast. *sigh* too bad it’s not an issue of being sick of eggs. I do miss eggs, but don’t feel right eating them when they can’t (and would like to). I think my daughter might enjoy the hash.

  2. I get that same canned coconut milk. I found it at our local Asian Market- only .79cents a can instead of almost $2 a can for the stuff at whole foods etc. Always looking for the best deal!! I do the shredded sweet potato hash too.- can do it with butternut or other winter squash too. I also have been grating all the abundant zucchini from our garden, freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then transfer to gallon size zilpoc. Freezing on a sheet keeps it from freezing in one big lump- so then you can just pull out what you want to throw in scrambled eggs, hash, fritters, soup, sauces etc. Great way to use up extra zucchini and get to enjoy it all year.

  3. I made the sweet potato hash last weekend and loved it!

    Question- do you skip salt in all cooking as per the Paleo book?

    1. Hey Janet,
      I do not skip salt in all cooking, but I do not used regular table salt, only sea salt, and in moderation. Here’s a great article explaining the health benefits of using sea salt. http://www.theelementsofhealth.com/The_Elements_of_Health/Articles_files/Celtic%20Salt.pdf
      Hope this helps!

  4. Yummy! We go through about 4 dozen eggs a week, and while I don’t see that changing any time soon, it IS great to have some other options. =) Thanks!

  5. Tracey says:

    Looks good! Maybe I could sub celery root or another lower carb veggie for the sweet potato?

  6. Hello Sarah,

    I have been reading your blog for just a short amount of time.
    I really appreciate your recipes and ideas.
    I have Celiac, my two young sons tested high for gluten intolerance and
    my husband is and avid Crossfit junkie (and eats gluten free with the boys and I.)
    We have tried to follow the Paleo and are trying to get back into it.
    I am not sure if you follow Elanaspantry.com but I have been a big fan for a year or so and she has a lot of great meal options… one I like that uses thinly sliced squash as a pasta replacement, and one that uses almond flour for chicken parm (that is fabulous and many, many more that are Paleo friendly. I have also been reading a lot about using hazelnuts and hazelnut flours. Thanks again and keep up the good work.

    Kristy

  7. Mercedes says:

    I’m very glad to have found your blog. My boyfriend is a Cross Fit junkie and he’s now getting into Paleo diating. We had a huge discussion about it last night and I’ve agreed to give this a try. For now, I will look at your recepies and see how it goes. Nice to know normal people are trying it and it’s working. May be I’m totally wrong about this and should not be sooo skeptical! Wish me luck.

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Mercedes – first of all – good luck! I thought it was crazy too when I started this whole thing but I was pretty unhealthy and over weight and willing to give anything a try. Fast forward three years and I can’t imagine eating any other way. This is now a lifestyle for me and I honestly feel like eating paleo saved and changed my life forever. I recommend reading Robb Wolf’s book The Paleo Solution (found on amazon and in barnes & noble or boarders). He lays it all out there – gives you the science as to why one should eat paleo, and makes since of it all. I am also releasing a book in February that will of course have recipes but also be a guide of sorts to the paleo lifestyle. Keep in touch and let me know how things go or if you have any questions!!

  8. Is there a recipe for the sweet potato hash some where on the site? I’ve searched and can’t seem to find it.

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Wade, The recipe is in the post you just commented on. Just scroll up!

  9. I will sometimes have paleo cereal in a.m.: berries, grapes, etc. with walnuts and almonds w/almond milk. I am trying to lean out as you say. I could eat eggs every a.m., however I sometimes need a break. Do you not recommend the fruit once in awhile in the a.m. if trying to lean out? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on that more. I would like to vary up my breakfasts as I do try to make that my largest meal of the day.

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Craig! If you are trying to lean out, I do not recommend fruit for breakfast, in fact, I recommend limiting your fruit intake entirely and only after a workout – but just for a while – until you are lean and healthy and then you can put the fruit back in here and there. Even for folks who are lean, I don’t typically recommend eating just fruit and nuts for breakfast, always have some protein also. You don’t have to eat eggs in the morning for protein. VERY often I have left over dinner for breakfast, as long as there is meat involved and some good fat, breakfast can look like anything. Grass fed ground beef, avocado, and salsa is a great way to start the day – or left over chicken stir fry, or whatever protein source you have readily available. Also, making your eggs exciting like making the egg cupcakes or frittata recipes that I have on my blog makes eggs more fun and tasty. I hope this helps and let me know how it goes for you!!

  10. Christine Childs says:

    I just starting eating Paleo, in fact I am on day 4. I am really enjoying it although I do miss bread and chocolate but I know these cravings will subside. You say no fruit in the morning if trying to lean out which I am. Would this still apply if I work out at 4:30am each day and then eat the fruit at 7:30am when I eat breakfast? I do have eggs or meat with the fruit but since I have been working out for an hour and been up so early by 7:30 I am wanting the sweet/carb fix. I will cut out the fruit in the am if you still recommend though.

    1. Hi Christine!
      If you are eating some fruit post workout, you should be fine. OF course, if you are not seeing the results you want, that’s when you have to tinker with things, but give it a go and if you feel ok, aren’t super hungry soon after breakfast, and are seeing results, than go with it!! : )

  11. Dianne Meboe says:

    My family absolutely loved this recipe. We have four kids and I used one pound of sausage and two sweet potatoes (shredded). There were no leftovers! My concern is fat. Should we concern ourselves with the high fat content of the sausage? Thanks!

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Dianne – No worries with the fat content, especially for those kiddos!

  12. I am 24 weeks pregnant and trying to get back to eating Paleo during my pregnancy. I made the coconut smoothie this morning using one can of light coconut milk. My question is what would be your serving size and how often could I have this for breakfast without getting too many calories?

    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Amber! I wouldn’t worry too much about over doing it on the calorie side while pregnant, as long as you are eating a variety of paleo foods, eat when you are hungry! As far as the smoothie is concerned, if you are having for example an 8 oz serving every morning and you feel good and stay full, I would stick with that. Just make sure you are also eating protein with the smoothie as well! : )

  13. Lisa Harris says:

    This sounds great! I was wondering if you could give me some tips on where to buy sausage that does not contain a bunch of fillers? Every sausage I find at my local stores have CORN SYRUP! Also the same applies for deli meats. Thank you for your great blog.
    Lisa

    1. I buy my sausage either from Trader Joe’s or from our local butcher who actually makes their own sausage from free range chickens with no added fillers. You might have to do some hunting around in your area to see what you can come up with. http://www.eatwild.com is a good place to start. We also will buy pork sausage from a friend of ours who raises hogs.

    2. David Walker says:

      While I’m sure its not organic in any way, Jimmy Dean makes an all natural pork sausage that doesn’t contain any corn syrup or added sugar. I’m in Germany and shop at the US Army Commissary, so our selection of organic/free-range/grass-fed anything is pretty limited (but getting better)!

  14. David Walker says:

    First, let me say I just bought your book, and everything I’ve made so far has been really good! Made the sweet potato hash this morning, but only used one sweet potato instead of three and found that to be plenty (even with the proportions on the other ingredients kept exactly the same as they are listed in the book). Maybe its because we live in Germany, and the sweet potatoes here are HUGE, but if I’d shredded three sweet potatoes for this, you never would have found the sausage in there! Anyway, just to let folks know, this works perfectly fine if you reduce the sweet potatoes…and really very tasty! Thanks for the great book!

  15. Timre says:

    I am trying to incorporate more greens into my breakfast and that chicken sausage and veggie mix in your pictures looks really good. Do you have a recipe for that or something similar on here? If not can you give me a quick rundown of how you threw it together? Thanks!

  16. Miss Brooklyn says:

    My Sunday breakfast almost invariably consists of bacon and fruit.

  17. I tried the sweet potato hash after buying the everyday paleo cookbook. I love it! I never would have thought of using cinnamon but it’s so good!

    Keeping the sweet potato and fruit to a minimum is a problem of mine 🙁

  18. angie stromquist says:

    Hi Sarah,
    I just read that Cordain recommended only 6 eggs a week, which doesn’t seem like much. Also seems contradictory to other things I’ve heard. I’ve also heard conflicting information on meats like bacon and lamb as well as how much fruit you should eat if you are trying to lean out. What do you recommend and what is your stance on lean meat cuts only if you are cutting out other complex carbs. I do crossfit 3-4 times a week as well as run twice a week. Please advise!

  19. Sarah,
    Thank you for sharing this recipe! It is simply amazing. My husband doesn’t love yams like I do, so this is something I can do on a weekday. I actually prepped everything, walked the dogs, worked out..then threw this together and inhaled it!
    I actually used mild Italian sausage as I just moved to Italy. They don’t use so many preservatives here. To die for!
    I love the combo of yams, coconut oil, and cinnamon… It is so sweet.

    Now, if you could create some Paleo canollis, you would be in business.
    Gracie! Ciao!
    Pam

    1. Paleo canolis… Wow… : ) Now you’re asking for miracles! LOL!

  20. sally renna says:

    What good oils do you recommend to saute or cook with, Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy and Healthy New Year

    1. Coconut oil is my favorite!

  21. Erik says:

    So you bake the sweet potatoes prior to grating?

    1. Sarah says:

      Nope, grate them raw and then cook them!

  22. Dianna says:

    My family LOVED this recipe! I made it for dinner using cumin and chili powder instead of cinnamon and without any added oil, just the fat rendered from the sausage. Served with spinach salad. There were NO leftovers. None. That’s a first!!! And the best part..it was SO easy to prepare. Thank you, Sarah!

  23. monica says:

    Have you ever tried freezing this and reheating in the microwave?

  24. Susan says:

    I love your bookey come in all sizes and “2 sweet potatoes” can vary greatly…have it on my Kindle…only one observation. Would you please give measurements or weights of ingredients like sweet potatoes or onions, etc.? The sizes of sweet potatoes vary greatly and “2 sweet potaoes” can vary greatly, also.
    Thanks

  25. Emily says:

    Whenever the recipes say 3 sweet potatos, I always find that 1 is enough… Idk if you have tiny sweet potatos or if I have giant ones, but I agree with the above commenter. Measuring by weight or by cups would be much more helpful.

    I loved this recipe, but my son didn’t so much. He could eat scrambled eggs and a green smoothie for breakfast every day!…Or sugary cereal if his Mimi is giving him breakfast 🙁

  26. Meredith says:

    can’t wait to try this. Would love the recipe for the coconut smoothie too! we are getting tired of eggs over here! 🙂

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