I love dishes that encourage a myriad of interpretations and allow you to utilize what you have on hand. Baked oatmeal is one of those meals. I've made versions of the bake with fresh and frozen berries, depending on seasonality, and have added bananas, apples and pears as well as various types of nuts and unsweetened coconut flakes.

Baked oatmeal is great for those individuals who are always on the run and don't have time to sit down and enjoy breakfast in the comfort of their home. Once cooked and cooled, portion out the bake into individual serving-sized containers that you can just grab and go and later enjoy at work or en route.

The ideal breakfast should be balanced with protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates in order to sustain you until lunch or snack time and give you the energy that you need to plow through your a.m. workload. Starting the day with a nutrient dense meal is linked to weight control and performance improvement and motivates you to continue making healthful choices throughout the day. So, for all you breakfast skippers out there, this one is for you.

Baked Berry Oatmeal

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Baked oatmeal also makes a nice dessert topped with a little peanut butter and yogurt.

2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup walnut, toasted and chopped
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 cups almond, hemp or organic whole milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 large pasture-raised egg (For a vegan alternative, make a flax egg by mixing 1 tablespoon ground flax with three tablespoons water. Let sit for 15 minutes to thicken.)
3 tablespoons coconut oil, butter, or ghee melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder
2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries or a mix of all three
¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F and generously butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish with coconut oil, butter. or ghee.
In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, egg, half of the butter or coconut oil, and vanilla.
Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries on top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure that the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top and sprinkle with the coconut flakes.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter or coconut oil on the top and serve or refrigerate.

kefir + chia seeds

Feeling low on energy? Sip on 1 cup probiotic-rich plain kefir sprinkled with cinnamon, chia, or hemp seeds

curry ginger carrot soup

For lunch, enjoy a bowl of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory rich curry ginger carrot soup from day four. Feel like you need more sustenance? Make a salad of leafy greens, cucumber, carrots, and celery, and toss with a dressing of dijon mustard, flax or olive oil, and apple cider vinegar.

crackers + avocado

For a snack, munch on 10 Mary's Gone Crackers with 2 tablespoons mashed avocado with lime juice and chili flakes.

miso mustard salmon

Salmon always seems like the epitome of a healthy meal or the token "diet" food. Roasted and rubbed with mustard, miso, hot sauce, and a little maple, it tastes nothing like a sacrifice.

Serves 2

1 pound wild salmon ( I like to make extra to have as leftovers to add to a salad the next day.)
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mellow white miso
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons or more hot sauce (sugar/preservative-free)
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
4 cups spinach
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the mustard, miso, maple syrup, and hot sauce. Arrange the salmon skin side down on a parchment paper-lined sheet tray. Rub mustard miso sauce over the top and sides of the salmon. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked to your liking (medium rare vs medium vs well).
While the salmon cooks, heat olive oil in a sauté pan, add the garlic and chili flakes, and cook for 30 seconds. Add the spinach and heat until just wilted. Transfer to a bowl.
Once salmon is cooked, arrange each plate with half the spinach, 1/4 cup quinoa, and a fist-sized portion of salmon. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro.