Thalia Renucci is a London-based, Glasgow born and bred holistic health coach, wellbeing writer, and freelance brand and marketing consultant. Prior to qualifying from the Institute of Intergrative Health, she worked in fashion PR for the likes of Rixo, then in marketing in the hospitality sector for the Hoxton.

After several years of a high paced career Thalia realised she was driving herself into a state of burnout in 2017. She re-trained and set up Renu Health Coach in 2020.

Through her coaching practice, she helps individuals feel their best from the inside out, through self-care, whilst cultivating simple and sustainable healthy habits.

Thalia is offering Hood readers 10% discount on her services with the code hood10.

Here she shares her top winter breakfast ideas to get you through the next few weeks.

5 health coach approved Winter breakfasts (that aren’t just oats)
@renu.health
Renuhealthcoach.co.uk

Yogurt, stewed apples + seeds
Eggs + veggie
Creamy garlicky mushrooms on toast (vegan)
Buckwheat porridge
Spiced smoothie

If you’ve given intermittent fasting a go and it’s not for you (don’t worry, you aren’t an anomaly) then these healthy winter breakfasts can pull you out of your porridge-on-repeat hole.

It’s something we’ve all heard time and time again, having a healthy breakfast is good for us. However, when silly season kicks in and we’ve either had a bit of a heavy one the night before, or we simply just can’t be bothered cooking up *another* pot of porridge, it can feel a bit of a chore. For me, my approach for a healthy and happy life is all about balance, and making better choices day after day - it’s not about being perfect. This is especially relevant when it comes to the holidays. We don’t need to give into extremes of one or the other - missing out on all the fun because of a restrictive diet, or going all out and getting ‘back on track’ tomorrow, on Monday or heck, January 1st! We can have the best of both worlds this season, and it starts with your morning plate. Having a nourishing breakfast can set us up for success throughout the day, and if there’s the odd day in twixmas when the concept of days and meal times go out the window, and you have a Terry’s chocolate Orange as a mid-morning snack, there’s no need to beat yourself up! You’ll at least have had a healthy meal beforehand and can follow it up with another one. See … balance!

The key to a solid breakfast is protein, fat and fibre - this combination will keep you full, energised and satiated and can be from a range of foods, depending on dietary requirements.

Yogurt, stewed apples and seeds

If you’re a 0% fat kind of woman, try swapping it out for full fat greek yogurt. The higher levels of protein and (good) fat will keep you fuller for longer, making you less likely to consume extra food during the day. Other benefits are; added calcium supports bone strength; iodine to support thyroid health and metabolic function and it contains probiotics - often labelled as ‘live cultures’. If you’re lactose intolerant, greek yogurt is often tolerated better by those sensitive to lactose, or you can opt for a plant milk based yogurt like coconut or almond yogurt. The stewed apples (with skins on) are an easily digestible low-sugar fruit which is a great source of fibre. The seeds provide more fiber, a source of fats (the kind that lower cholesterol) and essential minerals and vitamins.

Ingredients:
1 apple
2-3 tbsp greek yogurt or plant-based yogurt
Handful of seeds
Handful of nuts
Optional toppings: Tahini, coconut chips or extra sprinkle of cinnamon

Method:
Chop the apple and stew for 5 minutes in a pan with a splash of water, cinnamon and optional addition of honey. Serve over yogurt and top with a sprinkling of seeds or nuts of your choice - pumpkin, sunflower, chia, flax, hemp, walnuts or almonds all work well. I sometimes add a drizzle of tahini or a sprinkle of cinnamon too for a moreish kick.

Eggs + veggies

This is one that ticks all the easy, simple and savoury boxes for me, and I love having this after a particularly boozy night before, when you want something comforting but not too greasy. The beauty with this is the versatility - and how surprisingly easy it is, especially when you have leftover veggies or batch-chopped veggies to hand. With eggs, I recommend those who can to buy pasture raised and organic where possible. They are free of vaccines, antibiotics and are fed non GMO/hormone free feed which means you’re eating happy eggs from happy hens. The quality of animal produce is especially important for informing our hormones as women - from PMS, to our metabolism to our response to the menopause, if you make a change to anything organic in your diet, make it animal produce. Eggs are an excellent source of choline, vitamin B, selenium, vitamin A and much more and by filling your plate with eggs, veggies, a fermented food and some healthy fats, you are giving your body everything it needs to start the day off well! If you don’t consume eggs, swap it out for organic tofu that you can scramble.

Ingredients:
1 cup of veggies of choice - spinach, kale, tomatoes, broccoli, collard greens or even beetroot tops… anything goes!
2 eggs
Splash of milk of choice
Salt and pepper
1 slice rye bread, toasted
Optional: Fermented food (sauerkraut or kimchi), ¼ avocado

Method:
In a bowl, scramble 2 eggs with a splash of plant based milk and some salt and pepper. Set aside. Sautee in some oil, ghee or organic butter whatever greens or veggies you have to hand - spinach, kale, tomatoes, broccoli, collard greens or even beetroot tops… anything goes! In the same pan, add the scrambled eggs and stir until cooked. Serve with a side of sauerkraut (or other fermented food) avocado and a slice of rye bread.

Creamy garlicky mushrooms on toast (vegan)

Repeat this: bread is not the enemy. The key with consuming a carb-based breakfast is balancing it out with a source of protein and good fats, to lessen that blood-sugar spike (which will leave you tired and sluggish right after) and help with our insulin response. When it comes to bread, we’re all different with what we can digest. I recommend switching out your standard white loaf to sourdough or rye bread, or wholegrain works if those are hard to get your hands on. I love cooking this up on the weekend and during the week when I have an extra 5 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove
Handful of mushrooms
Handful of spinach
2 tbsp coconut yogurt
Nutmeg
Salt + pepper
Squeeze of lemon
1 slice of sourdough or rye bread, toasted

Method:
Sautee sliced garlic clove with the mushrooms and a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper. Once cooked, add coconut yogurt, the spinach leaves and a squeeze of lemon. Season to taste and serve on a slice of toasted rye or sourdough bread.

Buckwheat porridge with almond and manuka honey

I don’t believe in superfoods, but if there is a food that I think is particularly super, it’s buckwheat. Despite having the name ‘wheat’ in it, it’s not a grain at all and is in fact a pseudo- cereal (much like quinoa and amaranth). It’s an easily digestible and gluten free source of fiber and other minerals and I love it for it’s nutty flavour and texture - and it’s a great change to your usual oat based porridge. I love to add in manuka honey too - it’s the powerhouse of all honeys and has supercharged antimicrobial properties, meaning it’s incredible for helping bust a cold, or the flu.

Ingredients:
⅓ cup buckwheat groats (soaked overnight - this speeds up cooking time and helps with digestion)
⅓ cup of almond or milk of choice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp manuka/organic honey
1tsp almond butter
Handful of fruit - I like sliced banana or berries
Handful of nuts

Method:
Soak the buckwheat groats overnight. Drain and rinse. Pop them into a pan with ⅓ cup of milk over low heat, add in the cinnamon and simmer for 5 minutes or until it begins to thicken, stirring frequently. Once it reaches desired consistency, stir through the almond butter and honey, then serve in a bowl with fruit and nuts.

Immune supporting smoothie

Being in Scotland, we may not find ourselves craving smoothies in the middle of winter. However, if you are in the mood for something light, zingy and hydrating without the brain freeze, you’re in luck. According to Ayurveda (an ancient Eastern holistic healing system) the key is using room temperature ingredients, and warming spices which helps you to fight off the colder temperatures whilst getting your dose of veggies in.

Ingredients:
Handful of spinach
½ ripe frozen banana
1 small carrot
Unsweetened protein powder (Form is my favourite)
Hemp seeds
Minced fresh ginger
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Pinch of cracked black pepper
Optional: ¼ avocado

Method:
Blend together ingredients, add honey for optional sweetness or avocado for creaminess and a dose of good fats.

Five feel-good recipes to add into your cooking rotation