This amazing guest post was written by Jenni + Mimi, Registered Holistic Nutritionists and founders of The Naughty Nutritionists! Download your FREE copy of the “Metabolism Reset Guide” … for 10 easy steps to reset your body for optimal energy, sustained weight loss and an amazing summer season! Download here!
The Naughty Nutritionists’ Fat Burning Chipotle Breakfast Burrito Recipe
Ode to the breakfast burrito. Whoever said- let’s wrap our breakfast up in a warm tortilla hug- was a genius.
Actually, a Mexican café in Santa Fe, New Mexico, claims to have invented the breakfast burrito [1] and traditionally served it with bacon, potatoes and chilli/cheese sauces. Since then, it has turned into a culture (like poutine or burger culture) with the general question of: what the heck can we stuff in our breakfast burrito? And usually the answer boils down to ingredients that are void of nutrients and expand the waistline: cheese, bacon, sour cream, ground beef, and processed, refined white flour tortillas…. you know, all that delicious stuff we call food.
FUN FACT– What North Americans consider burritos aren’t as popular of food in Mexico. Rather, tacos, which are usually served in a much healthier fashion are much more popular. A Mexican taco is usually prepared with fresh pressed corn tortillas, simple and fresh made ingredients.
As Nutritionists, we are in a little bit of a predicament. While we definitely consider the breakfast burrito to be delicious, we don’t look at it as a very nutritious meal option. That’s why it becomes our duty to take it, twist it, and make it much healthier for you, all the while preserving taste. Because who wouldn’t want to consume a breakfast burrito that helps you lose weight and still tastes amazing?
Stick with us, because we are going to break down the nitty gritty of the breakfast burrito recipe and set you up with an amazing recipe that is going to keep you feeling full long after you’ve consumed it. Something that has a wonderful nutritional profile, and is still light enough that you can walk away completely satisfied without the weighed down after effect.
The ideal, lovely little breakfast burrito contains complex carbs, plant-based protein, healthy fats and some veggies for antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. And sorry to say we gotta ditch the meat, cream and processed foods, but that’s okay, because after one bite of The Naughty Nutritionists’ Fat Burning Chipotle Breakfast Burrito you will be hooked.
Fat-Burning Breakfast Burrito Recipe: the Building Blocks
Start with the tortilla:
Your basic white flour tortilla wrap is no bueno for your health. It’s usually made with enriched flour (meaning the grain fibers have been stripped essentially leaving you with sugar), processed oils and more sugar, these ingredients alone aren’t the best for you, but what really stands out is how many preservatives, additives, shelf stabilizers and chemicals are added to most basic store bought tortilla wraps. Unless your breakfast burrito wrap is homemade, this choice is usually not the best one. You even have to be careful of many gluten free brands out there, as they pack just as many additives and chemicals as a classic white flour wrap.
Luckily for you, we have done some digging and came up with the best gluten free wraps and brands out there, to ensure your burrito is being tucked tightly with the best of the best.
Food for life- Brown Rice Tortilla wraps:
This is a pre-packaged wrap (by the same company that makes Ezekiel bread) that contains ONLY 7 ingredients, and hey, we understand what each and every one of them is. FYI Dempster’s white flour tortilla wraps have 21 ingredients. Being made with brown rice (as the #1 ingredient) means that the fiber of the whole grain remains allowing for this wrap to stabilize your blood sugars. Brown rice is also high in protein, and the combination of fiber and protein will keep you feeling full for much longer. You can also give these Exotic Black Rice Wraps a try.
Siete Foods- Almond Flour Tortillas
These grain-free tortillas are completely free from preservatives and are made with only real food ingredients. They only have 5 ingredients including almond flour, which makes them high in healthy fats, fiber and protein. They are also perfect for anyone following a Paleo diet.
Raw Wraps- Spinach
Made with superfood fruits and veggies, these are the ultimate healthy wrap, if you’re up for the challenge! The simple ingredients of these wraps include nothing but apple, spinach, onion, quinoa, coconut nectar and psyllium husk which make them a wonderful alternative to the nutrient avoid white flour tortilla.
And if you can tolerate gluten, these Sprouted Grain Ezekiel Tortillas are great.
And there are always things to consider when hunting for wraps:
What to look for: Whole grains, easy to read ingredients, a short list of ingredients, protein and fiber.
What to avoid: A lot of different types of sugars or starches (many gluten free brands use them), long list of ingredients and ingredients you don’t understand.
Protein:
Protein, along with fiber is of utmost importance when eating breakfast because this is the meal that is supposed to kick-start your day. A lot of traditional breakfast burritos use bacon or ground meats as protein and filler, but these meats are often high in nitrates [2], inflammatory properties and LDL cholesterol, all of which contribute to heart disease and high cholesterol. If you are only consuming a little bacon here, and a little bit of ground beef there, that is one thing. But think about what is in your daily diet. If you are eating meat 3x a day and have red meat more than once a week, choosing meals that are meat-free will end up being quite beneficial for your health.
Our breakfast burrito recipe replaces the meat and uses plant-based and vegetarian proteins such as black beans and eggs (or sprouted tofu for vegan version). Eggs, especially yolks are very nutrient dense and have little effect on cholesterol levels, making them beneficial for your cardiovascular system. Black beans are incredibly high in fiber, which helps stabilize blood sugar and assist with detoxification, hopefully getting your day set up on the right track.
Healthy fats:
Adding healthy fats to your burrito is going to help with satiety, energy, keep you focused and is incredibly beneficial for your heart. Avocado is such a wonderful food. You can dress it up by adding flavors, or dress it down and just keep it as is. It enhances food with a natural creaminess and is incredibly beneficial for your health. Avocados are loaded with potassium, oleic acid (which has been shown to reduce inflammation) [3], and are incredibly high in fiber. Believe it or not, avocados can even help with the digestibility of the other nutrients that you are consuming in that meal. So not only are they healthy for you, they make other foods healthier for you! Win-win.
Veggies and complex carbs:
We like to add sweet potato and sprouts to our breakfast burritos but feel free to design your burrito your own way. Sweet potato is a complex carb, known to balance blood sugar and keep you feeling full, while sprouts are incredibly high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They possess their own set of enzymes that help you break down food, making your meal just a tad bit easier to digest.
Salsa or tomatoes are a necessary component to breakfast burrito building, make a pico de gallo yourself, plain tomatoes with a pinch of sea salt, or even go store bought- but make sure you are getting a salsa that is made with whole foods and ingredients you recognize.
If you’re a cilantro lover, make sure you load it up! Cilantro AKA coriander has an amazing nutritional profile. It’s high in phytonutrients and has antibacterial and antibiotic properties [4]. It’s a unique taste and some don’t enjoy it, so if cilantro is not for you, just omit it from the recipe.
Cheese & Cream please:
Cheese isn’t a necessary component, but some people need a little bit of cheese in their lives. Whether it is what you are used to or what your taste palette craves, sometimes cheese is a must. Opt for goat cheese or feta as they are a healthier option and easier for your body to digest, and if you can go organic. If you want to skip the cheese and add full-fat Greek yoghurt, it’s another vegetarian protein option that gives your burrito a rich creaminess that will make your mouth water. Just try to minimize the dairy content, and know this recipe tastes great without it.
Fat Burning Chipotle Breakfast Burrito Recipe (vegan option available):
Ingredients:
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1 large gluten-free brown rice wrap* look above for wrap suggestions
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1 small sweet potato, diced
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1/2 tablespoon chilli powder
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1 tablespoon cooking oil of choice- coconut, avocado, ghee, butter
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2 eggs, scrambled OR scrambled tofu/ smoked tempeh for vegan option
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Pico de gallo OR salsa OR 1 diced tomato
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3 shallots, sliced
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Handful of greens/sprouts
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Black bean spread*
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Vegan chipotle sauce*
Optional add-ins:
Full-fat Greek yogurt/ coconut yogurt, shredded goat cheese, sautéed spinach and/or brown rice.
*Black bean spread:
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1 can black beans/ 1.5 cups cooked black beans (set liquid from can aside)
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1/4 cup cilantro
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1 heaped tablespoon cooked shallots
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1-2 garlic clove
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1/2 teaspoon chili powder
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1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
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2 tablespoon olive oil
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salt pepper to season
*Vegan Chipotle cream sauce:
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1.5 cup raw cashews soaked a couple hours/ overnight
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1 Chipotle peppers from chipotle peppers in adobo
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4 tablespoon Nutritional yeast
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1 lemon, juiced
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1-2 garlic clove
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1/4 cup water
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Salt pepper
Directions:
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Preheat oven 425.
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Toss sweet potato in oil and 1/2 Tbsp chilli powder, salt and pepper, place spaced out on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
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Meanwhile, prep black bean dip and chipotle sauce:
Place all the chipotle sauce ingredients (except for water) in a high-powered blender and pulse, slowly adding water a couple of tablespoons at a time until it makes a sauce like consistency. When enough water is in there, blend the ingredients until smooth and creamy.
The black bean sauce can be prepared the same way or in a food processor. Blend all the ingredients until a thick ‘dip’ forms. Slowly add the liquid from the bean can if it is too thick.
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Heat skillet medium, drizzle oil and sauté onion approximately 10 minutes until thoroughly cooked, set aside.
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Scramble the eggs, pour over a skillet, let cook about 2 minutes until bubble and move them around in figure 8 motion until scrambled/ thoroughly cooked, remove from heat.
Prepare burrito wrap:
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Place the wrap on a clean surface. Spoon a thick layer of black bean spread, followed by greens/sprouts, a couple of slices of avocado, chopped tomatoes, caramelized shallots, eggs, and a drizzle of chipotle sauce, if adding some cheese or Greek yogurt go ahead (just a small amount of each will do fine).
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Take one end of the burrito and fold over the ingredients, lightly tucking the edge under your pile of ingredients. Then fold the bottom up and the top down, followed by the other side, roll tightly.
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If you have a Panini press, this wrap would taste delicious lightly pressed. Alternatively, you could sprinkle some cheese/ oil and garlic sauce, on top and broil for 2 minutes.
The post Fat-Burning Breakfast Burrito Recipe (With a Vegan Option) appeared first on The Hearty Soul.