Healthy Brunch Ideas Your Mom Will Love This Mother’s Day
Need to whip up a fantastic Mother’s Day brunch but do it in a way that supports gut health and hormone balance? It’s absolutely possible to create delicious comfort foods to celebrate mom without feeling like you need to recover from a weekend sugar binge.
I’ll share with you four family-friendly recipes (plus one bonus mocktail!) that will impress moms everywhere, plus provide the added benefits of holistic, natural wellness for all the women at your table.
Why opt for healthier brunch items?
No one wants to feel like they’re missing out on their favorite comfort foods, even if it means you’ll likely feel better afterwards. But with benefits like these, it makes it a lot easier not to give in to temptation. Plus, with these recipes, you’ll satisfy your every craving without feeling deprived!
Cleanse Your Gut
Packed with ingredients like buckwheat, and coconut oil, which support “gut-friendly” bacteria and work to fight Candida overgrowth. Plus, you’ll find beneficial fiber and other phytonutrients that support the health of your digestive system overall.
Most of these recipes are also low in sugar, so you don’t need to expect a sugar crash an hour after eating.
Detox Your Liver
Greens, like arugula, spinach, and cilantro contain beneficial phytonutrients that support liver detox, as well as provide beneficial vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals (1,2). Eating more of these foods can naturally boost phase II detox function, which occurs in the liver, and rids your body of metabolic waste and unwanted environmental toxins.
Balance Hormones
Brunch recipes are a great way to balance hormones because they’re naturally high in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that help your body produce healthy hormones.
Egg yolks, for example, are packed with vitamin D and choline, two micronutrients that are essential for healthy hormone production. Healthy fats from egg yolks, avocado, and coconut oil provide the building blocks your adrenal glands need to make hormones such as progesterone and estrogen. These hormones help keep your menstrual cycle regular and support fertility.
Gluten-Free Buckwheat Crepes
Despite the word “wheat” in its name, buckwheat is a naturally gluten-free grain that has high levels of fiber and is a great source of plant-based protein. These crepes are a delicious addition to your Mother’s Day brunch–especially for those who like their breakfast on the sweeter side!
This recipe is great for a small group or a girls’ brunch.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil for the batter + a little for cooking the crepes
- 6 eggs
- 1 ¼ cup buckwheat flour
- ½ teaspoon stevia (optional, this is a good brand)
- pinch of unrefined sea salt
- strawberries and coconut cream or yogurt for serving
Directions:
Blend the ingredients–minus the strawberries and cream–in a blender until well mixed. Heat a 7-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat (any larger and the crepes will be hard to flip). Add a small amount of coconut oil to the pan to prepare it for your first crepe. Ladle ⅓ cup of batter (about a scant ladle full) into the skillet and swirl the ladle to spread the batter until it covers the bottom of the pan and starts to set.
Allow it to cook for 45 seconds to a minute, then flip and cook for another 15-30 seconds.
Repeat until your batter is done. You can swirl the batter in the blender from time to time to keep the flour from settling.
If your crepes begin to stick, add some more coconut oil in between the crepes. The heat may need to be adjusted occasionally as the pan will get increasingly hot throughout the cooking.
Serve the crepes with strawberries and cream or plain yogurt sweetened with a little stevia (approximately ¼ teaspoon powdered stevia – the equivalent of ½ teaspoon sugar – per ¼ cup cream or yogurt)
Waffle Breakfast Sandwich
These creative breakfast sandwiches are the perfect kid-friendly brunch idea. If you have time, and are more experienced in the kitchen, you can make your own waffles from scratch. But if you have young kids or need a super easy (but super fun) brunch idea, then I like to opt for organic, gluten-free waffles from the freezer section in my grocery store.
These sandwiches are ultra customizable, allowing for picky eaters to get exactly what they want without too much fuss. I’ll give you some ideas for how to build your breakfast waffle, and the assembly is all up to you!
I love to have gluten-free waffles on hand for a great last-minute snack spread with a little almond butter, or for a complete, crowd-pleasing brunch.
To build your breakfast waffle, you can use any of the following:
- Eggs
- Tomato
- Onion
- Arugula
- Broccoli or alfalfa sprouts
- Chipotle mayo
- Avocado
- Cheese (gouda, or other mild options)
- Dairy-free cheese
- Pastured sausage or bacon, or turkey bacon
- Organic tofu, seasoned and sauteed
Once you know what you want on your brunch waffle, stack your bottom waffle on a plate, build your ingredients beginning with your proteins and cheese (if using), and top with your veggies. Place a second waffle on top of your sandwich, and enjoy!
Berry Baked Oatmeal
Baked oatmeal is the ultimate in warm, comfort food. The recipe is great if you’re feeding a crowd, or if you like oatmeal, berries, and nuts together!
This recipe can be made vegan by substituting the egg for a flax egg, or by omitting it altogether. Baked oatmeal can also be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes prior to serving.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups gluten-free, organic rolled old-fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (sea salt or himalayan)
- 2 cups milk (sub vanilla non-dairy milk if you prefer)
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg (or 1 flax egg)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ripe bananas, sliced OR ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 ½ cups of desired mix-ins (walnuts, almond, pecans, blueberries, blackberries, etc.)
Preheat the oven to 375° F and coat an 8×8 inch square baking dish with coconut oil.
In a large bowl,combine the oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
In a medium bowl, mix the milk, sugar, egg or flax (if using), coconut oil, vanilla and mashed bananas. Add your wet ingredients to your dry and stir to combine. Fold in any desired mix-ins.
Pour your batter into the prepared baking dish, and scatter any remaining mix-ins across the top.
Bake at 375° F for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving. You can add cream or maple syrup for an added flavor.
Skillet Eggs with Veggies
What’s the best thing you could do for mom this mother’s day? Fuel her body with healthy protein, fats, and essential vitamins that will keep her looking and feeling her best.
Arugula and spinach are two foods that support liver detox, which helps cleanse your gut of unwanted waste and toxins. Plus, the high protein content of this brunch recipe means it will keep your appetite satisfied for hours while providing the building blocks for healthy cells and DNA repair.
This is the perfect and most nutrient-dense savory breakfast option, plus it’s a great way to use any leftovers you don’t want to go to waste in your fridge.
Ingredients:
- 8 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon pastured butter or ghee
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium bell pepper, diced
- Handful of arugula
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Red pepper flakes
Garnish with avocado, cilantro, salsa, or other condiment of choice.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat an 8 inch cast iron skillet on medium heat. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, and spices, and set aside. Add butter and garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant. Then, add mushrooms, bell pepper, and any other desired veggies. Saute vegetables until mushrooms are cooked and bell pepper is softened, about 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Carefully pour your egg mixture over the veggies into the cast-iron skillet. You can stir the mixture gently to ensure the vegetables are evenly distributed. Baked for 20 to 25 minutes or until the eggs appear cooked, but the middle jiggles slightly when you gently shake the pan.
Let cool before serving, and garnish with your desired ingredients.
Fresh Ginger Mocktail with Mint
What would a Mother’s Day brunch be without a festive drink to celebrate your fabulous mom?
There’s no better time to feel a little fancy than on Mother’s Day–but this mocktail brings form and function to your table with anti-inflammatory and allergy-fighting properties.
This mocktail is made with a fresh ginger concentrate, which has been shown to be helpful in fighting allergy symptoms which are rampant this time of year. One 2016 study showed ginger suppressed production of certain inflammatory cytokines that activate mast cells, thereby leading to “prevention and alleviation of allergic rhinitis symptoms.” (3) And since springtime Mother’s Day gatherings are right in the middle of allergy season, ginger mocktails are the perfect choice to enjoy a drink with some amazing health benefits.
For the Ginger Concentrate you’ll need:
- 10 ounces fresh ginger
- 2 cups filtered water, divided
- ½ cup granulated sugar, to taste*
- ½ to 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste
- Tools: Blender, fine mesh strainer or sieve
For the mocktail:
- 2 ounces ginger concentrate, or to taste
- lime juice, optional, to taste
- club soda
- Sprig of mint, for garnish
Directions:
Wash and scrub ginger to remove any dirt. You do not have to peel the ginger for this recipe. Cut into approximately 1 inch pieces.
In a small pan on the stove top, heat 1 cup of water and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Add ginger pieces and remaining 1 cup of water to a blender. Blend until smooth and no large chunks remain.
Over a cup or container, strain ginger mixture through a fine mesh sieve, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. **Don’t discard the liquid, this is the base of your ginger concentrate. Return the leftover pulp to the blender along with the sugar and water mixture, and blend again until smooth. Strain through a mesh strainer or sieve again, making sure to extract as much liquid as possible. Add lime juice to your concentrate, adjusting to your taste.
Ginger concentrate will keep, refrigerated in a bottle or other airtight container for up to 30 days. Shake well before using the ginger settles.
To assemble the Ginger Mocktail:
Add ginger concentrate, club soda, and additional lime juice (if desired) to a cold copper mug with ice. Stir to combine. Top with a sprig of mint for garnish. Serve very cold.
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