What is the typical Ikaria diet breakfast and how can you adapt it to your lifestyle regardless of where you live? Typical Ikaria diet breakfast options will help you start your day right with easy choices that are delicious and nutritious.
In the Blue Zone Greek island of Ikaria, breakfast tends to be light but nutritious. It is considered an essential part of the day, but it’s not usually a cooked meal of, say, eggs. Nonetheless, it’s usually nutrient-dense and a great way to kickstart your metabolism and support overall health.
Ikaria Diet Breakfast is Simple
In Ikaria, a longevity breakfast can sometimes be as simple as a spoonful of extra virgin Greek olive oil or honey every morning. Or it can be a hot sage, mountain, or other herbal tea, with a clove of garlic inside, something older Ikarians jokingly call “Ikarian penicillin.”
Ikaria Breakfast Quaffs
The Ikaria diet emphasizes whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and olive oil. The most traditional Ikaria diet breakfast drink is a glass of fresh goat’s milk, especially for kids. Adults more commonly sip a cup of some herbal infusion, like the ones mentioned above, or a demitasse of Greek coffee, which has also been found to enhance longevity.
Typical Ikaria Diet Breakfast Foods
Ikaria breakfast foods might include some whole grain rusks, a bit of goat’s milk cheese or feta, and Greek olives, or some rusks topped with a spoonful of the island’s renowned honey. But there are lots of other typical options, too, such as fresh season fruits, whole grain bread, and, of course, Greek yogurt topped with nuts or seeds. Trahana, an ancient grain product, which you can find here in my e-shop, is another great Ikaria breakfast option, cooked into a porridge and served with a little olive oil and a sprinkling of feta or goat’s milk cheese, or even a drizzling of Ikarian honey.
The Ikaria Way Breakfast Anywhere
You don’t have to live on the island to eat the Ikaria way. There is also a whole bevy of delicious, healthy breakfast options that you make in the spirit of Ikaria, by using ingredients such as nut butters, tahini, good Greek yogurt, chia and other seeds, and more. Even a healthy smoothie made with the right ingredients could easily fit into the spirit of an Ikaria breakfast.
The important thing is to A) actually eat breakfast and B) eat a healthy one that doesn’t rely on sugary cereals or sugar-packed yogurts or other foods. By incorporating nutritious foods into your morning routine, you’ll be partaking in the act of self care, fueling your body for a great day ahead while enjoying the benefits of the Ikarian lifestyle, wherever you are!
