Whole Grains for Breakfast {Chai Spiced Quinoa Porridge Recipe}

Chai Spiced Quinoa PorridgeOn cold winter mornings, there's nothing like a hot bowl of whole grain porridge to start the day off right.  Whole grains take longer to digest and they release their sugars slowly, so they make you feel satisfied longer.

Research has shown that whole grains reduce the risk of heart disease, and may also lower the risk of diabetes and cancer.

My standard breakfast whole grain is oatmeal, mixed with agave nectar, cinnamon and almond milk, and topped with berries and nuts.  However, there are so many other grains available that can easily be adapted for breakfast.

Other whole grains such as quinoa, millet, wheat berries, amaranth or brown rice can easily be substituted for oatmeal, and make breakfast that much more interesting as they all have different textures and consistencies.

I came up with this Chai Spiced Quinoa recipe because I love the warm spices in chai tea. Topping this hot breakfast cereal with fresh berries and walnuts makes this breakfast cereal fun to eat and adds a burst of extra nutritional value.

Chai Spiced Quinoa PorridgeQuinoa Porridge
Juice from 1 clementine
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
1 cinnamon stick
3 green cardamon pods
3 whole cloves
2 black peppercorns
1 slice ginger, peeled

Toppings
toasted walnuts
blueberries
honey, maple syrup or agave syrup
almond milk

To make Quinoa Porridge, place clementine juice, water, quinoa, cinnamon stick, cardamon pods, whole cloves, peppercorns and ginger in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve with toasted walnuts, blueberries, honey, and almond milk.

Serves 4.

More Whole Grain Breakfast Ideas:
Steel Cut Oatmeal with Blueberry Compote from Jeanette's Healthy Living
Warm Red Quinoa with Fresh Berries and Toasted Pecans from Jeanette's Healthy Living
Turkey Congee from Jeanette's Healthy Living
Apple Spice Oats and Cherry Pie Oats from FatFree Vegan
Breakfast Millet with Prunes by Healthy Green Kitchen
Wheat Berry Breakfast Bowl by 101 Cookbooks
Cherry Vanilla Amaranth Breakfast Porridge from Natural Solutions