Quinoa Porridge with Berries is a satisfying, nutritious, 100% whole-foods breakfast bowl recipe that’s perfect for weekly meal prep.
If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you probably know that Hemant and I do our best to follow Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen guide to eating. Among Greger’s 12 daily recommended foods are berries, whole grains, flax and 3 (that’s right—3!) servings of beans or legumes. I found myself regularly missing my servings of berries and legumes until I started eating this delicious and super nutritious Quinoa Porridge with Berries.
A breakfast bowl healthy enough to eat every day
First, quinoa is a complete protein that’s also high in fiber. It helps keep me full until lunchtime.
Second, berries (video) and flaxseed are among the healthiest foods we can eat. Which is why Dr. Greger recommends that we include them in our diets each and every day.
He also recommends a daily serving of beans or legumes. I’ll admit, I’ve struggled to get in a full 3 servings every day. So, I added some healthy lentils (video) to this recipe.
I chose black lentils because they’re small and firm, and kind of disappear in this breakfast bowl. I can’t say that the amount included here is a full serving (feel free to add more!) But it definitely makes it easier to squeeze more beans/legumes into my daily eating.
Frozen blueberries, tricolored quinoa, black lentils, walnuts, granola & cinnamon
Finally, this quinoa porridge can be made with 100% whole foods; no processed ingredients, including milk. Which is a pretty great way to start your day. Rather than cooking in milk, this porridge gets its moisture from the juice of the blueberries—or whatever berries you choose.
While plant milk isn’t necessarily unhealthy, it’s a processed food that we should eat in moderation. Personally, I tend to reserve my use of plant milk for my morning coffee or in the occasional Cacao Smoothie for dessert.
Rinse and cook the tricolored quinoa & black lentils together
How to make quinoa porridge
This quinoa porridge with berries could not be simpler to make. You simply rinse and cook up your quinoa and lentils together, which takes about 20 minutes. If you like, you can even cook this quinoa porridge in your rice cooker rather than on the stove.
Note: I’ve yet to make this in my Instant Pot, but when I do, I’ll update this post with the instructions.
When the quinoa and lentils are done, you simply add frozen berries and heat to warm through. The juice from the berries adds moisture to the bowl, or if you’re a traditionalist, you can add a splash of plant milk for creaminess.
Then, simply add your stir-ins and toppings of choice. I always add flax, cinnamon and a little granola for texture. Some days, I’ll include chopped walnuts or almond butter, and once in awhile, a bit of shredded coconut for a tasty change of pace. But really, you can add whatever you like!
Blueberry juices give the quinoa & lentils a lovely purple color
Quinoa Porridge Meal Prep
This quinoa porridge with berries is the perfect healthy, whole food plant-based meal prep recipe. That’s because it’s so quick and easy to make a big batch of quinoa and lentils in advance.
Plus, the quinoa/lentils mixture lasts up to 7 days in the fridge, so you can make an entire week’s worth of breakfasts ahead of time. (I can’t say the same for oatmeal!) Just reheat your quinoa porridge one serving at a time.
Note: This recipe makes 10 servings—enough for 2 people to have breakfast for 5 days. But feel free to adjust the quantities for your family.
I recommend frozen berries for meal prep recipes like this. Berries can be expensive, so I like to buy large bags of frozen berries at Costco (discount warehouse store) and use them as I need them. However, if you want to make up all of your servings a week in advance, the berries should keep in the fridge for up to 1 week as well. Don’t thaw them first—just add them frozen to your quinoa/lentils mixture to help them stay fresh longer.
It couldn’t be easier to wake up each morning to this satisfying and nutritious, quinoa porridge berry breakfast bowl.
If you like this healthy, whole foods plant-based recipe, you might also like:
- No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites
- Apple Cinnamon French Toast
- What Vegans Eat for Breakfast (recipe collection)
- Simple Green Smoothie with Ginger
- Hot Pink Raspberry Smoothie
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Quinoa Porridge with Berries
Equipment
- Stove or Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 5 cups frozen blueberries or sub berries of choice
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa I used tricolored quinoa
- 1/2 cup black (beluga) lentils omit if desired, and use 2 cups of quinoa
- 4 cups water
Optional stir-ins & toppings (per serving)
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed (highly recommeded if you're following the Daily Dozen)
- splash of plant milk if desired, for creaminess
- 1/8 cup granola vegan, oil & refined sugar free
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts or sub other nuts/seeds or nut/seed butter
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1-2 teaspoons shredded coconut
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa and lentils together in a fine mesh colander. Remove any foreign particles.
- In a large pot over high heat, bring the 4 cups of water, quinoa and lentils to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently, covered, about 20 minutes or until cooked. (A gentle simmer is key to making sure the quinoa and lentils remain firm and intact. You can also complete this step in a rice cooker.)
- Place the quinoa/lentil mixture in an airtight container (or 10 individual containers, see notes) and store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- To serve, combine 1/2 cup of the quinoa/lentil mixture with 1/2 cup of frozen berries and warm in the microwave or on the stovetop. I like to heat mine just long enough so that the berries release some of their juices, about 1 minute on high in the microwave.
Notes
- Quinoa and lentils keep for 1 week in the refrigerator, or 3 months in the freezer.
I like to add my berries just before eating to keep them as fresh as possible. But if you prefer to do all of your meal prep in advance, you can add the berries to the quinoa/lentil mixture and store it together in the fridge for about 1 week. - You can use any berries for this porridge (or other fruit, for that matter). I like blueberries because they give off so much juice, which makes the porridge nice and moist. Plus, they require no chopping!
- Fresh fruit works here too, but I like to buy large bags of frozen organic fruit at a discount store to save money. Also, freezing and thawing just before eating retains nutrients.
- This quinoa porridge is a great way to work in daily servings of key ingredients in a healthy plant-based diet: berries, lentils, flax, nuts, turmeric/spices, etc.
Would any other lentils work for this recipe?
Hi Mel, other lentils will work as long as they’re a firmer variety (red lentils for example would probably be too mushy) and they cook in about the same amount of time as the quinoa. Good luck!