It’s delectable, it’s beautiful, it’s healthy. They call it brekkie. Yep, the Australians have even nicknamed the best meal of the day, it’s that good. The trend hasn’t just stayed in Australia, though. Trendy cafés from Amsterdam to NYC have adopted the superfood-y brekkie idea, and for good reason. Avocado toast (“avo smash” as they say), smoothie bowls, yogurt and granola, and always good coffee… The best way to start the day.
Why should we eat like the Aussies, you ask? Just look.
Here’s my ultimate spread NYC’s Bluestone Lane, the Mecca for Australia-inspired breakfast: (the mimosa was necessary).
It’s clear why we should all adopt the Aussie method for the most important meal of the day over here. Full of fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, proteins and superfoods — it’s about as healthy as you can get. Not to mention on-point café decor and aesthetically-pleasing food presentation. Highly Instagrammable.
Let me just show you exactly what you’d be eating in the land down-under, over here.
Avocado Toast
This is a staple. You can get it at any of these Aussie-inspired cafés, or easily make your own! Probably gluten free, with a fried egg and tomatoes on top is signature. Avo toast provides healthy fats, protein, and vegetables that will keep your energy levels running high and smooth throughout the day. This one has certainly made its way around social media. My favorite is from Two Hands, another highly-Instagrammed NYC café. It consisted of perfectly toasted bread, a healthy dose of creamy avocado, topped with buttery scrambled eggs. The chili flakes are signature, and add subtle spice. Unreal.
Smoothie Bowls
Green or Açaí, they’re everywhere. I’ve had green at Bluestone, and açaí at Two Hands. Both topped with copious amounts of coconut, fruit, nuts and seeds, of course. This one is obviously re-creatable at home, like I’ve done. Starting your day with a cold bowl of goodness and health is definitely the Aussie way.
Dairy-Free Cappuccinos
You can’t expect to have the complete breakfast experience without good coffee. And none of that watery crap. Again at Bluestone, I adored their cappuccino made with almond milk. And for some reason, at every café, the coffee all come in the same cute, teal mugs and saucers. Must be a cult thing. If you’re not a coffee person, most cafés will have tons of other options including matcha lattes, juice, chai and herbal teas.
Yogurt, Chia or Granola Bowls
The bowl trend will never die, in my opinion. The Aussies love a bowl full of chia-seed pudding, natural, plain yogurt, or even dairy-free coconut yogurt. That’s not it, though. They top it off with granola, muesli, berries, etc. I’ve recreated this one with chia-seed pudding and tons of coconut yogurt, berries and almond butter.
Spiced-Up Traditional Breakfasts
The Aussies have clearly created their own breakfast staples, but they’ve also taken staple breakfast options from around the world and healthy-ed them up. I found what would become without a doubt, the best breakfast, sorry, brekkie, I’ve ever had at the (actually Kiwi-inspired) best café in Amsterdam, Bakers & Roasters. My friend had a take on the traditional English breakfast and I had a sweet potato and chorizo hash with fried eggs on top. Not your typical full breakfast or potato hash.
Ultimately, one of my favorite aspects of the Australian brekkie scene is the personal experience it provides. While it’s impossible to completely bring the laid-back vibe of Australia to the hustle and bustle of New York, this trend is definitely making an impact on how people treat breakfast. Whether it’s taking time to enjoy brunch at the café, or getting excited to recreate Aussie favorites in the kitchen, breakfast is a thing. The aim of the Australian inspired café scene is to make eating breakfast an experience to be savored, not rushed. Allowing people to enjoy high quality coffee and tasty, healthy food with good friends, all at the same time, is the goal of these cafés, and at least from the food perspective, they’re doing a good job at it.
If these beautiful creations, and how healthy they are, haven’t convinced you to drop your habit of sugary cereal, empty-carb pancakes, bland toast for breakfast, I’m not sure what will. But the Aussie Brekkie leaves me wanting nothing else these days.