High Protein “Cheesy” Breakfast Porridge (vegan, low carb, low fodmap, gluten free)

Since giving intermittent fasting a little break, I’ve been looking for new breakfast options that are not only vegan and low-FODMAP, but are also gluten free, nut free and soy free. If you’re thinking, “man, going out to eat must be next to impossible,” you would not be wrong. There are a lot of salads. Anyway, I’ve been trying to come up with variations on breakfast scrambles that are low carb high fat, because LCHF is kind of my (sugar-free) jam, and in the process, I accidentally made this high protein “cheesy” breakfast porridge. It’s so delicious, I thought the world needed to know!

Right out of the gate, I’m going to reveal the star of the show, and that’s lupini beans. I found these bad boys at the grocery store in snack form, and then was tipped off by a friend on instagram the the fact that they can be found in the Italian imports section of most grocery stores.

These beans are a revelation. Not only are they super low in carbs (and thus, low in sugar and low FODMAP), but they’re also high in protein. Beans are an important part of a vegan diet, as they’re rich in lysine, which is difficult to obtain otherwise. The problem with a lot of beans on a low-FODMAP diet is that they can often be digestive irritants, and exacerbate IBS. While I notice symptoms of digestive upset when eating too many chickpeas, or any amount of beans like black beans, this has not occurred with the lupini beans. Yay!

I’m also excited that this recipe is soy free. While I don’t really see a problem with occasional soy consumption in most normal populations, it’s definitely not something I want to eat too often, especially as I find it irritates my digestive system, and is less than ideal. It can sometimes be a challenge getting enough protein if you’re soy free and gluten free with nut allergies, at least without getting bored of the same foods.

Notes on Making High Protein “Cheesy” Breakfast Porridge

• While you could definitely make this recipe with chickpeas, I’m not sure it would work with other types of beans.
• You’re going to want to be fairly diligent about stirring this, so it doesn’t burn on the bottom!
• Take this off the heat when it’s slightly less firm than you’d like, as it will thicken up more as it cools.
• If you aren’t worried about FODMAPs, and are just looking for a high protein low carb vegan breakfast, you could definitely add some garlic to this!
• The texture of this is like a soft polenta, or a thicker cream of wheat. Basically, you can control how thick this ends up being by how long you stir it on the stove!
• If you just want to make one serving, you could definitely halve this recipe. I didn’t because my blender doesn’t love smaller quantities of things, and requires at least a cup and a half of liquid to actually work properly.