Four healthy breakfasts in the City

Artichokes are a super food in every sense of the word playing a significant role in lowering blood cholesterol levels, preventing heart disease and enhancing detoxification within the body. Throw in the heart healthy magnesium and zinc from the pumpkin seeds and the vitamin A, C & K from the kale, and this dish really delivers from a nutritional point of view.

I washed it down with a beetroot and apple juice combo adding in some great additional folic acid and iron for the blood whilst also adding in a significant helping of magnesium to boost energy and reduce muscle fatigue.

Not only did this breakfast tick all the nutrient boxes, it massively ticked the taste box: I am a bit of a meat fiend so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this veggie dish… it left me feeling light but full and satisfied. I would fully recommend it as a good switch up to your standard breakfast menu options.

Roast can get busy, especially on weekends, so I would suggest booking ahead to avoid disappointment.

For more info, roast-restaurant.com

The next destination on my quest to find the healthiest breakfast in The City saw me land at the newly refurbished The Happenstance. Set beneath the majestic dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral on Paternoster Square, this upmarket take on your 'City Local' had a great selection on the menu.

I went for the Egg White Omelette with ham, mushroom & spinach, served with gluten-free toast. High in protein and low in fat, this dish delivered on taste and macros with over 30 grams of protein, while also being high is niacin and zinc, both micronutrients essential for your immune and digestive systems.

I also had a Greek Yogurt with berries to compliment my omelette and add in some extra protein, probiotics and calcium. It was all washed down with a “detox” juice from the menu: spinach, kale, ginger and apple ensuring that I got a healthy dose of anti-oxidants and vitamins A, C and K to accompany the high-protein main!

Other notable options on the menu included the Quinoa Bowl with Eggs & Avocado and The Poached Eggs & Wild Mushrooms on Sourdough. For the “not so healthy choice”, the Buttermilk Chicken & Waffle with jalapenos and chilli syrup looked lush…

Happenstance is open in time for a pre-work breakfast Monday through Friday, or for a more leisurely occasion (with a more extensive menu) over the weekend. Booking is highly recommended, although walk-ins are usually seated quickly.

For more info visit, drakeandmorgan.co.uk

For those of you not in the know, Darwin Brasserie is situated up high on the 35th floor of the 'Walkie Talky' building near Monument, in what is The UK’s highest public garden space.

This not only provides an incredible setting, but the menu is pretty spectacular too: you can customise almost the entire selection, and a really comprehensive buffet is also available for those who like to graze on everything from a continental breakfast through to a pancake stack with Nutella and chopped banana.

I went for the Severn & Wye Smoked Salmon breakfast, served with poached eggs on toasted rye bread and accompanied by the Coconut-Quinoa Porridge with Manuka honey. This was all washed down with a 'Broccoli & The Beast' smoothie, made up from broccoli, spinach, celery and mango.

The smoked salmon is not only a great source of protein but is super high in DHA, EPA and Omega-3 fatty acids (perfect for lowering your risk of heart disease). Also the choice of rye bread is also a very healthy one: rye breads are made with a sourdough starter instead of yeast, and the type of fibre in the rye grain gives the bread a very low glycemic index. This means it will not spike your blood sugar or insulin levels and will stop that post-meal crash in energy.

Then there was the Coconut-Quinoa Porridge: the use of this superfood to replace the usual oats worked really well and also provides you with all 9 essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein and a fast track to recovery).

Wash all this down with a green smoothie giving you a mammoth serving of vitamin B1 and B6, as well as vitamins A, C, E & K, and you will be hard pressed to find a healthier breakfast in town. Booking is highly recommended, especially on weekends, but it is well worth the effort.

For more information, see https://skygarden.london/darwin

In my pursuit of the Healthiest Breakfast in The City, my next stop was a no brainer… When you think about a typical “fitness breakfast”, one of the first things that springs to mind is steak and eggs. And what better place to try this signature fitness dish than one of The City’s top steak joints, Hawksmoor?

This branch was located on Basinghall Street, just a stone's throw from The Guildhall, and really keeps this feel of heritage and tradition going in the décor and feel. Dark wood panels and comfy seats gives the impression that a lot of big money City deals have been sealed in this establishment, over a large chunk of red meat and a reassuringly expensive glass of red wine.

For my healthy breakfast, I went for the 200g fillet steak with poached eggs, homemade potato hash, asparagus, mushrooms… all finished off with a half a pink grapefruit and large green tea.

The steak was lean (and perfectly cooked), giving over 40grams of protein, with the asparagus providing an excellent source of folate, chromium and vitamins A, C and K. The potato hash provided a low calorie (your average potato only has 110 calories) and high fibre carbohydrate source, whereas the pink grapefruit helps boost your blood pressure and heart health by harnessing the powerful nutrient combo of potassium, lycopene and choline.

You wash all this down with a good cup of green tea (packed full of flavonoids and catechins for boosting fat loss), and you’ll definitely walk out feeling in a much better place than when you walked in.

Also, one of the best things about this menu is that it is completely customisable: you start with the bedrock of steak and eggs and then add what you want from the list of sides to build your ideal breakfast. This gives you the flexibility to tailor your meal to fit your health and fitness needs, building up from the delicious and high protein foundation of a solid steak and eggs breakfast, cooked just the way you like them.

Hawksmoor is a popular breakfast spot with City types so booking is recommended: thehawksmoor.com