This bowl of gluten-free granola, pistachios, sliced cherries, coconut flakes and Greek yogurt fits with the trend of nutrient-rich breakfasts.
BARRY & KIRN
The advent of breakfast on-the-go has opened up opportunities for restaurants and cafés to create adventurous new options heavy on whole grains, proteins and even veggies, for people looking to go beyond coffee and a muffin.
Yet, as far as meals go, breakfast tends to be the quickest, most affordable and easiest to prepare. "Breakfast is, from a talent perspective, an approachable meal," Charlebois says. "You don't need a PhD in culinary arts."
Although cold cereal may be losing its lustre, porridge is making a comeback with younger generations embracing a wider variety of whole grains as well as the same steel-cut oatmeal that was a breakfast staple for their parents and grandparents. It can be made quickly at home, or ordered as a mainstream take-out option. Topped with berries, nuts and seeds, it bridges the gap between old-school porridge and the current millennial love of food in bowls (think Buddha bowls, grain bowls, poke bowls and even smoothie bowls).
A customizable oatmeal bowl has been a staple on the menu at Good Earth Coffeehouse for almost a decade, and the Calgary-based chain recently expanded its morning offerings to include savoury bowls with scrambled eggs, hash browns and even roasted vegetables topped with bold hits of house-made pesto and tapenade.
"People are getting more adventurous with what they're looking for," says Kari Ginakos, corporate chef at Good Earth. "They want flavours that aren't necessarily predictable, but they want them in something that's familiar. They're willing to be a little more adventurous, but don't want to go too far."
The most popular menu item at the chain's 40-plus locations is a breakfast panini, a portable egg-based sandwich that customers are buying not only in the morning, but at lunch and dinnertime too. "People still want that big breakfast, but they don't want to have eggs, bacon and toast, separated on a plate, as a sit-down meal," Ginakos says. "They want to get it on the go, to get it when they want it, but also get all the components in one."