Skip to main content

Snowdon House bread mixJoannWay.com

Okay, that's quite enough eggnog: Maybe, in these early days of 2017, you've vowed to adopt some better dining habits, to eat healthier, eat healthy-like, eat healthy-ish.

You could ingest seaweed (touted as a food trend) or perhaps some crickets (same), but neither of those seems particularly inspiring for first thing in the morning.

If you'd like to get your day off to a better start with homegrown ingredients put together at home, the three Canadian companies below offer warm breakfast options that take very little work.

Because more of that probably isn't on your list of goals for the year.

West Coast Bread Mix, $7, snowdonhouse.ca

In 2009, Snowdon House founder Laura Waters purchased a small four-acre farm in North Saanich, B.C. Her intention was to turn her love of cooking, gardening and art into a small business.

She also planted 1,600 Douglas fir trees with the goal of starting a Christmas-tree farm. After learning that local First Nations traditionally used Douglas fir tips in tea, Waters researched other uses for her trees.

The result is this line of unique food products that are infused with the fir tips and their notes of pepper, lemon and floral aromas.

This simple beer (or soda) bread mix is made with juniper and Douglas fir and requires the least amount of effort possible for a freshly baked loaf of bread. Simply mix your choice of liquid with the contents of the envelope and bake.

Not sure you want trees in your bread? Snowdon House also produces a variety of other easy mixes such as chive and chili, cranberry and ginger and dill and lemon.

Ancient Grain Pancake Mix, $7.99, grainstorm.com

Founder David Zivot started this Toronto-based label to share his love of organic heritage and ancient grains. He uses the term "heritage baking" to describe the line, which is made up of mixes of freshly milled and stone-ground grains with an earthy, wholesome and not-too-sweet flavour.

The company promises that its mixes produce better results than scratch baking with less work, as well as 50-per-cent to 70-per-cent less sugar than most muffin, pancake and cookie mixes. Doubling as a pancake or waffle batter, this one is made with organic Canadian grains that include spelt from Southern Ontario and kamut and oats from the Prairies.

Rocket Box Oatmeal, $69.99/month, rocket-foods.com

For the ultimate in healthy breakfast convenience, get a monthly Rocket Box right at your door. Victoria-based founder Jas Singh is allergic to almost everything under the sun and set out to create healthy food that wouldn't trigger any of his issues.

As such, the oatmeals are free from the top 10 allergens, including wheat, barley, rye, dairy, eggs, nuts and peanuts. Saskatchewan-grown oats are certified gluten-free by the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America and the company micro-dries its own apples, blueberries and cranberries. Dehydrated organic sugar-cane juice adds a touch of sweetness. The $69.99 monthly subscription includes three 240-gram pouches of Pure Oatmeal, 12 oatmeal-to-go cups and a bag of roasted coffee, plus a pouch of oatmeal donated to a local food bank or kids' breakfast program. The only effort needed on your part is to boil water and let the oatmeal steep for four minutes.

Interact with The Globe