When I first went plant-based I realized that the food I ate in the morning usually had milk or eggs. I started to wonder, ‘What can you eat for breakfast on a plant based diet?’ For my biggest surprise I found tons of plant based alternatives that you can enjoy in the morning.
Breakfast is the reason that many of us get out of bed so happily in the morning. Eating a wholesome breakfast not only gives us a great start of the day but it also provides energy. Personally, breakfast has been my favorite meal since childhood.
Today, it’s no longer a struggle to find a delicious plant based breakfast. Are you also wondering what you can eat for breakfast on a plant based diet? Today, I want to share a few ideas and recipes with you. I think you’re gonna love them.
Do you need to have breakfast?
First, is it necessary to have breakfast every morning? Some people call it the most important meal of the day. These folks feel they can’t be productive without it. At the same time, others – especially those who do intermittent fasting – say they don’t really need to have breakfast at all.
It has been a debate for decades even among dietitians and health organizations. It’s a personal decision. I think you should listen to your body to decide if you need a meal in the morning or not.
Personally, I prefer to start my day with a wholesome breakfast. It really helps me get a jump start and focus on my tasks. When we wake up our blood sugar is low and we need to replenish it. When we have breakfast our muscles and brain get the sugar they need so they can work their best. At breakfast, we ‘break the fast’ that we’ve been on since dinner the night before.
I think the best is to give our bodies natural energy from whole foods rather than coffee or energy drinks. Don’t get me wrong, I love coffee. But, more than a couple of cups can start to have negative effects.
Breakfast also can contribute to maintaining a healthy weight. If you skip breakfast you may feel weak afterwards and it can lead to overeating later on the day.
It can also speed up your metabolism and help you to burn calories during the day. Moreover, if you skip breakfast you might not get all the nutrients your body needs from the remaining meals.
Okay, Let’s Have Some Breakfast
So, you decided to give it a try and start your day with a nutritious breakfast. Nice job! But obviously you also need to pay attention to what foods you put into your body every morning. To enjoy all the health benefits breakfast can provide you have to make sure you eat foods high in nutrients.
The best way to do this is to follow a whole food plant based diet.You might think that as a vegan you don’t have too many possibilities for breakfast. But it is very far from the reality! I want to share with you some ideas of what you can eat for breakfast on a plant based diet.
Fruit and Smoothies
Fruit can be a very good choice to start your day. They are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber that are indispensable to maintain good health. Eating fruit can also help you to wake you up a bit, get energized and start your day refreshed.
Fruit contains mostly carbohydrates and sugars but these are natural sugars so you don’t need to be scared of eating them. Look at fruit as energy sources that your body needs for your activities during the day.
Normally I eat about 3 pieces of fruit per day. Usually, two for breakfast and one for snack throughout the day. For me, it is the easiest and fastest way to have something when I am in a hurry. But if you don’t want to have a single type of fruit you can prepare a delicious fruit salad.
However, eating fruit for breakfast can raise your blood sugar level very quickly especially in the morning. Because of this for breakfast I recommend choosing fruit that has less sugar like berries or apples.
Other fruits that are high in sugar – like bananas and grapes – you can leave for a nice afternoon snack. If you have diabetes you should be more careful of your fruit intake especially in the morning.
You can also use a blender to blend your fruit together and make a smoothie. It is ideal if you are rushing to work or school because you can easily drink it on the way. However, smoothies can be very calorie dense and are very quickly consumed without chewing.
If you blend and drink too much fruit it can spike your glycemic levels. To minimize this, think of a smoothie as a quickie meal substitute instead of a regular meal. For example you can blend two or three pieces of fruit and you can have a sandwich with it.
Oatmeal and Granola
If you feel you need something larger than just fruit for breakfast you can prepare a delicious bowl of oatmeal or granola. These two dishes are pretty similar and you can prepare them from the same ingredients. For the oatmeal you just need to mix the oats with some fruit, raisins, nuts, seeds and maybe some sweetener (optional).
You can make it with plant-based milk or simply use water. You can also mix the ingredients the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight. This is how you do it when making overnight oats. It’s even more delicious because the flavors and aromas have more time to mix and penetrate throughout the night.
To make granola you can use almost the same ingredients you used to make overnight oats. The only difference is that you have to bake it in the oven at the end. Because of that most granola recipes include some vegetable oil to make the ingredients stick together.
If you follow a whole food plant based diet you can substitute oil with nut butter or tahini. Tahini – or sesame paste – can also act as glue in the granola so you can use it instead of oil. Both options have natural oils which take the place of traditional added oils.
Hearty Breakfast Skillets
One of the best bits of advice that I got when starting my plant-based journey was to reinvent veggie versions of your all-time favorite meals. Well, I’ve always loved a hot breakfast skillet on a Sunday morning. I had to recreate that recipe in a more veggie friendly way.
Skillets are a great way to pack in all your favorite veggies, proteins, greens, and spices in a cooking method that allows you to simmer the whole thing for a while. This allows all the flavors to come together and braise in their own delicious sauce. It’s so good, it’s even better the next day.
Eat the Plant-Based Version of Your Favorite Foods
While contemplating what you can eat for breakfast on a plant based diet, we tend to invent new dishes. Although we can also eat the same foods we used to have with some changes. For example if you liked to have a sandwich with butter and vegetables you can just make it with hummus.
If you used to have scrambled eggs now you can make the plant based version of it from tofu. The structure will be the same because of the tofu and you can use black salt to taste like eggs. Really no need to give up on your favourite foods just because you switched to plant based. Honestly nowadays you can find plant based alternatives for every animal product.
10 Delicious Plant-Based Breakfast Recipes:
1. Easy Overnight Oats
Here’s the recipe to my go-to daily breakfast- Overnight Oats. It’s quick, easy, and most importantly delicious. These oats offer you so much flexibility and variety to make them your own. Try them and get your oats on.
Equipment:
1 Q Container
Measuring Cup
Measuring spoons
Ingredients:
2 C Rolled Oats
4 tsp Chia Seeds
3 C Water or Plant-Based Milk (Soy or Almond Milk)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 C Raisins
1/2 Banana
1/4 C Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
1/2 oz Walnuts
1 Tbsp Ground Flax Seeds
Instructions:
- Add 2 C Rolled Oats to container
- Add 4 tsp Chia seeds
- Add 3 C Water, Stir to combine
- Add Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Raisins
- Stir to combine
- Cover and refrigerate minimum 2 hours, for best results
- Serve 1 C of Oat Mix into individual bowl
- Top with banana, blueberries, walnuts, and ground axseeds 9.
- Add additional water/soymilk, if desired, for preferred consistency. Enjoy!
2. Dad’s Super Smoothie
This is my favorite smoothie because it contains all macro-nutrients you need. It has natural sugars from fruits; protein from soy milk and healthy fat from peanut butter. I also like to add some spinach for extra fiber (You won’t even taste it)
Ingredients:
1 Banana
1 Orange
½ C Raspberries
½ C Spinach
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1 C Soy milk
½ C Water
Directions:
Blend all the ingredients together and it you’re ready to go.
3. Quick and Easy Granola
Granola is a great option for breakfast on a plant based diet. To make granola you just have to add your favorite nut butter or tahini instead of water and bake it in the oven.
Ingredients:
2 C Rolled Oats
4 Tsp Chia seeds
½ C Nut Butter/ Tahini
1 tsp Vanilla extract
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
½ C Raisins
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300F
- In a bowl mix the rolled oats with the chia seeds and raisins
- Add some vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg
- Add the nut butter or tahini and mix everything well together
- Spread granola evenly on baking pan lined with parchment paper
- Bake it for 30 minutes or until golden brown
- Check at half time to stir, prevent burning and ensure even cooking
- Allow to cool and enjoy with fruit, plant-based yogurt, or even plain
4. Hearty Breakfast Skillet
This hearty comfort food recipe will put the hurt on hunger, for sure. Savory and satisfying, this hearty breakfast skillet is great to plate, or use it as an awesome filling for breakfast burritos.
Ingredients:
1 Potato (Large Russet works great)
2 Carrots, Diced
2 Celery Ribs, Diced
½ Onion, Diced
1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Can Corn, drained
2 C Kale, Chopped
1 C Tomato Sauce
½ C Salsa
¼ C Veggie Broth
¼ tsp Ground Cumin
¼ tsp Dried Oregano
¼ tsp Dried Basil
¼ tsp Powdered Garlic
Instructions:
- Add Veggie Broth to a Large Skillet over Medium-High heat.
- Add Onion and Celery and saute until soft and fragrant (approx 5 mins.)
- Add Carrots, Potato, Kale, Tomato Sauce, Salsa, Cumin, Oregano, Basil, and Garlic. Stir to combine and wilt Kale. Cook covered for 15 mins.
- Add Black Beans, and Corn. Continue cooking for 30 minutes or until potato is at desired doneness.
Serve with warm tortillas and hot sauce (optional)
5. Scrambled Tofu “Eggs”
If you love scrambled eggs for breakfast try to make this plant based version. You will never want to eat poultry eggs again after it.
Ingredients:
1 Block of tofu (Extra Firm)
1 Onion
1 tsp Salt (Pro Tip: Use Black Salt, best results)
1 tsp Ground Turmeric
Directions:
- Peel the onion and chop it.
- Heat a non-stick pan; add a small amount of water and sauté the onion.
- Add the tofu into the pan and cook it for around 20 minutes. Make sure to stir it frequently.
- When it is almost ready add the salt (black salt) for the taste of eggs and the Turmeric for color.
- Cook it together for a few minutes more and then serve it warm.
You can enjoy it with some bread and raw vegetables.
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6. Baked Apple Crunch
OMG! If you’ve ever dreamed of Apple Pie for breakfast, this is the next best thing. This recipe couldn’t be more simple to make, nor more delicious. And, it’s guilt free and healthy.
Ingredients:
4 Medium Apples (preferably Honeycrisp)
1 C Rolled Oats
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C Orange Juice
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Directions:
- Heat oven to 375 F
- Halve and core apples and place on a baking sheet cut side up
- Add oats, sugar, orange juice, and cinnamon to a bowl and stir to combine
- Spoon oat mix onto each half apple
- Bake approximately 30 minutes or until the apples are softened and the topping has crisped.
- Serve warm
7. French Toast Casserole
Here’s a great way to serve up a hearty and satisfying French Toast for a lot of people…or a couple teenage boys 🙂
Ingredients:
For Casserole-
9 Slices Whole Wheat Bread (preferably Dave’s Killer Bread)
3C Soy Milk (or your favorite plant-based milk)
1 C Blueberries (fresh or frozen) or Diced Apples
2Tbsp Chopped Walnuts or Almonds (Use blender or food processor to rough chop)
2Tbsp Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
For Topping-
1 C Rolled Oats
⅓ C Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
⅛ tsp Sea Salt
Directions:
- Heat oven to 375 F
- To a bowl, add milk, nuts, syrup, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, whisk to combine
- In a separate bowl, add all topping ingredients and stir to combine, set aside
- Add 3 Tbsp of the milk mix to wet the bottom of a 13” x 9” casserole dish, making sure to coat the bottom evenly.
- Layer 4 slices of bread in the casserole dish.
- Cut a fifth slice of bread into four even strips. Use two strips of bread to ll the gap remaining in the bottom layer of the casserole
- Pour half of the milk mix over the first layer of bread to coat
- Spoon half of the topping mix over the rst layer of bread
- Add half of the blueberries, or apples on top of the bread layer.
- Repeat with another layer of bread and fruit.
- Pour the remaining milk mix over the top layer of bread.
- Spoon remaining topping mix over top layer of bread
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the batter has absorbed and the topping has crisped
- Let cool for 5 minutes, cut, serve, and enjoy.
8. Simply Tasty Whole Wheat Pancakes
These wholesome pancakes take just minutes to prepare and will have the family asking for more.
Ingredients:
1C Kodiak Cakes Mix (available at most retailers)
1C Soy Milk (or your favorite plant-based milk)
1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed or Chia Seeds
1C Blueberries (fresh or frozen) or Diced Banana
1/2 C Chopped Walnuts (optional)
Directions:
- In a mixing bowl, add Kodiak Cake Mix, soy milk, flax/chia seeds, and whisk until incorporated.
- Add berries, stir to combine
- Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat (cast iron works great as do high quality non-stick pans)
- Pour batter onto ungreased skillet (3-4” diameter)
- When bubbles form and edges are browning, flip pancake
- Cook for an additional 45 seconds, or until browned
- Serve immediately with warmed maple syrup
9. Dad’s Power Bowl
This is a nod to Rip Esselstyn’s ‘Rip’s Big Bowl’ but even easier to make, in my humble opinion. So speedy, yummy and satisfying.
Ingredients:
1 C Soy Milk (or favorite plant-based milk)
1 C Mini Wheats
½ C Uncle Sam Cereal
½ C Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Banana (sliced, diced, or mashed)
1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a bowl, add soy milk and enjoy.
10. Peanut Butter and Apple Toast
Sometimes, you just gotta have some Peanut Butter. And, this combination of fresh, natural ingredients takes PB to the top.
Ingredients:
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread (Ezekiel or Dave’s Killer)
2 Tbsp All-Natural Peanut Butter
½ Medium Apple (¼” thick slices)
1 tsp Honey or Maple Syrup
1 Banana, Small (sliced to ¼” slices)
1 tsp Ground Flaxseeds
Directions:
- Toast Bread
- Spread Peanut Butter on each slice
- Top each slice with ¼ apple slices
- Drizzle honey/syrup atop apple slices
- Sprinkle Flax Seeds over honey/syrup-topped apples
- Top each slice with sliced bananas
- Serve open-faced with plenty of napkins and enjoy.
Yummy tip: Substitute bananas for your favorite fruit like blueberries, strawberries, and more.
Bonus Recipe: Hearty One-Pan Skillet
Here’s a favorite comfort food breakfast recipe that will Wow even the toughest critic.
Ingredients:
1 Russet Potato, Large (diced, skin-on)
2 Medium Carrots (peeled and diced)
2 Celery Ribs (diced)
½ Medium Onion (diced)
1 Can Canned Black Beans (15oz) – drained and rinsed
1 Can Canned Corn (15oz) – drained
2 C Chopped Kale (rinsed, chopped finely)
½ C Salsa
1 C Canned Tomato Sauce
1 C Veggie Broth
¼ tsp Dried Oregano
¼ tsp Dried Basil
¼ tsp Powdered Garlic
¼ tsp Ground Cumin
Directions:
- In a large skillet (cast iron preferred), saute onions, carrots and celery in ¼ C veggie broth on medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
- Add remaining ingredients except kale, stirring to combine, and bring to a simmer, bring heat to low and cover for 30 minutes.
- Add Kale and stir to combine and wilt. Cover and continue simmering for 25 minutes or until potatoes and carrots reach desired doneness.
- Serve and enjoy!
Conclusion
So, what can you eat for breakfast on a plant based diet? As you can see there is a wide variety of meals you can choose from. If you like to have something lighter in the morning you can eat some fruit or make a delicious smoothie. Overnight oats, granola and raw cakes can be a good choice if you need a lot of energy before lunch. You can also make chia pudding or scrambled eggs from tofu. Just make sure you eat something you love to and start your day o with a bang.
You may also like: WHAT CAN YOU EAT ON A PLANT BASED DIET? >>CLICK HERE!
