March 5, 2019
Eating in a balanced, healthy way can be a challenge, especially when we are in a rush. I know for myself that I have been challenged to eat more variety, incorporate more vegetables into my diet, and increase fibre. Expecting to implement all the changes at once is a recipe for disaster so I have decided to start with eating variety and eating veggies for breakfast.
Veggies for breakfast?
Yes.
Here are some recipes and ideas I have begun to implement. Hopefully, you will find the list inspirational. Remember, the goal is variety and to introduce what is manageable. I bet this list isn’t even half of the creativity out there.
Veggies for Breakfast
Sweet Potatoes
Once in a while, I will bake a few sweet potatoes, ready to be cut in half and heated up for about a half hour in the morning. For breakfast, I will use one sweet potato, along with whatever toppings I am in the mood for yogurt, seeds, almond butter, maple syrup, spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, dried fruit. This is probably my fav go to breakfast in the Canadian dark and cold winter mornings.
Scramlets
Scramlets or veggie-egg hash. Instead of omelettes that I fail miserably to keep whole, I scramble eggs in a variety of pre-cut veggies. I make veggie packets ready to go the night before or a few nights before if I am planning to make this more than once. Like any omelette, I add whatever I have on hand, usually finely chopped green, yellow, or red peppers, kale or other greens like spinach, mushrooms, finely grated carrot or cabbage, Brussel sprouts, sweet potato, tomatoes, fine florets of broccoli, fennel, and green onion are some ideas to throw into a scramlet.
In Smoothies
Smoothies are great disguisers! Add a handful of kale or spinach to a smoothie and you’ve got a serving of veggies without really noticing that you’re eating veggies for breakfast!
Breakfast Burritos
Breakfast burritos are the perfect make ahead, freeze, and reheat dinner. Granted, it is harder if you are celiac and struggle to find cheap and delicious wraps and then you may want to try to make this with savoury buckwheat crepes. Make ahead with eggs, black beans, greens, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes. When hot and ready to eat, top it off with avocado. Or, if you want to completely avoid the wrap, make a veggie-bean hash Southwest style without the eggs. Don’t forget the salsa!
Quinoa Porridge
Quinoa “porridge” is probably for the more savoury palate in mind. Cook your quinoa in bone broth, and add any toppings of veggies that are slightly cooked. Any veggie can be used here, whatever you have in mind and whatever is on hand for you. I like adding fennel, mushrooms, kale, and some caramelized onion to my “porridge.”
Quiche
Quiches! Easy to reheat as well, especially if you do in muffin tins or ramekins. Try a parmesan asparagus quiche, or if you are more traditional, mushrooms with broccoli or Swiss chard.
Zoodles
Swap zoodles for your toast. Poach an egg or put a sunny side egg upon a bed of warm zoodles, spice it up with salt and black pepper, add some colour with red pepper and leek, and dig in.
By introducing veggies to your breakfast, you’re starting your day feeling satisfied and accomplished, which is positive all around.
