One of the first things people usually ask me after finding out that I’m vegan is… but bacon? Annoyingly. But after that, when they’re feeling a little more reasonable, they start to ask genuine questions such as; what do I eat for breakfast? I suppose in England we usually eat toast, cereal or fry-ups. Well I’m here to tell you that you can still eat toast, cereal and fry ups in the morning! Here are some simple ideas as to what you can eat for breakfast as a vegan…
Cereal and plant milk
A lot of cereals you buy nowadays will be vegan friendly, but always check the ingredients list. Sometimes, there will be milk, milk powder or whey powder in cereals, and this, of course, is not vegan friendly. Some vegan friendly examples are Weetabix and Bran Flakes. Or you will find interesting choices in places like Aldi, made with blueberry or apricot wheats that are vegan friendly. Once you have found some cereals that you like, of course, the other element is the milk. There are now all sorts of plant milks available, not just from health food stores but also from supermarkets; big and small! The main two you will see are soy milk and almond milk. But you can also find rice milk, coconut milk, hemp milk and, a new favourite amongst the vegan community, oat milk. Do not make the mistake of hoping for plant milk to emulate the taste and texture of cow’s milk, as this is not what they are there to do. Instead, enjoy trying all the new types of milk that are out there until you find the one, or more, that is for you. Tip: if you have run out of plant milk, blend some bananas with water and use that on your cereal. It may seem odd at first but it really adds fruity flavour to your morning meal and is a quick and easy way to get fruit into your diet.
Toast
In terms of toast the famous favourite amongst the vegan community is peanut butter and sliced bananas. This is a great breakfast because it has protein, potassium, fibre and many more important nutrients. It keeps you going all morning. Other variations of this are possible such as vegan chocolate spread (not Nutella!) and strawberries, cashew butter and blueberries. Add a dust of cinnamon if you are feeling fancy. The possibilities are endless! Or, if you prefer a savoury start to the day, you can spread avocado on your toast. This can be topped with mushrooms, tomatoes etc, cooked or not, then add a little sprinkle of pepper and you’re good to go.
Fry Ups
Us Brits love a good fry up on a weekend and no vegan should have to go without. The usual members of the party are still invited such as baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, and toast. Now for the “tricky” part. Sausages? Bacon? Eggs? These days, there are so many mock-meat products on the vegan market that it really isn’t difficult to find something you like. It’s no secret that vegan bacon is a little bit odd and a little bit naff… probably not worth having. Sausages, however, can be found as delicious as ever. A firm favourite of mine are Linda McCartney’s vegetarian (vegan friendly) sausages. Most supermarkets do an own-brand version of vegan sausages too. Unfortunately, quorn sausages at this stage are not yet vegan as they still contain egg, but here’s hoping to the expansion of their vegan range soon! Finally, eggs. How do you like your eggs in the morning? Well, I hope it’s scrambled because the easiest way to emulate eggs is scrambled. Using tofu! There are plenty of tofu scramble recipes available online and this is a surprisingly delicious and satisfying addition to a fried breakfast.
Smoothies
If you’re not much of a morning eater, investing in a cheap and simple blender can help to get your metabolism going and allows you to cram in those nutrients, carbs and fibre early on in your day. After all, breakfast is the most important meal! I found a shake-and-take style blender for £20 on Amazon and I use it pretty much every morning. Your main ingredients in smoothies will usually be bananas and other types of fruit. However you can easily incorporate a lot of veggies into your morning smoothie, and it doesn’t have to be as gross as it sounds. I like to blend up kale and spinach with my bananas and usually add fresh orange juice OR peanut butter. This compliments the flavours well. Other, more pricey, additions to a smoothie include spirulina, hemp seeds, chia seeds and vegan friendly protein powder. I wouldn’t say these were necessities but adding some of these ingredients is a very quick and easy way to get goodness into your system.
So as you have seen, there are plenty of vegan friendly options for breakfast. Other obvious ideas include soy yoghurt and fruit, or you can even look up some pancake or waffle recipes! There really is no reason to say no to a vegan diet in this day and age.