When I first transitioned to a vegan meal plan, one of the most challenging parts was figuring out what the heck to eat for breakfast. Eggs are out. And you won’t find cream cheese, milk, bacon or sausage in the fridge. What’s left? As it turns out, there are a ton of yummy foods left on the table (no pun intended) that you can combine to build a balanced, nutritious, and oh-so-delicious meal to start your day. One of my favorite ways to make sure I load up on healthy food first thing in the A.M. is to build a vegan breakfast bowl packed with fruits, nuts, grains, and bonus add-ins like cinnamon and flax meal. The best part: You can throw a vegan breakfast bowl together in a matter of seconds. You heard me – seconds. So, here we go. Start brewing your coffee. Let’s build a vegan breakfast bowl.
Vegan Breakfast Bowl Components
Mix and match your favorite fruits, grains, nuts, and extras to build a custom vegan breakfast bowl exactly to your liking.
Fruit: blueberry, banana, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, raisins, figs, apple slices, dried cherry, dates, pear, currants, dried cranberry, dried apricot, peaches
Grains: quinoa, rolled oats, buckwheat, wheatberries, groat, farina, muesli, amaranth, millet, kasha, farro, couscous, pearled barley, brown rice
Nuts: almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pecans
Extras: hemp seeds, flax meal, chia seeds, dried coconut, lemon zest, oat bran, cinnamon, coconut oil, vanilla, flax, nutmeg, syrup, oil, brown sugar, dairy-free yogurt
Vegan Breakfast Bowl Time Savers
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s tackle those time-sucking tasks that nobody has time for in the morning.
Prep your fruit: Okay, it doesn’t take that long to cut up fresh fruit. But it is one less thing to worry about if you do it beforehand. Keep sliced strawberries in a Tupperware with fresh blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries so you can easily toss a handful into your vegan breakfast bowl. If you’re in a time crunch, dried cranberries and dried apricots are delicious options for getting a morning fiber boost.
Prep your grains: Who needs the stress of cooking quinoa, farro, couscous or brown rice first thing in the morning? Not me! A healthy whole grain will be the base of your vegan breakfast bowl, so make enough to last a few days and keep it refrigerated. In the morning, fill your bowl with your grain of choice and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to make it nice and warm. It’s the perfect complement to chilled fruit and crunchy nuts. Yum.
How about a breakfast bowl recipe to get you started? This cinnamon-y number is one of my favorites.
Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa
Four servings 20 minutes to prepare Quinoa is a fantastic and protein-packed alternative to our Cinnamon Oatmeal recipe. This dish is especially nice to savor on chilly fall mornings. I like to use vanilla almond milk for extra flavor. Ingredients
- 1 cup nondairy milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (any color)
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans, toasted*
- 4 tsp. agave nectar
Instructions
- Combine nondairy milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of agave nectar over each serving.
- *While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350°F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
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