Toast toppers
Go beyond your usual spreads like peanut butter or vegemite to add vegetables to your toast. Possibilities are endless:
- Snack or cocktail tomatoes are super sweet and so convenient since you don’t even have to chop them. Just heat some oil in a pan, throw in a cup of snack tomatoes, and jiggle them around the pan so they don’t burn. Crack and egg in the same pan, then serve on toast with a sprinkle of salt.
- Cannellini beans have an excellent nutritional profile, so while my toast was cooking, I mashed ½ cup of cannellini beans with ½ an avocado. Spread on toast with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Avocado and beans are both neutral flavours, so if you enjoy more of a flavour punch, you can mix through some fresh garlic, a squeeze of hot sauce or sprinkle with an ‘everything’ or ‘bagel’ seasoning (available at supermarkets).
- I always seem to have leftover sweet potato from dinner. Inspired by ‘loaded sweet potatoes’, I spread crunchy peanut butter on my toast, added warmed sweet potato wedges, and topped with banana slices. It was such a great way to eat up leftovers and add more nourishment to my toast. This would also work with sweet potato mash.
In a sandwich press or grill, I discovered I can turn leftover broccoli into a tasty breakfast. I put the broccoli on bread, sprinkled with Colby cheese and then stuck it in the sandwich press. During toasting, I recommend letting the top of the sandwich press just lightly touch your cheese for a crispy finish!
Vegetable porridge
Did you know you can grate vegetables like zucchini, carrot and even cauliflower into your oats? I didn’t, but I’m so glad I do now! Add your veggies at the beginning of cooking to give them time to soften and blend through. I found the stovetop works best and a delightful mix was carrot, oats, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of maple syrup and some sultanas.
Achievable omelettes
In the mornings, you won’t catch me in the kitchen cutting up vegetables for an omelette. I happily discovered that you could grab a packet of steam vegetables, like beans, carrot, peas, corn, cauliflower and broccoli, microwave as per the instructions on the packet, then add to the egg once it’s already cooking. Flip when the underside is cooked. Easy peasy.
Breakfast wraps
A breakfast wrap is something that you make ahead of time so you can grab it on your way out the door. Remember not to add any wet ingredients that will make the wrapping soggy.
Here are some combinations I love:
- wholemeal wrap, baby spinach, sliced boiled egg, avocado slices, feta cheese, hummus, capsicum strips, seasoned with salt and pepper.
- wholemeal wrap, baby spinach, smoked salmon, 1 cup of uncut snack tomatoes, cream cheese, avocado slices, seasoned with salt and pepper.
Smoothies
It’s no surprise that I opted for smoothies for breakfasts some mornings! They’re super easy, good for ‘on the go’, and just about any vegetable can be incorporated. The obvious vegetables are baby spinach, cucumber, celery and avocado, however I found neutral vegetables were excellent additions. While preparing dinner one night, I steamed extra cauliflower, which I then froze into 1 cup portions. Raw zucchini can also be chopped and frozen, as well as carrots, or thrown straight into the blender. You can also use vegetable leftovers from dinner - sweet potato and broccoli are great blended into smoothies. Generally, I found you’ve got to be a little bit gutsy and adventurous and move past barriers like, ‘broccoli doesn’t belong in a smoothie’! Broccoli pairs very well with apple, mango, or banana.
Some inspiration:
- 1 cup of cooked cauliflower, oats, natural peanut butter, banana, and 1/3 of an avocado, and any type of milk.
- 1 cup of baby spinach with a frozen mix of banana, mango, and pineapple, with yoghurt, and any type of milk.
- ½ cup of leftover sweet potato (either baked or mashed), with ½ cup cauliflower, nut butter, almond milk, and a dash of maple syrup.
My general smoothie add-ins are hemp seeds because they are rich in protein, fibre, and contain good fatty acids. Chia seeds are low in calories and a terrific source of fibre and protein. Flax seeds are good source of dietary fibre and omega 3. Oats are filling and have lots of important vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants. Don’t shy away from tinned beans – they are a great source of protein and fibre.
The takeaways
From this personal challenge, my biggest learning was that I needed to change my mind set to get a serve of vegetables at breakfast. I didn’t magically have more time to participate in this personal challenge, I simply had to place value on kickstarting my day with a healthy breakfast and ensure I prioritised my time. Not only did a substantial breakfast with vegetables fill me up, but it left me feeling more energised and in a better headspace.