I often get asked what vegans eat for breakfast. It seems to be the meal that everyone struggles with the most on the journey to being egg and dairy free. There are many very easy, and very tasty, options for a vegan breakfast, most of which are super simple to make at home. However when eating out or travelling, I find breakfast and brunch menu’s are frequently chock full of eggs and pastries, making life much more tricky. So please feel free to share this article with your favourite cafe’s to help them become more vegan friendly too!
Pastries? yup, best not forget that most pastries are loaded with dairy butter, so if in doubt and trying to stick to a strict vegan diet, best to avoid them unless they are specifically labelled as vegan.
So what are other common breakfast foods that vegans won’t eat?
- obviously any fish or meats,
- eggs are OK for some vegetarian diets but never for vegans,
- dairy milk, although this is a fairly easy replace with plant-based milk these days,
- dairy yogurt can also be replaced with a plant-based version,
- dairy butter, either as a spread or hidden in those ever tempting pastries,
- honey is not vegan, as a product made by animals, and involving animal farming (bee-keeping) in its production. This is a tricky one to avoid at breakfast as honey is used as a sweetener in many muesli’s and cereals marketed as healthy options,
- some bread types have milk added, or may be glazed with egg, milk or butter,
- savoury asian-style breakfasts can contain fish stock and sneaky bits of meat added to just about anything from noodles or congee, to nasi goreng.
- and for the really serious vegans: many processed foods also include animal derived additives and E-numbers. I personaly try to avoid processed foods as much as possible anyway, but there are plenty of websites and apps that can help you identify the offending ingredients if you want to be more conscious of this.
Having listed all the things that make breakfast a difficult meal to navigate for vegans, I will now give you 21 simple ideas for delicious and easy vegan breakfasts. Yes, 21 – that’s 3 weeks of not eating the same thing twice, and each of these ideas can also be varied in many ways to create even more options. So customise away, and never have a boring breakfast again!
This article is Part 1, which includes the simplest ideas, requiring no complicated cooking or preparation. Part 2 contains more cooked breakfast recipes that are still not complicated, but require a little more thought and preparation. Part 3 contains Asian breakfast options. For each option, I have included some comments on the nutritional value, further suggestions on how to customise.
So let’s get into it.
The Bread Basket
#1. Toast & Vegemite. OK so all the Brits, Aussies and Kiwis will get this one and everyone else will either be saying “what?” or “yuk!”. Marmite or vegemite, is made from brewers yeast and is a dark brown spread commonly served on buttered toast. It is very salty and has a strong umami (savoury) flavour. It is packed with B vitamins and counts as a fermented food, so is very healthy. For those on a low sodium diet there are low-salt versions available. It goes well on any toast, pick your favourite sourdough or a dark seeded loaf for extra health benefits and spread sparingly over hot plant-based buttered toast.
#2. Toast & Peanut Butter. I never ate peanut butter much before I became vegan, now I love it. Toast and peanut butter contains grains and nuts, both good plant-based protein sources, and combining the two, gives the complete protein combination vegans need. If possible pick a locally-made healthy-style peanut butter with less sugar and preservatives than the supermarket versions. Pair it with a chunky whole grain and seed loaf for extra nutrition points. If you are craving a sugar hit, add some fruit jam/jelly in true US-style, or for a fancier savoury version add some tomato or cucumber slices and cracked pepper on top.
#3. Toast with Banana. My dad loves banana sandwiches, and I resurrected this idea on a recent holiday where I had no access to plant-based butter, but a great fruit plate on hand. Squish a piece of banana onto toast so it goes really mushy, and eat plain or sprinkle with a little sugar or maple syrup. Banana’s are a great source of potassium, and also contain vitamin B6, fibre, carbohydrate, and some vitamin C. To vary this up add some fruit jam, or sprinkle with coconut flakes.
Obviously for any of the ideas above you can substitute the toast with bread, bagels, muffins, crumpets, etc. Just watch for those hidden egg and dairy ingredients.
#4. Bagels & Vegan Cream Cheese. Kind of says it all really doesn’t it! I don’t eat this often as I don’t have easy access to a good vegan cream-cheese, and I haven’t found a recipe I love as yet, but I’m sure many of you will easily be able to buy tasty vegan cheeses. There are also many simple vegan cream cheese recipes online if you fancy having a go at making your own – let me know your favourites!
#5. Hot Cross Buns. A seasonal treat for Easter-time, these cinnamon spiced, fruit buns are lovely toasted and spread with plant-based butter. Do watch the ingredients, as not all will be vegan friendly.
#6. Avocado Toast. No vegan breakfast guide would be complete without the ubiquitous Avo on Toast. Mush up your avocado with a dash of vinegar (malt, balsamic or whatever is in the cupboard), some salt and pepper, slap it on some toast and enjoy. Nothing not to love here! Fancy it up with some rocket leaves, tomato slices, or a full side salad, and pretend you are at your favourite brunch cafe.
#7. Baked Beans on Toast. For those who are confused, this is another Brit-favourite. Heinz Baked Beans are the most famous brand, but there are plenty of others. British baked beans are not barbecue flavoured as they are in the US, the taste is more of a sweet tomato sauce, so better for breakfast. I like my beans served with a little vinegar on top to combat the sweetness. As with avo toast, a bit of rocket or salad will posh up this breakfast. Beans and grains together make an excellent vegan source of protein and fibre so a nutritional tick for this breakfast. Surprisingly, not all baked beans are fully vegan, so check the ingredients first.
The Cereal Bar
#8. Muesli / Granola with Coconut Yoghurt and Berries. I have a great coconut yogurt I buy from Good Gut, a local company in Jakarta. It goes really well with a mix of vegan friendly (i.e. honey free) muesli and granola, topped with some chopped fruit or berries, and a dash of oat milk from Oat Barn, also local to Jakarta. I usually have frozen berries in my freezer, and either defrost them whole, or blend them straight from frozen with the coconut yoghurt and oat milk to make a smoothie topping. Just about any chopped fresh or dried fruit is good with this breakfast, and any plant-based yogurt and milks will be fine too, so use what you have to hand. To make it extra nutritious add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed and/or chia seed to get your daily Omega 3 needs met, and sesame seed for selenium, iron, copper, zinc, and vitamin B6. A handful of chopped raw or toasted nuts will add a further protein boost, and also more calories. A sprinkle of coconut flakes will also go really well on top. The options for fruit and cereal combinations are endless, and it is a super healthy way to start your day!
#9. Smoothies & Juices. As well as being a cereal topping, smoothies can be a satisfying and easy breakfast in their own right. With smoothies and juices, you can let you imagination run riot: green juices, flu-buster vitamin C rich juices, berry smoothies, banana smoothies, protein-powder fortified smoothies (if that’s your thing). There is no fixed recipe; just start experimenting with your favourite flavours or check out some of the millions of suggestions online. Whilst a fancy juicing machine may help squeeze the goodness from harder fruits, it is not required at all to get started. A cheap hand held blender will easily make a berry or banana smoothie. Maple syrup is a great substitute for honey to satisfy the sweet-toothed. Again for an omega 3 boost add flaxseed or chia seed. Why not have a different coloured smoothie each day to brighten your diet with rainbow colours!
Happy Mornings!
There you have it, our first 9 super simple breakfast ideas that are totally vegan and anyone can make. I hope this has given you some inspiration to create your own ideas. Please share your favourites with me, I’d love to hear about them.
For those who want to explore further, read my next posts:
21 Vegan Breakfasts (2) – Cooked breakfasts
21 Vegan Breakfasts (3) – Asian breakfasts
Letter from Jakarta. 
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