My favorite vegan breakfast is a toasted sesame bagel smothered in about 700 calories of extra-salty walnut butter, I’m just going to be honest with you. But, I’ve learned to make that a “sometimes” food when I feel like treating myself. The rest of the time, I look for breakfast options that are quick to make or can be prepped the day before, high protein, and that will keep me full until lunch.
Sidenote: I wish more than anything I could be a smoothie person, but I’m not. I need to chew food to believe it’s food.
1. Tofu Scramble
Hear me out, hear me out. Tofu scramble is NOT a copout. You can do a lot with this high-protein breakfast option, plus you can make a big batch on Sunday night and be super stoked on yourself the next few mornings when all you have to do is warm it up (or not).
Switch out the veggies and seasonings for a different scramble every time. My go-to is the Non-Cop-Out Tofu Scramble from my book which calls for nutritional yeast, Kalamata olives, spinach, Italian seasoning and a squeeze of lemon juice, but the sky’s the limit. Try adding vegan cheese and tortilla chips for Breakfast Nachos or throw it on a biscuit crust for Breakfast Deep Dish Pizza.
Oh, and if you like your scramble to resemble scrambled eggs, you can use this Savory Egg Mix.
2. Protein Coffee
There are plenty of mornings when I can’t function until I’ve had coffee, and I might not even be able to think about cooking until I’ve had two coffees. For those mornings, I like to do a protein coffee combo. That way I’m getting some carbs and protein in my system, and my precious lift elixir, caffeine.
I’ve posted lots of protein coffee recipes on Instagram (look for them in my Reels), or you could throw a shot of espresso or some strong coffee in the blender with your protein shake. Recently, I tried Awesome Coffee, which is a new instant protein coffee brand. Just mix a scoop with your favorite nondairy milk and you get a hit of caffeine, plant based protein, and ashwagandha too. It tastes really good, has great macros, and is going to be perfect for packing in my suitcase for some upcoming travel.
3. Not-Avocado Toast
Avocado toast is actually a great breakfast, especially if you add some spinach or beans or some other form of vegan protein. For something different, try edamame toast for protein, texture. Or make this easy chia spread and serve it with apple slices and whole grain toast. For extra protein on edamame toast (or avocado toast, for that matter) I like to sprinkle on Topbit protein sprinkles – they add some crunch and flavor, but also 10g of plant-based protein!
4. Hash it Out
Similar to tofu scramble, but a little heartier, and if you don’t like tofu, you can make totally tofu-free hashes. I don’t know the official definition of a hash and I’m too lazy to Google it, but the basic idea here is a bunch of veggies cooked with garlic and onions with potatoes or sweet potatoes as the main event. My favorite is Smoky Jackfruit Hash, which you can make from scratch with young jackfruit in brine, or using Upton’s jackfruit.
Vegetables for breakfast is my favorite in general – so this is a great way to add lots of flavor on a Sunday night and just reheat and eat all week. It might seem weird if you’re used to sweet cereals or smoothies, but a whole bunch of protein, fiber and some fat (try olives or avocado) will give you lots of energy and kickstart your metabolism for the day.
5. French Toasted Everything
Yes I am the genius suggesting French Toast as a revolutionary vegan breakfast idea. No I’m not, why don’t you just shut up and read for a sec? OK, so listen – you can French toast anything. And therein lies the genius. Leftover zucchini bread? French toast it. Experimental muffin recipe that didn’t quite work out? French Toast it.
Just check out this guide I made, keep some stuff on hand, and be a hero in your household when in reality you are actually feeding your family stale bread and/or mistakes: How to French Toast Everything
What are your go-to weekday breakfasts?
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