I’ve been in a bit of a breakfast rut recently… But no more! Here are 6 hearty vegan breakfast ideas to keep you full every day of the week (if you think I’ve missed a day, it’s because I have leftover pizza on Sundays haha).
Hearty vegan breakfasts are large enough that they are satiating and contain a balance of all three macros (carbs, fat and protein) to keep you fuelled until lunchtime. They include vegan classics, such as scrambled tofu, and vegan versions of breakfast staples, like porridge and pancakes.
Read on for 6 hearty vegan breakfast ideas that will keep you fuelled until lunchtime!
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What do vegans eat for breakfast instead of eggs?
I’ve actually written a whole blog post on vegan alternatives to eggs – you can check it out here. But as far as breakfast is concerned, here are two great staples to add to your meal rotation. If you want to batch them, they make great leftovers too!
Scrambled tofu
If you’ve decided to go vegan, learning to make scrambled tofu should be high up on your list of skills to master. And it isn’t hard!
You can use silken or firm tofu (or even a combination of both!). With firm tofu, you’ll want to crumble it with your hands, whereas you might want to gently mash silken tofu in the frying pan.
Fry the tofu for a few minutes, and to score full points add turmeric (for colour), kala namak (for the egg-y smell) and nutritional yeast (for the savouriness).
You can then fold in whatever you like: tomatoes, peppers, garlic, spinach… And enjoy on toast or a bed of rice. I like to drizzle hot sauce and ketchup on mine.
Vegan omelette
Before going vegan, I used to love omelette, so I’m excited to give this vegan version a go. Especially as my experiences with chickpea flour have so far been quite dense, so I like Rachel’s hack to make it airier.
The part about vegan omelette starts at 4:31 in the video below, but the other hearty vegan breakfast ideas are good too!
Vegan oatmeal / porridge ideas
Oats are an affordable superfood: they’re packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre. They’re also a great “canvas” for other healthy foods like nuts and berries.
Porridge (or oatmeal if you’re American) is very easily “veganisable”. Simply replace the dairy milk you would use with a plant-based alternative and voilà! Porridge is healthy and budget-friendly, but I understand it can seem a bit boring, so here are a couple ideas to bring it to the next level.
Overnight protein oats
Overnight oats do require a bit of planning, because as the name indicates, you have to prepare them the night before. But the good news is they’re ready to go straight from the fridge in the morning!
Mix half a cup of plant milk with half a cup of oats for one serving (you can adjust this if you like your oats runnier or more dense). Stir in a scoop of your favourite vegan protein powder. The next day, you can add these toppings to your overnight oats:
- Berries (blueberries, sliced strawberries, raspberries…)
- Sliced banana
- Sliced kiwi
- Ground flax seeds
- Chia seeds (you can also stir these in a few minutes before hand to thicken the oats up)
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Tahini
- Chocolate chips
- Peanut butter
- Or anything else you fancy!
Savoury oatmeal / porridge
Now I’ll have to admit that I haven’t tried this one yet, but writing this has made me keen to give it a go. If you’re like me and tend to crave a more savoury breakfast, then this version of porridge might just be for you!
Here are few ideas if (like me), you’re wondering how on earth to make it. Spoiler alert: they mostly involve replacing rice with oats, e.g. in risotto.
Other high protein vegan breakfast ideas
So we’ve done egg substitutes and vegan oat recipes… What’s next? I believe well-rounded breakfast menu can’t ignore the weekend specials: avocado on toast and pancakes. Keep reading tod iscover how to make them into well-rounded meals!
Lentils / beans + avocado on toast
Turn the stereotypical avocado on toast into a bit more of a complete meal by adding lentils or beans. To do this, warm up some pre-soaked or canned lentils or beans on the stove for a few minutes.
You could add spices, garlic, tomato purée, spinach or other veggies too.
“Smash” some avocado on toast, then top with your beans. Delicious and filling!
Pro tip: if you can’t seem to time your meals to match your avocado’s ripeness (same here!), you could try frozen avocado! This sounded weird to me too at first, but you thaw it in the fridge overnight and it will be ready for you in the morning. No more under- or over-ripe avocado issues!
Protein pancakes
Pancakes can often be seen as an indulgence, but they can be a relatively healthy and hearty vegan breakfast. The secret involves adding protein powder to the pancake mix. Pair with some fruit for a balanced meal.
This recipe is by Erin Stanczyk (subscribe to her channel if you haven’t already) and includes things you might already have, like oats and a ripe banana, in the ingredients:
This post was all about hearty vegan breakfasts. What did you think? How do you typically start your day? Which recipes are you going to try? Tell me in the comments or send me a DM on Instagram!
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