The #1 Breakfast Hack That Will Change Your Life
When it comes to breakfast recipes, it feels like the possibilities are endless. Should you keep it simple and make a bowl of oats or yogurt? Should you go all-out and whip up a batch of fluffy pancakes or a waffle? Or should you scramble some eggs to boost the protein on your plate? Whatever you're in the mood for, there's an easy way to increase the nutritional value of any breakfast you make thanks to this one breakfast hack.
The hack comes from Maggie Michalczyk, RDN, founder of OnceUponAPumpkinRD.com, and recent author of The Great Big Pumpkin Cookbook. In a roundup of healthy habits she shared with us, there was one particular hack that we couldn't help but focus on: Incorporating one fruit or vegetable at breakfast.
By adding a simple serving of fruit or vegetables to your breakfast, you are boosting the amount of fiber in your meal. Given that the average person does not get enough fiber in their diet—which actually helps with weight management—it's important to find ways to add even more fiber into your meals. This simple breakfast hack can make it easy to do so.
"Foods with fiber like fruits, veggies, nuts seeds, and whole grains are great for digestion (and they help to keep you fuller for longer) which can help alleviate some of that [belly] bloat," says Michalczyk. "I love incorporating fruit for more fiber at breakfast—I'm talking berries or sliced bananas on my oatmeal or on the side of eggs, etc."
While this breakfast hack may seem simple, it can feel complicated to figure out which fruits or vegetables to add to your meals. In order to get you started with this easy breakfast hack, we rounded up a few of our breakfast recipes that include at least one fruit or one vegetable.
So keep this list in your breakfast arsenal next time you're in the kitchen ready to whip up a meal to start your day. And for even more healthy eating hacks, check out our list of 21 Best Healthy Cooking Hacks of All Time.
Spring Vegetable Frittata
Frittatas are an incredibly easy way to get that serving of vegetables in the morning. While you really could add any vegetable you want, we're biased to this spring vegetable frittata that includes asparagus, leeks, red bell pepper, spinach, and feta cheese.
Get our recipe for Spring Vegetable Frittata.
Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats
If you don't have time to cook in the morning, overnight oats can be a life saver for busy mornings. This Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats recipe can be topped with any fruit that you desire! We personally love to top it with blueberries, but honestly, this recipe is versatile. The fruit possibilities are truly endless!
Get our recipe for Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats.
Italian Hash with Eggs
Breakfast hash is a great way to get your vegetables in, as well as your potatoes which are great for squashing your hunger! This hash is packed with small red potatoes, cremini mushrooms, banana peppers, onions, and kale. Chicken sausage is even thrown in for an extra boost in protein!
Get our recipe for Italian Hash with Eggs.
Veggie Scramble with Mushrooms, Spinach and Goat Cheese
Scrambled eggs are certainly a quick breakfast to throw together in the morning, so why not just add a few vegetables in your egg scramble to get you going? This scramble includes shiitake mushrooms and spinach, which pair swimmingly with the creamy goat cheese.
Get our recipe for Veggie Scramble with Mushrooms, Spinach and Goat Cheese.
Oatmeal with Peanut Butter and Banana
A simple bowl of oatmeal is packed with fiber and can easily be topped with any fruit you desire! For this oatmeal recipe, we top it with sliced bananas for an extra boost of potassium as well.
Get our recipe for Oatmeal with Peanut Butter and Banana.
Sweet Potato Toasts
Turn your vegetable into the main event! Swap out your usual slice of bread with a slice of sweet potato. You can easily toast in a toaster like you would with that slice of bread, making it a great alternative that's packed with vitamin A.
Get our recipe for Sweet Potato Toasts.
Lemon-Poppy Seed Multigrain Pancakes with Blueberry Compote
Another easy way to get a serving of fruit is by making a homemade compote to top on your favorite baked goods. This blueberry compote pairs well with our lemon poppy seed multigrain pancakes, but it could even work well for simple toaster waffles or topped on a batch of homemade muffins!
Get our recipe for Lemon-Poppy Seed Multigrain Pancakes with Blueberry Compote.
Mango-Ginger Overnight Oats
If you're getting sick of making the same overnight oat recipe over-and-over, try our unique oats recipe made with ginger! We top it with bright mango and pomegranate seeds for that extra serving of fruit.
Get our recipe for Mango-Ginger Overnight Oats.
Acai Bowl
Getting a serving of fruit is no problem when it's the main ingredient in your dish—like in smoothie bowls! Top this açaí bowl with fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds for an easy and flavorful start to your morning.
Get our recipe for an Acai Bowl.
Raspberry-Peach Swirled Smoothie
Or simply make a smoothie! You can sip on this raspberry peach smoothie recipe or even eat it with spoon.
Get our recipe for Raspberry-Peach Swirled Smoothie.
Oatmeal Pancakes with Cinnamon Apples
If you're in the mood for a plate of flapjacks, take advantage of the sweetness of fruit instead of turning to sugary syrups loaded with high-fructose corn syrup. This oatmeal pancakes recipe has you warming up some apples with cinnamon to give you a touch of sweetness that's perfect for a crisp morning in the fall.
Get our recipe for Oatmeal Pancakes with Cinnamon Apples.
Artichoke Feta Quiche
When it comes to eating your vegetables in the morning, there are clever ways you can actually cook the vegetables in your meals—like in this quiche. This quiche is packed with artichokes (which are loaded with fiber) and also include roasted red peppers for an extra boost of vegetable goodness.
Get our recipe for Artichoke Feta Quiche.
Broccoli-Cheese Eggs in a Mug
If you're just cooking for yourself, you can whip up this classic eggs-in-a-mug recipe in a matter of minutes, which is packed with broccoli!
Get our recipe for Broccoli-Cheese Eggs in a Mug.
Breakfast Salad
Salad? For breakfast? Yes, really! This breakfast salad will definitely help you get that serving of vegetables, which is topped with a poached egg and homemade whole-wheat croutons.
Get our recipe for a Breakfast Salad.
Turkey-Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
Another easy breakfast hash you can throw together! This hash is made with turkey sausage, sweet potatoes, and green bell pepper. You can even top it with salsa verde, but we leave that part optional.
Get our recipe for Turkey-Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash.
Golden Mango Smoothie Bowl
Brighten up your morning with this golden mango smoothie bowl! Packed with fruits that give you all kinds of nutrients and blended together with your favorite plant-based milk.
Get our recipe for Golden Mango Smoothie Bowl.
Shakshuka
The simmering tomatoes in this shakshuka recipe will give you that serving of vegetables. Serve with toasted pita to round out your breakfast—or brunch!
Get our recipe for Shakshuka.
Frizzled Eggs and Sausage with Sauteed Greens
Eggs, sausage, side of kale? This breakfast plate may seem basic, but it's packed with all the satiating nutrients you need to get you through your morning.
Get our recipe for Frizzled Eggs and Sausage with Sauteed Greens.
Zucchini Noodles with Bacon Vinaigrette
Who says noodle dishes only have to be for dinner? This zucchini noodle dish is topped with a poached egg and a warm bacon vinaigrette. Sounds like breakfast to us!
Get our recipe for Zucchini Noodles with Bacon Vinaigrette.
Parsnip Waffles
Swap out your usual waffle recipe and use vegetables to make a waffle instead! This parsnip waffle tastes great with a touch of hot sauce and topped with a fried egg.
Get our recipe for Parsnip Waffles.
Sweet Potato Banana Muffins
Serving fruits and vegetables as a side with your breakfast is easy enough, but you can also use them as one of the main ingredients in whatever dish you decide to bake. This muffin recipe uses bananas and sweet potato as two of the main ingredients, giving it a boost of nutrients and even a touch of sweetness.
Get our recipe for Sweet Potato Banana Muffins.
Avocado with Everything Bagel Seasoning
Keep it simple by simply enjoying half of an avocado. Top it with everything bagel seasoning to give it some extra flavor for an easy breakfast on-the-go.
Get our recipe for Avocado with Everything Bagel Seasoning.
Breakfast Burrito
Sure, you can stuff vegetables in your breakfast burrito, but why not wrap that burrito in vegetables as well? This breakfast burrito recipe is wrapped in a large collard green leaf that gives you some extra fiber and keeps the recipe low-carb.
Get our recipe for a Breakfast Burrito.
Butternut Squash Hash
If you're looking to keep your breakfast lower in carb, this butternut squash hash is an easy alternative! Plus, this hash is purely made of vegetables, making it easy to serve with a side of fried eggs.
Get our recipe for a Butternut Squash Hash.
Green Machine Veggie Casserole
Another easy egg dish that uses up vegetables is a veggie casserole! This Green Machine Veggie Casserole recipe uses up any of the green vegetables you have in your fridge—like broccoli, kale, or spinach.
Get our recipe for a Green Machine Veggie Casserole.
Sheet-Pan Vegan Sausage and Vegetables
Why not roast up your breakfast sausage with all of your favorite vegetables? Whether it's pork breakfast sausage or even a vegan breakfast sausage, this sheet-pan recipe is one of the easiest breakfast recipes to throw together.
Get our recipe for Sheet-Pan Vegan Sausage and Vegetables.
Whole Grain Pancakes with Cashew Butter
No matter the pancake recipe, berries work well as a topping. These plant-based cashew butter pancakes especially taste great topped with a heaping cup of fresh berries.
Get our recipe for Whole Grain Pancakes with Cashew Butter.
Mediterranean Tofu Scramble
Even a tofu scramble tastes great with a side of fresh greens! This Mediterranean Tofu Scramble is served with red pepper, baby kale and arugula, red onion, cherry tomatoes, chives, and parsley. Talk about incorporating your vegetables!
Get our recipe for Mediterranean Tofu Scramble.
Crunchy Breakfast Salad with Eggs
This breakfast salad calls for hard-boiled eggs, which you can actually cook and prep in large batches so your breakfast salad is easier to throw together in the morning.
Get our recipe for Crunchy Breakfast Salad with Eggs.
Breakfast Burrata Platter
Breakfast doesn't have to be all eggs and baked goods, you know. This Mediterranean Breakfast Burrata Platter switches up your usual breakfast routine with cooked butternut squash, whole-grain slices of bread, and creamy burrata cheese.
Get our recipe for a Breakfast Burrata Platter.
Breakfast Loaded Sweet Potato
Baked potatoes don't have to just be a dinner food! In fact, you can bake up a sweet potato and load it with your favorite yogurt toppings. It's an easy way to incorporate a vegetable. And if you want, you can incorporate fruit as well and top it with some berries!
Get our recipe for a Breakfast Loaded Sweet Potato.
Overnight Chia Pudding
If you like the idea of making overnight oats but want to keep your breakfast low-carb, an overnight chia seed pudding is the perfect alternative. Plus, it's incredibly versatile! Our recipe calls for fresh mango, coconut, and macadamia nuts. But you can honestly top with whatever combination of berries, nuts, and dried fruit your heart desires.
Get our recipe for Overnight Chia Pudding.
Avocado Toast
Avocado toast is certainly an easy (and tasty!) way to add some green to your breakfast plate. Toast can also be a great vehicle for adding fruit—or even vegetables—to your breakfast. You can try it yourself with our 15 toast recipe ideas.
Get our recipe for Avocado Toast.
Berry Cauliflower Smoothie
Fruit is almost always included in a smoothie recipe, but vegetables can easily be incorporated as well! This smoothie blends up frozen cauliflower to give your breakfast a nutrient boost and make it creamy without loading it with heavy fats.
Get our recipe for a Berry Cauliflower Smoothie.
If you loved this clever breakfast hack, then you're also going to love these 5 Hacks For The Best Scrambled Eggs Ever.
