# Veggies for breakfast?



## pengyou (Aug 21, 2011)

I am making a plan for a densely nutritious breakfast and would like to find a way to include veggies in breakfast.  I would like to include veggies in each of my 5 meals per day to try to get as many of the nutrients as possible in a natural form.  I know that 5 fruits and 5 veggies is overkill for the food pyramid but they are still carbs also and have nutrition without much, if any, fat.  Chinese people have several ways to eat veggies for breakfast but I am hoping to: a. find a way to do it in my home and b. avoid the msg they put in things c. avoid deep frying.  They eat pickled radishes and other veggies - those I could probably do myself.  Maybe the bigger problem that I am facing is that my breakfasts tend to lean to the sweet side....

I know that omelets are one way - maybe a tomato, mushroom and spinach omelete?   Omelets, in my experience, usually have a relatively small amount of veggies in them - not enough to count as one serving.  Juice is another...any other suggestions?  and recipes?  I am trying to stay with foods that are simple to prepare and clean up after - it is breakfast, you know and I am cooking for one.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 21, 2011)

pengyou said:


> I am making a plan for a densely nutritious breakfast and would like to find a way to include veggies in breakfast.  I would like to include veggies in each of my 5 meals per day to try to get as many of the nutrients as possible in a natural form.  I know that 5 fruits and 5 veggies is overkill for the food pyramid but they are still carbs also and have nutrition without much, if any, fat.  Chinese people have several ways to eat veggies for breakfast but I am hoping to: a. find a way to do it in my home and b. avoid the msg they put in things c. avoid deep frying.  They eat pickled radishes and other veggies - those I could probably do myself.  Maybe the bigger problem that I am facing is that my breakfasts tend to lean to the sweet side....
> 
> I know that omelets are one way - maybe a tomato, mushroom and spinach omelete?   Omelets, in my experience, usually have a relatively small amount of veggies in them - not enough to count as one serving.  Juice is another...any other suggestions?  and recipes?  I am trying to stay with foods that are simple to prepare and clean up after - it is breakfast, you know and I am cooking for one.



Make extra of the veggies you like the night before and add them to your eggs in the morning.  You are free to add as much as you like to an omelet.  I love roasted asparagus and tomato omelets with a lemon butter sauce...very good.  Even stir fried veggies would be good.


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## Steve Kroll (Aug 21, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Make extra of the veggies you like the night before and add them to your eggs in the morning.  You are free to add as much as you like to an omelet.  I love roasted asparagus and tomato omelets with a lemon butter sauce...very good.  Even stir fried veggies would be good.


Yes, this is a great idea. I often have eggs in the morning with leftover veggies from the night before on the side. I've also made veggies fresh for breakfast. Who says that breakfast has to only be limited to sweet things or eggs?

Juicing is another great way to get your veggies in the morning. One of my favorite breakfast juices is kale, celery, apple, and cucumber.


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## Claire (Aug 22, 2011)

I'm not much of a breakfast food officionado, so don't have much of a problem with pasta cooked in broth with chopped veggies.  

That said, the best use of veggies in traditional breakfast fare, to me, is a fritata.


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## NotActuallyaHero (Aug 22, 2011)

Just start eating vegetables in the morning.  No one ever said you had to eat eggs and toast or oatmeal for breakfast.

Seriously, nice steamed veggies would probably have you feeling terrific by lunch.


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## Snip 13 (Aug 22, 2011)

I love soup for breakfast. You can add as much veg as you like and eat it with or without bread. You can also make gazpacho in the hot summer months.
It's quick since you cook a big pot full and just warm it in the morning.
Omelets are also a good way to get veg as you mentioned, just add more veggies like asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, aubergine etc. And you can make a stirfry of veg and just add it to your omelet in the morning.
If you like sweet breakfast you can always make fruit salads with yogurt and honey to sweeten. Very tasty and you'll still get your 5 a day!


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## pengyou (Aug 22, 2011)

Thanks!  I feel comforted   When I am being good, eating right and exercising, I usually have 2 breakfasts, one at 5:30 (a protein shake with a banana and one other kind of fruit in season) and some kind of carb...then comes the exercise...then comes breakfast number 2...I have found oatmeal to be the best "stick to the ribs" food...but I am toying with the idea of making a savory oatmeal.  I usually do eggs at this point...and can toss in the veggies.  Has anyone ever done a savory oatmeal?  It sounds unpatriotic 

Note: I just googled on "savory oatmeal" and was shocked at the number of results I found.


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## Robo410 (Aug 22, 2011)

left over ratatouille is prime omelet filling in my books. A fried tomato (easy to make with an egg, is yummy, and you don't have to flour it (although it is nice that way.  all it needs is salt pepper and oregano. sauteed mushrooms are also great next to egg and toast.


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## Claire (Aug 22, 2011)

Snip, we too love soup for breakfast.  Robo, the tomatoes are coming in and that sounds great.


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## Snip 13 (Aug 22, 2011)

Claire said:


> Snip, we too love soup for breakfast.  Robo, the tomatoes are coming in and that sounds great.



Soup is good any time of the day


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## spork (Aug 22, 2011)

Chinese breakfast rice porridge is almost like a soup.  And you can cook it up loaded with veggies and savory flavors.


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## Claire (Aug 22, 2011)

Oh, dear, Spork, congee?  I saw it with fish heads once and that did it for me.  Too much for breakfast!  Also there's one that is with soy "milk" and a weird vegetable (?) that looks sort of like a long, skinny loofah sponge.  You could get it in sweet (really, not much different from American breakfast cereal) or savory (my choice).  But, seriously, give me Lipton's or ramen or leftover home-made from the night before!


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## SherryDAmore (Aug 22, 2011)

I frequently have breakfast salad.  Start with fresh spinach and I build from there.  Boiled eggs, avocados, sugar snaps, cherry tomates, cheese, sprouts, nuts, leftovers from last night, especially seafood.  Yum.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Aug 22, 2011)

I have vegetables for breakfast all the time, but they're in an omelette or a fritatta, or a Spanish tortilla.


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## Dawgluver (Aug 22, 2011)

I usually don't eat breakfast, but I do like a glass of low sodium V-8 every morning.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 22, 2011)

Claire said:


> Oh, dear, Spork, congee?  I saw it with fish heads once and that did it for me.  Too much for breakfast!  Also there's one that is with soy "milk" and a weird vegetable (?) that looks sort of like a long, skinny loofah sponge.  You could get it in sweet (really, not much different from American breakfast cereal) or savory (my choice).  But, seriously, give me Lipton's or ramen or leftover home-made from the night before!



Would that be lotus?


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## Claire (Aug 22, 2011)

I don't think so (I've had lotus).  I'll do some research and get back.


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## Claire (Aug 22, 2011)

OK, the closest I could find is something that is called Chinese Crullers, but the photos look little like what I had with my Chinese friends.  They are long and skinny, but look more like a loofah sponge than what most of use would call pastry.  They were then sliced, and put in a bowl of soy milk, either sweet or spicy.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 22, 2011)

Claire said:


> OK, the closest I could find is something that is called Chinese Crullers, but the photos look little like what I had with my Chinese friends.  They are long and skinny, but look more like a loofah sponge than what most of use would call pastry.  They were then sliced, and put in a bowl of soy milk, either sweet or spicy.



Was it deep fried?


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Aug 22, 2011)

Salads are really good for breakfast. I love a mix of greens and fruits with cucumber, peas, carrots, broccoli, sweet pepper or even some minced chili's that I mixed in with the dressing. Basically whatever fresh veggies I have on hand. Yogurt dressings are really good and high in protein. You can also just toss it with some cottage cheese which is also high in protein. Blue cheese, feta or parmesan crumbles with a vinegar, lemon or lime based dressing are really good too and definitely make you feel awake.


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## msmofet (Aug 22, 2011)

Hub and I like fried peppers, onions and tomato for breakfast sometimes.

Mince a couple cloves fresh garlic. Clean and slice some cubanelle peppers or your favorite peppers (throw a couple hot ones in if you like hot), slice an onion or 2 and chop 1 or 2 vine tomatoes.  Heat heavy pan (I use cast iron) and add small amount of olive oil and/or grapeseed oil. Add the garlic and saute till fragrant then add peppers, onions and tomatoes to pan. Season with salt, ground peppercorns and ground red pepper flakes to taste. Saute till desired doneness and serve. We usually eat as is but you can eat with crusty bread.


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## cdmcake (Sep 18, 2011)

I like to saute some fresh spinach to go with eggs (takes about 5 minutes to wilt the spinach) or just drop some fresh salsa on the eggs for the last couple of minutes to warm up the salsa. This works with scrambled eggs or fried eggs. I also like chicken liver and onions -- saute the onions first, before you start the liver, so the onions cook through. This is very good for you if you use organic liver. Full of B vitamins, iron, and the onions have lots of vitamin C.


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## Robo410 (Sep 19, 2011)

leftover ratatouille in an omelet, mixed root veg hash, sauteed spinach and shallots on a bagel with cream cheese, roasted tomatoes with beans and eggs. Oh yeh, all of these are yummers.


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## shnooky (Oct 12, 2011)

Snip 13 said:


> Soup is good any time of the day


I don't know about anytime of day, I live in virginia and it gets quite hot here. But other than that, soup is always great!


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## abubakrs (Oct 14, 2011)

veggies for breakfast is a great idea.  

you can have hummus as a dip with cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, zuchinni and others.  you could also mix yogurt with a spice mix like zatar or duqa and dip in that.  just chop extra veg while you're cooking dinner the night before, mix your hummus or yogurt dip, and breakfast is ready.

vegetable pancakes are delicious also.  just grate or chop cabbage, zuchinni, greens, or other veg, mix with spices and enough egg to bind it all.  drop by spoonfuls into a frying pan and flatten. flip when first side is done.  eggplant is nice too if it is sauteed first.

savory oatmeal is good too.  in some countries oats are used only as a thickener for soup.  so take some leftover soup, add oats, reheat until oats are cooked.  make it as thick or thin as you like and call it savory oatmeal.

quick breads/muffins are a good idea also and don't have to be sweet.  use zuchinni, carrot, sweet potato, greens, corn, etc.  you can add spices and cheeses to make a variety of flavors.   if you mix and match with wheat, oats, and cornmeal there are many more options.

and savory bread puddings are delicious.  breakfast pizzas and burritos and quiche, also.  all are wonderfully yummy ways to eat veggies at breakfast.


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## pengyou (Oct 14, 2011)

Thanks for the ideas.  One thing that keeps me cautious about breakfast foods is that my stomach is a little bit acidic when i first get up, and the oatmeals and breads help take care of that.


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Oct 14, 2011)

pengyou said:
			
		

> Thanks for the ideas.  One thing that keeps me cautious about breakfast foods is that my stomach is a little bit acidic when i first get up, and the oatmeals and breads help take care of that.



Low acid, watery, high fiber vegetables like celery and lettuce can also help with that. Just limit stuff that is known to create a lot of gas like brocoli and cabbage. Or take a beano with the meal.


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## joesfolk (Jan 27, 2012)

I have become absolutely convinced that veggies are the way to make a hearty rib sticking breakfast without loading oneself down with the traditional carby, fatty breakfast fare that we in the US tend toward.  Now don't get me wrong, I love a great breakfast of eggs meat, potatoes and bread. But adding veggies has become a standard for me.  Today I really splurged and had a one egg cheese omlet smothered in asperagus (on sale this week) and fresh mushrooms, with 1/2 a mini bagel with a schmear of cream cheese and some strawberry jam, and to top it off a peppermint mocha latte.  I feel so very pampered.  
I love to add several tomato slices or some peaches as a side to eggs for breakfast.  Also a leaf lettuce with cottage cheese and sliced veggies makes a nice breakfast.  And it just feels so...I don't know... well almost decadent even though it's much better for me than all the fat and processed carbs.


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## MostlyWater (Jan 27, 2012)

i almost missed this thread !!!!


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## Timothy (Jan 27, 2012)

An omelet filled with finely diced veggies which have been sauteed in butter, with a bit of your favorite cheese is a wonderful breakfast. You can use almost any veggie for it.


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## Rocklobster (Jan 27, 2012)

Green smoothies are the way to go. . You can add spinach to any smoothie and you barley taste it. I also add cucumber, kale, chard, carrot juice, parsley, depending on what is in the fridge. The taste of these leafy greens pretty much get lost in a smoothie with other fruit, yogurt, milk etc........


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## Barbara L (Jan 27, 2012)

Rocklobster said:


> Green smoothies are the way to go. . You can add spinach to any smoothie and you barley taste it. I also add cucumber, kale, chard, carrot juice, parsley, depending on what is in the fridge. The taste of these leafy greens pretty much get lost in a smoothie with other fruit, yogurt, milk etc........


My daughter just tried this one this morning and loved it: My Top Secret Diet Weapon | Iowa Girl Eats


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## chopper (Jan 27, 2012)

I love all colors of bell peppers in a good omelette (with cheese too)!


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## CWS4322 (Jul 31, 2012)

I have veggies every morning for breakfast--usually steamed kale or swiss chard and then a glass of beet-carrot-kale-chard-apple/strawberry/blueberry/cherry juice. I sometimes add steamed green beans and, when it is tomato season (still waiting here), a tomato or two. I did read that if you eat greens, you should eat whole grains with them to get all the nutritional value. This morning I had barley with my greens, yesterday it was oatmeal, the day before that, 10-grain mix.


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## Margi Cintrano (Jul 31, 2012)

*Beetroot, Celery, Cucumber, Parsley Fresh Juice*

I have a veggie combo fresh juice almost every morning ... Sometimes, tropical fruit or tomato ... 

I am going to be 50, however, we take exemplary care of our body machines and always have. We function on optium energy level and are professionally & socially very active. We need to be fit to handle the extreme dryness of Madrid, however, this shall not be for much longer. 


Buonasera, Ciao.
Margaux Cintrano


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## blissful (Jul 31, 2012)

This morning I made two smoothies, one for today, one for tomorrow.
2 Tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 peach
1 plum
1 apple
1 banana
1/2 cup of water
10 almonds

I often add greens/lettuces.

I noticed that when I started having smoothies everyday, my acid stomach stopped. I haven't needed an antacid now for a couple months--not in the morning, not all day and not at night. I think it's amazing.


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## Kitchen Barbarian (Aug 23, 2012)

You want upma.  Just google, there are dozens of recipes.  I eat mine with soy sauce!


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## msmofet (Aug 23, 2012)

I had red and green frying peppers, onions, fresh garlic and chopped tomatoes fried in grapeseed oil for breakfast.


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## Siegal (Aug 23, 2012)

In Israel salad is a breakfast food. I can always tells the Israelis who walk into my store they order a salad at 9 am


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## taxlady (Aug 23, 2012)

I often have leftover salad with a chopped egg on top for breakfast.


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