Healthy Breakfast Recipes: 5 Quick And Easy Ways To Start The Day

All hail the veg!

We all know it’s hard enough to get your five-a-day, let alone seven-a-day, which has been the fruit and veg guideline since 2014.

That's why at HuffPost UK Lifestyle, we believe you should get cracking with healthy foods first thing in the morning. And there are far more interesting things you can do than adding berries and sliced banana to your porridge.

Whether you're switching toast for sweet potatoes or your full English for a breakfast salad, there's plenty to get excited about.

We've selected five weekday breakfast alternatives that you can prepare quickly at home or in your kitchen at work.

Bon appétit!

1. Sweet potato toast

Forget rye bread or sourdough, because thinly sliced pieces of sweet potato can be easily toasted in the morning for a healthy breakfast snack. 

Blogger Kelsey from 'Little Bits Of' recommends topping your sweet potato toast with almond butter, banana and cinnamon; or avocado, salt, pepper and lemon zest.

 

2. Kale smoothie

Vegetables don't necessarily mean boring breakfasts. This 'hide your kale' smoothie from The Minimalist Baker's Dana Shultz is packed with goodness - and you can't even taste the kale.

You will need: one ripe banana, half a cup of frozen mixed berries, one tablespoon of hemp seeds, two cups of fresh kale, two thirds of a cup of pomegranate juice and three quarters of a cup of water.

Simply blend all of the ingredients together, adding more water as you go. 

"Add more banana or agave for some added sweetness," says Shultz.

 

3. Avocado on toast

A modern classic, that looks awesome on Instagram.

Simply mash an avocado, toast some bread, slap one on top of the other and you've got yourself a quick and easy morning snack.

Squeeze a lemon and season with salt and pepper, or add some chopped chillies and red onion for a stronger taste. 

 

4. Green smoothie bowls

Smoothie bowls have taken the social media world by storm recently. While many of them contain fruit, there are ways to incorporate tasty and healthy veggies into your breakfast smoothie bowl too.

According to Dana Schultz from The Minimalist Baker, you can make a delicious smoothie bowl with avocado, bananas, berries, spinach, kale and milk. 

Blend the following ingredients for the smoothie: one quarter of a ripe avocado, two medium ripe bananas, one cup of fresh or frozen mixed berries, two large handfuls of spinach, one small handful of kale, two cups of unsweetened non-dairy milk and one tablespoon of flaxseed meal.

Topping ideas include: roasted sunflower seeds, granola, raw or roasted nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.), shredded unsweetened coconut, fresh berries, hemp seeds.

 

5. Asparagus and egg breakfast salad 

Salads aren't just for lunch or dinner - they can be a delicious breakfast meal too.

To create a tasty asparagus and egg salad, you will need: one egg, two cups of chopped asparagus and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Bring a pan of water to the boil, pop an egg into the water and leave to simmer for five minutes. 

Steam the asparagus for three minutes, until tender yet firm. Drain and run under cold water to stop it from cooking further.

Pop the asparagus on a plate or in some tupperware, top with sliced egg and drizzle with some olive oil or vinaigrette. 

Cook and add sliced bacon if you've got more time.

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