Starting your day with a balanced breakfast is one of the most impactful ways to feel your best throughout the day. It fuels your mind, nourishes your body, and sets the tone for an energised and productive day ahead. The great news? Balanced breakfasts can be fun, flavour-packed, quick and simple to prepare. To make things easy, we’ve put together this guide to creating delicious plant-based breakfasts that will make you feel great, and never want to skip again!
Opt for a high fibre, whole-grain base:
Packed with fibre, whole grains are a great foundation for a balanced breakfast. They provide slow-release energy by slowly down digestion, keeping your blood sugar levels steady, which in turn helps to keep you feeling satisfied and energised until lunchtime. Jumbo or whole grain oats, in particular, are true breakfast heroes. They’re high in soluble fibre, easy to prepare, and incredibly versatile (we have lots of recipes with oats below!). (1)
Other whole grain options can include whole-wheat breads, buckwheat and quinoa.
Recipes to try:
These super-simple overnight oats are the perfect breakfast-on-the-go recipe, packed with nutrients and flavour. A mixture of creamy oats, seeds and a hint of cacao make a great base for your favourite toppings — we love this with fresh berries and nut butter; it’s also delicious with fruit compote or grated apple. Try adding toasted nuts and seeds for extra fibre.
View Recipe
Ever tried slow-cooking porridge in the oven? If not, this is your sign to give it a try! Baked oats are absolutely delicious, the flavour intensifies as it bubbles away in the oven, leaving you with an extra creamy, nutritious breakfast or brunch. We’ve used grated apple here, but sliced banana, pears and berries are great additions too.
View Recipe
No time for breakfast? This simple fruity smoothie blends oats, chia seeds and nut butter for slow-release energy to keep you going right through to lunchtime.
View Recipe
The perfect fuss-free breakfast. This takes less than 15 minutes to prep the night before, meaning you have the most delicious, nourishing breakfast ready to go as soon as you wake up.
View Recipe
Rich and indulgent, yet still a nourishing weekday breakfast — this crunchy, creamy cacao & hazelnut overnight oats is one of our favourite ways to start the day.
View Recipe
Start your day right with a warming bowl of creamy porridge — with hemp and chia seeds, it’s supercharged with fibre, protein and healthy fats. Flavoured with juicy antioxidant-packed blueberries, breakfast never tasted so good.
View Recipe
The combination of oats and quinoa makes this porridge smooth, creamy and higher in protein than using only oats. Precooking a big batch of quinoa at the start of the week makes for quick and easy meals when you don’t have much time to cook. You can use any nut butter you like, or even add a small handful of your favourite nuts. We add hemp seeds to this porridge to make it extra filling and provide a source of Omega 3 fatty acids.
View RecipePrioritise Protein:
Protein is your best friend when it comes to feeling full, satisfied and maintaining long-lasting energy. This is because it takes longer to digest than carbohydrates (like your oats), causing a slower release of energy and triggering the release of satiety hormones in your body. It’s also essential for muscle repair, immune health, and overall vitality. Thankfully, plant-based protein options are abundant and versatile, making them easy to incorporate into your breakfast.
Legumes and pulses (like beans, chickpeas, and lentils) are nutrient-powerhouses: rich in protein, fibre and packed with essential minerals like iron and magnesium. Perfect for those more savoury ‘on toast’ breakfasts, there are endless combinations of delicious flavours. (3)
Tofu is another super versatile, plant-based protein. You’ll get 8-10g or protein per 100g, plus it’s rich in calcium, supporting bone and heart health.(2) Use it in scrambles, hashes or even blended into sweet recipes for variety.
Nut butters (like almond, peanut, or cashew butter) are an easy way to add more protein to your breakfast. Spread them on toast, swirl them into steaming porridge, or add them to smoothies for a delicious, protein boost.
Recipes to try:
This is the ideal recipe if you're after a savoury breakfast. It's perfectly seasoned with turmeric and nutritional yeast, which gives it incredible depth of flavour. We love ours served with potatoes and wilted spinach, but feel free to experiment with side dishes, or just have it by itself!
View Recipe
This tofu scramble is full of protein and healthy fats, making it a super satisfying weekend brunch.
View Recipe
Homemade cashew butter is so much yummier than the ones you buy, as the texture is smoother and creamier and once you put the vanilla into the mix everything is taken to the next level, and you end up with a jar of heaven. Honestly, it's outrageously good. It tastes and smells like cake mix and I'm currently sitting here eating it straight out the food processor with a teaspoon - you guys just have to go and make this as soon as you can. I know I say this a lot, but this recipe really is the best! You can add it to toast, dip dates into it, drizzle it on porridge, blend it into smoothies, add it to banana ice cream and just eat it straight from the jar as a snack!
View Recipe
This is the recipe for our delicious Nutty Granola. We love to enjoy it with almond milk and a handful of fresh berries, or as a topping on coconut yoghurt or smoothie bowls.
View Recipe
This harissa butter beans on toast is the ultimate simple breakfast recipe packed full of flavour. The creamy harissa sauce tastes delicious mixed with the garlicky fried butter beans. We love to serve this on some toasted sourdough, with a pinch of chilli flakes and some fresh parsley.
View Recipe
Using only a handful of ingredients, these spicy smashed chickpeas are a go-to for speedy meals. We love them piled onto avocado on sourdough toast.
View Recipe
This upgraded beans on toast makes a delicious and satisfying breakfast. The smooth and creamy butterbeans are perfectly complemented by the punchy umami mushrooms.
View Recipe
This black bean brunch recipe is inspired by chilaquiles — a traditional Mexican dish consisting of corn tortilla chips served over a richly flavoured broth. In our take, we have added black beans, a creamy cashew sauce and fresh charred corn salsa. There are many variations of chilaquiles, so view this recipe as a suggestion, rather than the rule — avocado, scrambled tofu, sautéed spinach or any kind of tomato salsa would be delicious on top. We love the taste of the charred sweetcorn in the salsa but, if you prefer, feel free to use a small tin of plain uncharred sweetcorn. And if you don’t fancy making your own tortilla chips, simply use shop bought.
View Recipe
If you thought nut butter couldn’t get any better, think again. This version is sweetened with maple syrup and cinnamon and promises to enhance any food it's paired with. Enjoy for breakfast: on toast with fruit; drizzled over warm porridge; or teamed with granola and yoghurt. When it comes to the mix of nuts and seeds, the choice is yours.
View Recipe
This green shakshuka is a lovely, savoury brunch recipe with spinach, peas, garlic, fresh coriander and green peppers. Delicious served with a chunky slice of sourdough, a dollop of coconut yoghurt and a crack of black pepper.
View Recipe
Roasted chickpeas are one of our favourite things to make and add a delicious crunch to creamy avocado on toast. We love to roast them in olive oil and cumin - but paprika, chilli powder and even cayenne pepper all work great too.
View Recipe
Fresh, vibrant vegetables teamed with hot fried potatoes make a hearty crowd-pleasing brunch, ideal for lazy weekends.
View RecipeIncorporate Healthy Fats:
Despite the negative connotations around ‘fats’ in general, healthy fats are essential for supporting brain function, hormone regulation, heart health and maintaining long-lasting energy throughout the morning. Similar to protein, fats do this by helping to slow down digestion, and they help your body absorb vital fat-soluble vitamins too. (4) Don’t shy away from adding these nutrient-rich options to your breakfast to keep you fuller for longer!
Avocado is a nutrient-packed fruit that’s rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, fibre and potassium. Smash it on toast or blend into smoothies for a creamy texture.
Nuts and seeds (like almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds) are another great source of healthy fats. Sprinkle them on porridge, yoghurt or smoothie bowls for added crunch and flavour. We love roasting a big batch on the weekends to easily elevate any breakfast without extra thought or time.
Coconut, in its various forms - oil, flakes, or milk - adds a touch of sweetness while contributing healthy fats to your breakfast.
Recipes to try:
These delicious mango and chia breakfast bowls are perfect for the summer months. It’s easy to make, and a super refreshing, gut-friendly way to start your day. Top with whatever you like, but we love the crunchy, toasted coconut topping here for a great texture, as well as some sliced banana to top up your plant intake.
View Recipe
A sprinkling of seeds turns this breakfast favourite into a complete meal with plant-protein, and even better, it’s a two-minute meal.
View Recipe
This is going to take your smoothie game to the next level! The coffee gives it an extra punch, with the frozen banana and cauliflower making it extra creamy. You can easily turn it into breakfast-on-the-go simply by adding some oats.
View Recipe
This pesto avocado on toast is the ultimate avocado on toast. The pine nut pesto adds such a delicious flavour to the creamy mashed avocado. We love to top this with a sprinkle of chilli flakes and a crack of black pepper.
View Recipe
Make your own nut butter once and you will not go back to shop bought. A jar of freshly made nut butter in your cupboard elevates a simple meal or snack into something truly special. Spread some on toast, drizzle a little over your morning porridge, eat with fresh fruit or stir some into a curry for richness - the uses are endless. Consider this collection of simple recipes as simple inspiration to get you started - nut butter is completely customisable so feel free to experiment with your favourite nuts, seeds and flavourings.
View Recipe
These almond butter overnight oats are a great breakfast to make ahead and enjoy on busy mornings. The creamy almond butter tastes delicious mixed with the oats, almond milk and juicy raisins. We love to serve this with some mixed berry compote and fresh raspberries.
View Recipe
We're huge fans of avocado toast and this recipe is our new breakfast & lunch go-to. Make sure to use really smooth, runny tahini for this (we love Belazu.) It tastes incredible with just a squeeze of lemon and sprinkled with chilli flakes.
View Recipe
These spelt crêpes feature a classic combination of lemon juice and sugar — we love to make them for a great weekend breakfast. They're also delicious with chocolate sauce, fresh fruit or maple syrup.
View RecipeLoad Up on Fruits and Veggies
Fruits and vegetables are the unsung heroes of breakfast. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, they brighten your plate and supercharge your morning.
Add fresh fruits like berries, bananas, apples and citrus for natural sweetness and a range of micronutrients.
Don’t forget greens! Spinach, kale and other leafy veggies are loaded with vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as iron and calcium. These can be sautéed in savoury recipes or easily blended into smoothies to sneak in an extra nutrient boost. (6)
Recipes to try:
Brighten up your morning with this fresh and zesty smoothie. The frozen banana and cauliflower makes this smoothie extra creamy and the mango adds a burst of sunshine. It’s the perfect way to kick-start your day.
View Recipe
A delicious 5-minute wonder. This smoothie isn’t too sweet and is packed with nutrition and flavour. A blend of blueberries, banana, coconut yoghurt and almond butter, with the addition of frozen cauliflower for extra creaminess, to up your daily veg intake! It may sound strange, but trust us, you won’t taste it and it’s a surprisingly great source of vitamin C.
View Recipe
The protein from the hemp and chia seeds make these supercharged pancakes really filling and satisfying, while the banana and dates keep them naturally sweet.
View Recipe
Our version of the TikTok-famous custard toast, this simple yet indulgent breakfast is just the ticket for a lazy weekend brunch.
View Recipe
Whizz up a satisfying breakfast smoothie in minutes. Packing in plenty of nutritious ingredients, such as spinach, banana, hemp and chia seeds, it will keep you going through until lunchtime.
View Recipe
This easy-to-bake blueberry & lemon muffin recipe will become a staple in your repertoire. They're light, fresh and subtly sweet, thanks to the jammy blueberries.
View Recipe
Inspired by a hedgerow, this vibrant green smoothie bowl is packed with polyphenol-rich spinach and topped with sweet berries, crisp apple and a sprinkling of cacao nibs.
View RecipeSummary
Constructing a balanced breakfast is easy when you break it down into key components: high-fibre whole grains, protein, healthy fats, and fruits or veggies. With these building blocks, you can create a variety of delicious plant-based breakfasts that leave you feeling nourished, satisfied, and energise your day.
1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4188247/
3. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthiest-beans-legumes
4. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19932237/high-fat-breakfasts-help-weight-loss/
