As the name suggests, a plant-based diet incorporates foods that come from plants. These foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains.

Starting your day with plant-based foods is a great way to break an overnight fast. Plus, research shows that choosing plant-based foods over animal products for just one meal a day is good for your health and the environment.^[1]

You’ll find a variety of plant-based foods in our stores, including fresh produce.

What is a plant-based diet?

As the name suggests, a plant-based diet incorporates foods that come from plants. These foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. Some people who follow a plant-based diet don’t eat meat, eggs, dairy, or any products that come from animals.

But you don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan to enjoy plant-based foods. Some people prefer to follow a plant-focused diet. With this approach, you enjoy meats, eggs, and dairy products in moderation, along with plant-based foods.^[2]

Easy plant-focused diet breakfast recipes and ideas

If you’re used to having eggs, yogurt, or milk in the morning, you might find it challenging to come up with plant-based breakfast ideas. Or perhaps you’re tired of your usual morning meal and want to expand your breakfast choices.

To start your day off right, try these plant-focused breakfast recipes and ideas:

• Find new ways to enjoy oatmeal.
• Take a chance on chia seeds.
• Tempt your tastebuds with tofu.
• Go nuts for almond and peanut butter.

Find new ways to enjoy oatmeal

Oatmeal is a healthy whole grain that provides important nutrients like vitamins B and E, as well as calcium, magnesium, and zinc.^[3] It’s also a good source of fiber. A high-fiber diet can aid digestion, protect your heart, and stabilize blood glucose levels.^[4] Because fiber is filling, having oatmeal in the morning is one way to keep hunger pangs at bay until lunchtime.

You can purchase different types of oatmeal, such as:

• Steel-cut oats: These oats are the least processed, which is why they take longer to cook.
• Rolled oats: Also called old-fashioned oats, rolled oats go through a steaming and flattening process that softens them. As a result, they cook faster.
• Quick oats: Also known as instant oats, these thinly cut oats cook the fastest.

But you don’t have to cook oatmeal to enjoy it. Overnight oats are a popular make-ahead breakfast option for busy mornings. You simply mix old-fashioned (rolled) oatmeal with milk or a milk alternative, as well as other ingredients, in a mason jar or other container. The oatmeal softens overnight and is ready to eat in the morning.

Try this Mason jar overnight oats with cinnamon, dried fruit, and nuts recipe. Or give these oatmeal recipes a go:

• Crunchy peanut butter and apple oatmeal
• Giant oatmeal-date “banana bread” cookie
• Oatmeal banana pancakes with fresh fruit
• Savory oatmeal with soft-boiled egg, avocado, fresh herbs, and sesame

Take a chance on chia seeds

Chia seeds are considered a superfood because they provide a host of health benefits.^[5] These tiny seeds are an excellent source of fiber, protein, plant omega-3s, and disease-fighting antioxidants. They’re also rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, and other nutrients.^[6]

For people who exclusively follow an all-plant-based diet, chia seeds provide plant omega-3 fatty acids (fish omega-3s are found in seafood and salmon.) Omega-3s from plants and fish are a healthy type of polyunsaturated fat, which means it’s a fat you can—and should—eat. This fat supports heart and brain health.^[7] It also fights inflammation.

You can add chia seeds to yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, and other breakfast foods. They’re also great in smoothies. Try these chia seed recipes:

• Mango chia seed pudding with pistachios
• Mason jar overnight chia seed pudding with almond milk and mixed berries
• Raspberry-chia seed pancakes with bananas and honey

Tempt your tastebuds with tofu

With 10 grams of protein per half cup, firm tofu has as much protein as a half cup of eggs (2 large eggs) but zero cholesterol.^[8] Tofu is also a complete protein, which means it has all 9 essential amino acids that your body needs to repair tissues, build muscles, and carry nutrients.^[9]

This soybean and water mixture makes a great addition to smoothies and other breakfast dishes. Jumpstart your mornings with these tofu-based breakfast recipes:

• Savory mushroom and potato tofu scramble
• Scrambled tofu breakfast burrito with carrot, celery, and cilantro
• Tofu scramble breakfast tostadas with feta, tomatoes, olives, and parsley 

Go nuts for almond and peanut butter

Natural-style peanut butter is affordable and accessible and almond butter is high in heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which can help raise good cholesterol.^[10] This nut butter is also rich in bone-building calcium and magnesium. And when you make almond butter a part of your day, you’ll get antioxidants like vitamin E, which may help protect the brain from inflammation.^[11]

Be smart and try these nut butter recipes:

• Almond butter Greek yogurt parfait with grapes
• Blueberry crumble smoothie with oats, almond butter, and cinnamon
• Maple ricotta almond butter toast with sliced banana

In summary: Start your day with plant-based foods

It’s easier than you might think to make plant-based foods a main breakfast staple. To keep you full until lunchtime, look for foods and recipes that provide protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Now that you know more about plant-based foods, you may be curious about how to make smart shopping choices. The Sincerely Health nutrition tools in the grocery app can help.

You can start by downloading the grocery app. You’ll save $10* on groceries for creating an account. Next, create a personalized Sincerely Health nutrition profile to receive 1,000 points.

Your nutrition profile allows you to:

• Set specific nutrition goals.
• Earn 10 points for items you purchase for a maximum 100 points per order (that’s 10 items at 10 points each).

Plant-based breakfast FAQs:

Can you eat oatmeal on a plant-based diet?

Yes, oatmeal is a healthy whole grain that has fiber to fill you up. Oatmeal also provides important nutrients.

How can you get protein at breakfast on a plant-based diet?

Tofu, almond butter, and peanut butter are good protein sources to start your day.

What are the benefits of eating a plant-based breakfast?

Research shows that choosing plant-based foods over animal products for just one meal a day is good for your health and the environment.^[12]

Sign up for Sincerely Health and create a nutrition profile to help you get healthy today!

Download your app on the App Store today

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[1] The Lancet Planetary Health. Health and environmental impacts of plant-rich dietary patterns: a US prospective cohort study. Last reviewed November 2022. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519622002431

[2] Food Insight. A Simple Guide to Plant-Based Eating. Last reviewed April 5, 2023. https://foodinsight.org/what-does-eating-a-plant-based-diet-mean/

[3] Oldways Whole Grains Council. Happy National Oatmeal Month. Last reviewed 2009. https://wholegrainscouncil.org/blog/2009/01/happy-national-oatmeal-month 

[4] Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Fiber. Last reviewed April 2022. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/

[5] Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Chia Seeds. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/food-features/chia-seeds/#

[6] Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. What Are the Benefits of Chia Seeds? Last reviewed June 20, 2023. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-chia-seeds; Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. What Is a Superfood, Anyway? Last reviewed November 9, 2021.

[7] Harvard Health Publishing. Chia Seeds: What You Need to Know. Last reviewed February 21, 2024. https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/chia-seed-benefits-what-you-need-to-know

[8] USDA. Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate. Last reviewed April 2018. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172475/nutrients; USDA. Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled. Last reviewed April 2018. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173424/nutrients

[9] Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. 5 Reasons to Eat More Tofu. Last reviewed September 13, 2023. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/tofu-benefits

[10] Cedars Sinai. Nut Butters: Which One Is Healthiest? Last reviewed January 17, 2020. https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/nut-butters.html

[11] Cleveland Clinic. Four Reasons Almonds Are Good for You. Last reviewed May 11, 2023. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-almonds

[12] The Lancet Planetary Health. Health and environmental impacts of plant-rich dietary patterns: a US prospective cohort study. Last reviewed November 2022. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519622002431

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