How to Build a Dairy Free and Egg Free Breakfast

The best way to fill you up for hours is to get the right balance of protein, fat, and carbs at each meal. One thing I have learned through my certification in nutrition, and by working with moms, is that there is no magic ratio that works for everyone. In fact, I don’t pay attention to any of those numbers, calories, macronutrients, micronutrients…it’s not worth the hassle. Eat what makes you feel good until you are full. In general, however, especially for breastfeeding moms, I recommend having a more protein-heavy breakfast and add more carbs throughout the day.

Four things you need to know about building a better breakfast (or any meal):

1. Protein does not always mean animal protein
It’s great to load up on protein in the morning, but that doesn’t mean you need eggs, dairy or meat. Some other great sources of protein include beans, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, nuts and seeds
2. Carbs do not always mean bread, rice, etc.
There are plenty of carb-heavy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash. Carb-wise, that might be all you need in the morning. If you like a piece of toast or a bagel with breakfast, and you feel ok afterwards, then go for it. While breastfeeding, I definitely ate lots of carbs (all the bagels, please!). But now that I’m not nursing, I don’t feel great if I have a ton of refined carbs in the morning.
3. Don’t be afraid of fats
…as long as they are good for you fats like from high quality meats, avocado, coconut oil, grass fed ghee (see my video about eating ghee while dairy free), or olive oil. Avoid processed oils like canola, vegetable, etc. Other good sources of fats are nuts and seeds.
4. Don’t be afraid of huge amounts of food
Pile it on, mama! As long as your plate is mostly plants, then eat up!

Keep reading for dairy free and egg free breakfast inspiration…

First, are you a sweet or savory breakfast person?

If you tend towards the sweet side then oatmeal is your best bet to fuel you and baby up for the morning. Make some overnight oats with plant-based milk and a mashed banana and loads of cinnamon for some sweetness. In the morning, top with things like nut butter, coconut yogurt, or berries. The only downside to this is it’s lacking in the vegetables. That can be solved by adding pumpkin, zucchini, or carrots to your oatmeal!

Savory more your deal? Build yourself a breakfast bowl, it may not be pretty, but it will be delicious and keep your full for hours.

1. Start with a protein. Remember, this doesn’t always have to mean meat or eggs, quinoa is one of my favs.
2. Pile on the leafy greens! Sauté spinach, kale, chard, beet greens, even broccoli or cauliflower leaves in a good quality fat (coconut oil is my fav).
3. Add MORE veggies! While cooking up the greens, toss in some shredded or diced carrots, zucchini, broccoli, beets, peas, whatever is in the fridge.
4. (optional) add some carbs if you’d like (potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, toast, etc.)

Sound like too much for the morning? You can make a big batch for the next 2 or three days, divide it into portion-sized containers and just reheat in the morning.

Here are some actual, not so pretty, but delicious breakfasts that I’ve eaten recently: