Vegetables for Breakfast!?

I know it sounds odd.   I haven't wanted to admit it much here.  People usually associate hearty grains or eggs for breakfast.  But, I love my vegetables.  So I'm coming out of the closet.

Hello.  My name is Lauren.  And sometimes, I eat vegetables for breakfast.

I was first introduced to the idea when reading about macrobiotics a few years ago.  While I never followed the diet, the concept of it interested me.  At the time, I was a omelet or oatmeal for breakfast kind of girl, with an occasional fruit smoothie thrown in for kicks.  For me, vegetables, although I loved them dearly, had their proper place on my plate for lunch and dinner. Unless they were mixed in with eggs, vegetables before noon were out of the question.

Then, almost a year ago, I had the great fortune of meeting an ayurvedic practitioner.  I had read a lot about Ayurveda at this point, but it took talking to someone to really help me understand its concepts.  She developed a cleanse for me to go on, where my breakfast would consist of a kale and green apple smoothie.  At first, it felt strange to eat kale fro breakfast.  But, I learned to enjoy it, and have adapted the idea into my morning routine.

While I don't eat vegetables for breakfast every day, I find I have a lot of energy when I do.  I typically add a handful of almonds or a couple heaving spoonfuls of yogurt, and some flax oil to the mix.  Sometimes I eat them with some quinoa, millet, or amaranth.  Or I mix them with cheese.  And after a year of not eating eggs, I have started to add them back into my diet, for a more veggies and egg dish rather than a eggs with veggies dish.

This morning's breakfast was simple, but had a lot of variety in both taste and texture.  Sauteed onions, kale, spinach, and broccoli spiced with curry powder, cooled a bit and coupled with lactose-free plain yogurt.  One things I've grown quite fond of is adding spices to plain yogurt.  It makes me smile.  To add some good fats, I drizzle some flax oil over the dish, which adds a lovely nutty flavor.  Here's the recipe, if you're feeling  bold and want veggies before sun-high.

Spiced Veggies with Yogurt

• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cups loosely packed kale leaves off the stem and chopped
• 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach
• 2 cups brocolli florets
• 2 cups yogurt (cow, lactose free, goat, soy, rice -- no matter, just as long as its plain and unsweetened)
• 2 tablespoons flax oil

Cook the onion in about an inch of water.  When the onions are translucent, add in the rest of your vegetables and the spices.  Once everything is cooked to a lovely soft consistency, let it cool for a bit -- this way the yogurt won't curdle.  Stir in yogurt and top with flax oil.  Serves 2.

What do you eat for breakfast?  Have you tried eating your veggies in the a.m.?