When I first started experimenting with changing my food habits, I went gluten free. Breakfast was the one meal I had the most trouble changing. I ended up just going to non-wheat based cereals, oatmeal, or other traditional American breakfast foods like eggs and bacon.

When I went vegan and completely grain free, my ideas about breakfast had already started to shift. I had already given up grains, dairy and eggs at various times, so I had to figure something else out.

One important lesson that I learned in creating new food habits was that breakfast is just a meal, not a category of foods. It doesn’t have to be cereal with milk(or nut milks), toast, eggs and bacon, oatmeal or a muffin. If you can have “Brinner” (breakfast for dinner), why not dinner, lunch or anything else for breakfast?

The first time I tried a salad for breakfast was great. Then I started branching out. Of course I had smoothies and fruit, I eat a couple bananas with breakfast nearly everyday. I’ve had sweet potatoes. I’ve had steamed brussels sprouts. I’ve had soups. This morning I had a small acorn squash, boiled whole until the skin cracked and was easily pealed off by hand once it cooled. I also had 2 bananas, a persimmon, and brussels sprouts with a small sweet potato and hot sauce.

A huge part of changing food habits is changing your mindset. At one time, I couldn’t conceive of giving up bread, pasta, cheese, meat, or sugar. Slowly, one-by-one, I was able to change how I thought about each. I don’t need meat for protein. I find fruit just as satisfying as candy was in the past. Water quenches my thirst better than soda or juice. And breakfast is whatever I want it to be.