I am Lauren, a passionate vegan of 4 years, and a vegetarian for almost 18 years. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. In this blog I will give you some ideas and recipes, so you can enjoy a vegan jar breakfast soon! I'm sure you will come up with your own unique twist on overnight oats, chia seed pudding, or smoothies. I hope this also inspires you to not skip breakfast, even on a busy day.

Morning 

I am most productive in the morning, so I try to leave the house early to take advantage of that. Breakfast may be my favorite meal, but it is hard to eat right after one wakes up, and it's also especially important not to eat too much right before the gym. To get the most sleep and not miss breakfast, I do most of the prep work in advance. I transport my breakfast each day in recycled peanut butter jars! They are the perfect size and I eat a lot of peanut butter so I end up with plenty of jars. With this strategy, I can prep breakfast for the whole week in advance!

Protein

It's nice to get some protein in your breakfast, especially if you will be working out.  Chia seeds and peanut butter give breakfast a great protein boost, and you can also fortify any of these recipes with the protein powder of your choice. 

Below, I’ll give you some breakfast ideas for each day of the week. My favorite breakfast base right now is…

Chia seed pudding

You'll need:

• 45-60g chia seeds
• 150 ml plant-based milk of choice

Simply mix these together and stir! After 5-10 minutes after they have been mixed, they need to be mixed again. Otherwise a bunch of seeds get stuck at the bottom. Because I use jars I can usually just get away with vigorously shaking the jar but sometimes I do need to use a spoon to get them unstuck. You might like it thicker or thinner, so adjust the ratio of chia seeds-milk to suit you. Vegans can have a hard time getting enough omega-3s and chia seeds are a great source! 

Monday: Chia Seed pudding with fall vibes

I top my chia seed pudding with...

• A quarter of a Persimmon
• Half a Banana
• Spoonful Hemp hearts
• Spoonful of Cacao nibs
• Cinnamon

The market is the best (and cheapest) place to get fresh fruit. Hemp hearts can be found at Lidl. These are also full of protein!  As for cacao nibs, try albert Heijn, Ekoplaza, or Holland and Barrett. These add a lovely chocolatey crunch, with none of the sugar.

The additions can be added the night before, but I recommend either leaving plenty of room in the jar for your toppings or mixing them in a separate bowl and putting it in a jar to go. These fruits just taste better fresh, and the cacao nibs are crunchier.

Tuesday: Tropical smoothie

• 150g pineapple 
• 150g mango 
• 1 orange
• 1 banana
• 240ml coconut water

Add more coconut water as needed, using frozen fruit will require more liquid to blend!

In order to make this in advance, I chop the fruit and put the ingredients for one smoothie in a jar in the freezer. Then I just have to put it in the blender with coconut water, and pour it right back in the same jar. It can be tricky to get frozen fruit out of a jar, so I recommend running warm water over it first or just using a reusable bag instead. 

Wednesday: Overnight Oats (Blueberry lemon version)

• 50g rolled oats
• 80g vegan yogurt (I use Alpro Naturel)
• 150ml plant-based milk of choice
• 95g blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 16 ml Lemon juice
• dash of vanilla extract
• 10g chia seeds
• pinch of salt

Just mix all together and leave it in the fridge overnight. Oats are not only filling, but also a great source of iron and fiber!

Thursday: Strawberry mint smoothie

• 400g strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 banana
• 8-12 fresh mint leaves
• 240 ml plant-based milk of choice

This one is so refreshing!

Friday: Chia Seed pudding with winter vibes

Top your chia seed pudding with...

• Half a pear
• Half an apple
• Goji berries
• Muesli
• Hemp hearts

Goji berries are packed full of antioxidants! I love to put dried goji berries in my chia seed pudding before refrigerating it, so they get soft. But they also work as a topping! These can be found at Lidl.

Saturday: Overnight Oats (Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana version)

• 50g rolled oats
• 80g vegan yogurt (I use Alpro Naturel)
• 150ml plant-based milk of choice
• 10g chia seeds 
• dash of vanilla extract
• 15g cocoa powder
• two spoonfuls of peanut butter
• pinch of salt

Just mix all together and leave it in the fridge overnight! I top it with or mix in sliced banana in the morning because banana just doesn't save well overnight.

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I am Lauren, a second year Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Master student. I have my Bachelors in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior; which has given me a lot of background on how and why ecosystems are collapsing; and also what we can do about it!