Simple but elegant breakfast menus without eggs and pork

[mikkidonaldson]

Hi, guys... I'm new around these here parts  but I was wondering what is the best breakfast to cook without using eggs and pork?  My mom is a diabetic and must eat some form of fiber every day... they recommend oatmeal of course but I'm so tired of oatmeal.  She doesn't like cream of wheat and I don't want to make it complicated as I don't know how to cook that well.  And if you hadn't guess, we live in the south.  I don't eat pork or eggs which she is so stuck on having so sometimes a plate for us both is a challenge.  She tends to frown on trying new things.  A fixed income doesn't make it any easier as I see healthy eating cost a little more. Does anyone have any ideas how to come to a tasty compromise?  I've tried pancakes and adding fruit as a topping or adding the fruit to the batter and I've added fresh fruit to her oatmeal for extra taste and vitamins.  

 

Any suggestions you have, I will appreciate.  

[Anna N]

 I think the first thing you need to consider is why you are hung up on the idea that only certain foods are suitable for breakfast. If you read through the breakfast thread on this forum you will see that many of us have ditched this idea.  If you enjoy it for lunch or for dinner you can enjoy it for breakfast. 

I will not make any specific  recommendations because I'm not a dietician nor am I a diabetic and I could make some serious mistakes.  Try to get your head around the idea that there are more things you can eat for breakfast than eggs and oatmeal.  Soups, salads, sandwiches, leftovers all make perfectly adequate and tasty breakfasts.  Read through the breakfast thread  and see if there is anything there you could adapt. Good luck. 

[cakewalk]

Smoothies can make a nice breakfast, especially in the summer. Fresh fruit can add good fiber to a diet. I don't eat pork either (for different reasons, although I do love my eggs), but fish (either fresh or smoked or fish cakes) could be a good protein substitute. It's hard when someone doesn't like to try new things, but the old things are no longer a possibility.  

 

I don't see where the OP is "hung up" on anything.

[IndyRob]

27 minutes ago, cakewalk said:

I don't see where the OP is "hung up" on anything.

 

I don't think that was meant to mean that the OP was uniquely hung up on what breakfast food is.  Many of us are.  Anthony Bourdain, for instance, likes a big bowl of Asian noodles for breakfast.  But that's not for me.  No rational reason given.

[cakewalk]

1 minute ago, IndyRob said:

 

I don't think that was meant to mean that the OP was uniquely hung up on what breakfast food is.  Many of us are.  Anthony Bourdain, for instance, likes a big bowl of Asian noodles for breakfast.  But that's not for me.  No rational reason given.

Not sure what Anthony Bourdain has to do with this. I think the response was precisely "meant to mean that the OP was uniquely hung up on what breakfast food is." I do not see that anywhere in the OP's post.

[IndyRob]

1 minute ago, cakewalk said:

Not sure what Anthony Bourdain has to do with this. I think the response was precisely "meant to mean that the OP was uniquely hung up on what breakfast food is." I do not see that anywhere in the OP's post.

I was using AB as someone who has embraced other forms of breakfast, whereas I, and many like me, have not.

[Anna N]

I did not intend any kind of judgement.   I was merely suggesting that the OP think outside the box.  I see her mentioning eggs, pork which I assume is bacon, oatmeal, pancakes etc. Traditional breakfast foods for many people in North America. 

[blue_dolphin]

Welcome to eG, @mikkidonaldson!  Can you say a little more about the "simple but elegant" part of your request for breakfast menus?  On the simple side, is this something that needs to be prepared and eaten very quickly? You mention that you don't know how to cook well - are you interested in learning new skills or should suggestions stick only to the most basic things?  Do you have time for a little prep either in the AM or the night before?  

By "elegant," I think I can assume that we're not eating this in the car   but I'm not sure what else that means.

Edited March 18, 2017 by blue_dolphin (log)

[Tri2Cook]

I understood what Anna meant. Most people in North America not posting in the eGullet breakfast discussion tend to think in terms of certain items/types of food when it comes to breakfast. I know I do, and I am on eGullet and have participated in the breakfast discussion. I initially viewed that discussion as everybody wanting to be the hip, cool kid trying to raise the bar on eating something strange for breakfast but I quickly caught on to the idea that that wasn't the case at all. It was just my preconceived ideas of what constitutes breakfast influencing me. That said, the original post did mention that her mom isn't generally open to exploring new things so it might make her job easier if we try to stay somewhere in the vicinity of what most would recognize as breakfast food in the area where she lives.

I wish I could offer something helpful but steering away from eggs and pork while staying within the realm of commonly accepted North American breakfast foods (especially breakfast in the southern U.S. which tends to be almost entirely about eggs and pork) while allowing for her being diabetic falls outside of my area of experience.

[pastrygirl]

So your mom can eat eggs and pork, you just prefer not to cook them?  If she likes sausage for breakfast and the fat and sodium aren't problems, look for chicken or turkey sausage.  Likewise there are lots of non-pork "bacon" type things out there.  And if you can stand to boil a pot of eggs once a week, she can have hard boiled eggs for breakfast or snacks, they will keep in the fridge for several days. 

[IndyRob]

2 hours ago, mikkidonaldson said:

I don't eat pork or eggs which she is so stuck on having so sometimes a plate for us both is a challenge.

 

Wait, is this the crux?  She wants pork and eggs, but needs fiber.  But you don't want pork and eggs and maybe are not excited about the fiber either?

[Katie Meadow]

Doesn't your mother have to watch her cholesterol? Diabetes is complicated and I don't really know much about it. Does your mother have to watch the amount of starch and simple carbs or things that turn into sugars?

 

One of my favorite breakfasts is left-over grits; takes too much time to make grits in the morning, at least real grits. I make mine with some low fat milk, and no cheese. I have to limit my cholesterol, though I am not diabetic. Whole wheat toast is always good. Spread something healthy on it. Avocado, nut butters, whatever is not bad for her. I like a little ricotta and fresh slices of tomato on toast. 

 

Potatoes are a pretty classic breakfast, and can be good lots of ways: home fries, potato pancakes, etc. Ever have red flannel hash? Made with beets--very healthy! No need for pork in that. As for fiber, sweet potatoes (especially the orangey red ones labeled "yams" are king! I could easily eat a hot sweet potato with nothing more that a touch of butter and a few grains of salt. Personally I'm not big on meat for breakfast, nor do I eat eggs for breakfast, and like others have suggested, breakfast is just another meal, limited only by health restrictions and imagination. It might be useful for the original poster to list the other big  no-no's, so readers can feel challenged without wasting time or contributing to a well meaning but growing pile of misinformation. Good luck! 

 

I just read the two posts upthread and now I am totally confused.

Edited March 18, 2017 by Katie Meadow (log)

[Allura]

As someone with type 2 diabetes, I've seen a nutritionist for meal planning advice. One thing I've been told (and of course your mom may be different) is that the first meal of the day should be lower carb. In particular, my diet plan called for 30g or less at breakfast. So pancakes or oatmeal and fruit would be quite bad for me. Honestly, a scrambled egg or a pot of hard boiled eggs are two really easy things even if you make something else for yourself. As above, turkey or chicken-based sausages would be good. How about english muffins with peanut butter? You need a protein source in there, particularly for the first meal of the day. For pancakes, perhaps a recipe that includes some ricotta in it?

[Lisa Shock]

Here are some pancake suggestions:

trade out 1/2 the flour for whole wheat flour

fruit compote on top instead of syrup is delicious

I add chopped nuts in my pancakes sometimes, they toast as the pancakes cook and provide protein.

 

You can make your own granola and store it for weeks in a jar. (or buy a good natural brand) Granola gives you the goodness of oats with crunchy texture, plus extras like nuts. You can make it in different flavors. If you make two batches at once, you can alternate what flavor you eat. It can be eaten plain, with milk, or with yogurt.

 

Hash can be an all-purpose dish that is different every day. You can use leftovers in hash, and tiny amounts of food can go a long way. A little oil/butter in a pan with your choice of the below items (and more) along with some herbs and/or spices, can keep things interesting. Ingredients: cooked chicken, onions, celery, carrots, a few cooked potatoes, garlic, cooked beef, cooked seafood, corned beef, cabbage, broccoli stems, beets, cauliflower, parsnips, mushrooms, etc. You're just cooking the vegetables for a few minutes, then heating up the cooked proteins.

 

French toast is a great way to use up stale bread. It can be made with whole grain bread, for fiber, and contains a considerable amount of protein. Fresh fruit is delicious on top, so is hot fruit compote.

 

An easy way to make a fruit compote (aside from cooking fresh fruits) is to simply hydrate some dried fruit. Chop it into small, 1/4" chunks for faster hydration, or make it the night before by putting fruit in a bowl, adding hot water, stirring, wait ten minutes, then refrigerate. This should be fine in the fridge for 5 days.

 

Avocado toast is a good option, especially if you can catch avocados on sale. Use wholegrain bread (one that has nuts in it will be higher in protein), make toast, top with avocado slices and a quick sprinkle of salt and maybe one of those dry herb blends, or a hot sauce.

 

There are muffins you can make the night before. Many contain eggs and dairy, so there's protein plus lots of fiber options.

 

Hope this helps! (and welcome!)

 

[kayb]

Sweet potato latkes, if you can figure out how to make them without the egg, are a great source of fiber. I have homemade granola, homemade yogurt, and fresh fruit most mornings. Fruit/veggie smoothies with protein powder are healthy, tasty, low-cal and quick. Hash with leftover beef. Bran muffins.

 

I'd hate to know I had to do without pork, but I could do it. Don't know that I could do without eggs.

 

[lindag]

Although I have not experienced dietary restrictions (other than I'm not allowed grapefruit), one of my favorite simple and easy breakfasts is a toasted English muffin (as LisaS mentioned) with a tiny bit of honey and then spread with peanut butter.  It's about as tasty as any quick breakfast I know of.