If you believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day–think salad!  A breakfast salad might just be the perfect meal.  If you’re willing to try it.

When I tell my friends that I eat salad for breakfast, the usual response is–weird!   But for those I can convince to try a breakfast salad, their response is–wow!  Just try salad for breakfast for a week and you’ll be a convert.  I promise.

If you’re thinking about doing all that chopping while your still yawning over your coffee, let me just say, breakfast salad can be very simple.

I start with whatever leafy vegetable (spinach, lettuce, etc.) I have in the fridge.  Then I usually add a bit of whatever is leftover from last night’s dinner, like grilled chicken or fish.  Throw in a few tomato chunks, a mushroom or some diced zucchini, even chopped peppers and cucumber — whatever I have on hand.  Then a dash of EVOO and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  That’s it.

But you could go bold!  Any veggie you like from carrots to squash is appropriate.  Don’t want meat?  How about a poached egg?  Or a few chunks of feta or cheddar or even gouda.  Sprinkle on chopped walnuts or pistachios.  The only limit is your imagination.

Breakfast salad comes together fast, clean up is a snap, and it’s as portable as you care to make it.  Take that gross, greasy, fast-food breakfast sandwich! 

Most traditional breakfast food, like pastries, pancakes and muffins are heavy, sugary, full of unknown chemicals and way too carby.  Those foods weigh me down and clog my mental processes. And I need all the mental focus I can get for web surfing and writing about fun stuff. 😉

And, according to research, most of us get a paltry 1 cup of veggies per day, not the recommended 2-3 cups.  Salad in the morning can help get your veggie quota up significantly. (Check out thekitchn.com for some interesting ways to get your morning veggie on.)

Think you need a sweet fix in the morning?  Add some fruit to your breakfast salad.  Who doesn’t love a salad with fresh strawberries or blueberries?  (Lunchboxbunch has some recipes that include fruit, as well as delish vegan breakfast salads.)

If you stop to think a moment, salad is so nutritious, it’s spot on as a breakfast food.  Plus, all that light, crunchy goodness just wakes me up and makes me smile.

So, now you know how easy, nutritious and healthy a breakfast salad is.  And even though it sounds a little weird, would you eat a salad for breakfast?