Homemade Organic Breakfast: Healthy and Delicious!

What makes an eco-friendly breakfast? First, the ingredients should be organic and locally grown. When you can, try to support your local farmers. For example, seek alternative grocery shopping opportunities such as those side-of-the-road stands or neighbors who raise chickens in their backyard. Not only will you have chemical free and organic breakfast food, you might also save some cash too.

Second, the product (eggs, dairy, meat, etc.) should be ethically processed. This means that animals are fed nutritious vegetarian diets, are able to roam freely and are raised without the use of hormones. An eco-friendly breakfast is healthier for the environment because toxic chemicals like pesticides are not filtered into the soil, and it’s also beneficial for your body because unnatural hormones are not being pumped into your system.

While humanely raised and vegetarian fed meat is an available option out there, the best way to help the environment is to go vegetarian or even better go vegan and purchase organic, locally grown foods.

For some, breakfast isn’t breakfast without the sausage or bacon. If this sounds like you, make sure you read the packaging before making your purchase to ensure that the meat is organic and that the animal was fed proper nutrition and was raised in humane living conditions. A vegetarian breakfast might not be right for you, but you can create an organic breakfast instead.

If you would like to put an eco-friendly twist on your breakfast, stick with the traditional eggs (organic and free-range, of course) but add tofu bacon to your protein intake and create a more vegetarian breakfast. Tofu bacon is easy to make as long as you have the following ingredients: firm tofu (1 package), liquid smoke (1 tablespoon), sea salt, soy sauce and vegetable oil. Cut the tofu into strips as thin as you can. Coat the pan with vegetable oil and sprinkle in some salt and add the liquid smoke. Liquid smoke will give the tofu a smoky flavor similar to the flavor found in meat. Next, sauté the tofu for about 10 minutes on each side. Then add soy sauce and sauté each side for another two to four minutes.

Even if you don’t feel like making tofu bacon everyday, you can try some soy products that are made to taste and look similar to real bacon and sausage. They might not taste exactly like the real thing, but they are a great alternative and something worth giving a try, especially since some are lower in cholesterol and fat. If you are wary of trying them or simply want to limit processed foods in your diet, stick to raw foods or create protein rich dips using garbanzo beans (hummus) or cashews (create a vegan cheese dip).

Breakfast is your first meal in the morning, which is meant to keep you going until lunch time. Even if you can add some vegetarian elements to your breakfast you will be making a difference. Also, keep in mind that an eco-friendly, vegetarian breakfast can make an excellent meal for dinnertime too.

 

• Morningstar Farms: http://www.morningstarfarms.com/
• Veggie Bacon Recipe from All Recipes: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/faken-veggie-bacon/Detail.aspx