If I can advocate dessert for breakfast, then certainly I can make the same concession for salad. Yeah. You heard me right. Whole30 Breakfast Salad will give you a boost right out of the gate. This morning meal is packed with protein from bacon and eggs (what’s more breakfasty than that?) and filling fiber from greens and sweet potatoes, leaving you chock full of energy.
While “adulting” may be hard sometimes, I find I appreciate the balance that comes with taking great pleasure in my ability to make my own choices. From something as serious and life-altering as choosing to go down an entirely different career path than the one I already invested a lot of time and money in, to the much simpler, yet still very-adult decisions to purchase my personal favorite brand of peanut butter or scent of fabric softener.
Plenty of the “trivial” adult decisions we make on a daily basis (especially around food) can actually be life-altering. At least I’ve certainly found that to be the case. I’m not only more conscientious about the impact of the food I eat on my own body, but on the world around me. While I didn’t start out my adulthood as a responsible eater (I’ve definitely had a few half-dozen Dunkin’ Donut days in my life), I’ve become one. And not only for my own benefit. Hopefully to yours as well.
And as the responsible adult that I am, let me impart a bit of wisdom on you: breakfast is a socio-economic construct. I don’t mean the first meal we eat; and I don’t even mean things like Pop Tarts and Frosted Flakes. I mean the notion that there are breakfast foods, and there are non-breakfast foods. Almost anywhere else in the world, people are eating a wide variety of foods to break their nightly fasts – rice, beans, fish, actual sausage (not “breakfast sausage”), soups and stews… you name it.
So, let’s stop feeling trapped by what breakfast is and what it isn’t. You’re an adult and it can be whatever you want. Breakfast can absolutely be Cinnamon Toast Crunch. But it can also be a Breakfast Salad. And if you’re still struggling with that “traditional” mindset, just remember: anything is breakfast if you crack an egg on it.
Salad for breakfast? Really?
One of most comment complaints I hear (and, ahem, make) about breakfast is that it’s really difficult to fit in a variety of veggies first thing in the morning. But the reality is not that it’s difficult – it simply requires a bit of reprogramming of the American culture of breakfast (cereal, pancakes, etc).
Under average American breakfast circumstances, one could only get veggies in the AM if they were cooked to a near-mush in an omelet or hash. It really wasn’t until the “avocado boom” of the past few years that seeing a healthy dose of green on your plate was normal.
Conceptually, Breakfast Salad may take some getting used to, but you’d be hard pressed to find a morning meal as balanced as this – loaded with healthy fats, protein, fiber, and “good carbs” – to replenish your nutrients and boost your energy for the day ahead.
Tips for making Breakfast Salad perfectly
Whole30: If you’re on a Whole30, be sure to use sugar free, nitrite/nitrate free Whole30 bacon (actually, we recommend that anyway for the “healthiest” bacon possible!).
Sweet Potatoes: Slice the sweet potatoes into triangular coin shapes (slice into wedges, then cut into 1/2″ thick coins) – they’ll roast faster!
Hemp Seeds/Hearts: Hemp hearts are a great way to boost the nutritional value of salads.
Make it for meal prep
Yes, you can totally make this for meal prep!
- Roast the sweet potatoes and cook the bacon, then combine and transfer to a container and place in the fridge.
- Make the dressing and store in a cool dry place.
- In the morning, reheat the sweet potatoes and bacon in 20-second intervals in the microwave, stirring in-between, until heated through.
- Fry the eggs in your choice of fat.
- Build your salad – toss with the dressing, then top with the bacon, sweet potatoes, and avocado. Top with your runny egg.
- BOOM – breakfast salad in 10 minutes or less!
- TIP – save even more time by serving with hardboiled eggs; store separately from the sweet potatoes and bacon.
Make it your way
- Use your favorite egg for topping – fried, poached, over easy, and hardboiled are all fair game! We don’t love scrambled on a breakfast salad, but you do you.
- Swap red or yukon gold potatoes for sweet potatoes.
- Swap fresh tomatoes for the sweet potatoes in the summer for a BLT-style breakfast salad.
- Use your favorite salad greens – anything goes from baby greens to thinly shredded kale. Make it yours!
More hearty, healthy breakfast recipes
- Gluten Free Eggs Benedict Casserole
- Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon and Apples
- Instant Pot Egg Bites (Two Ways)
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes
- Spicy White Bean Eggs in Purgatory
Did you make this breakfast salad? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Breakfast Salad
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato, quartered and sliced into ½” slices
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 4 c salad greens
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds
Dressing
- ¼ c olive oil
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and salt, then spread onto a baking sheet in an even layer. Roast 20-22 minutes, flipping one halfway through.
- Place the bacon in a skillet, then heat to medium high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the bacon is crisp, 7-8 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Discard all but 1 tbsp bacon fat, or enough to barely coat the bottom of the skillet.
- Make the dressing. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a lidded jar. Shake until emulsified. Combine the salad greens with the cooked bacon. Drizzle with half the dressing, then toss.
- Divide between two salad bowls or plates, then sprinkle with half the hemp seeds. Divide the roasted sweet potatoes and avocado evenly onto each bed of salad greens
- Heat the skillet with bacon fat over medium heat. Gently crack the eggs into the skillet and fry until the whites are just barely set. Top each salad with a fried egg. Sprinkle with the remaining hemp seeds and serve with additional dressing on the side.
Notes
- Roast the sweet potatoes and cook the bacon; combine and store in a sealed container in the fridge.
- Prep greens, if necessary, or use a pre-made salad mix. Make the dressing and store in a cool dry place.
- In the morning, reheat the sweet potatoes and bacon in 20-second intervals in the microwave, stirring in-between, until heated through.
- Fry the eggs in your choice of fat.
- Toss greens with dressing, then top with sweet potatoes and bacon, and avocado. Sprinkle with hemp seeds, then top with a fried egg. TIP: save even more time by serving with pre-cooked hardboiled eggs; store separately from the sweet potatoes and bacon.
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