Every year we hear about the “it” trend that is going to sweep the nation. Most times, it fades, and something unexpected becomes the “darling” of the health world. Recently we saw an article proclaiming 2021 to be the year of the breakfast salad. We’re going to go out on a limb and guess that it’s not going to prove to be true.
We could be wrong! You never know what the fad will be, but this just doesn’t feel like it to us. We love getting our veggies in any way we can. We think finding new ways to enjoy salads is great. And we believe that anything that helps us move away from thinking of sugar-heavy cereal as a breakfast is a wonderful idea. But we’re not sure it’s going to take off.
But, if any year could launch breakfast salads, it might be this one. People who ate out before are more likely to be having breakfast at home. Maybe you grabbed food while out and about, and you’re staying home more. Maybe restaurants in your area are closed because of restrictions. Either way, there’s a good chance that you’re eating at home even if you didn’t before. If a breakfast salad sounds interesting to you, we encourage you to give it a whirl! It could become your go-to meal and get you off to a great start!
By adding eggs, cheese and a little breakfast meat to a salad, you remove potatoes and bread from an all-American breakfast while getting a great meal. You just have to be mindful of the amount of cured meat you enjoy.
“Americans are conditioned to believe in a ‘breakfast food mentality,’ which means we start our day with so much sugar, things like donuts, cereal, pancakes, muffins and bars,” said Nancy McElwain, a certified nutrition therapist, exercise physiologist and owner of Renew Nutrition and Fitness. “All that sugar may taste good, and you may experience a brief energy boost, but it will rapidly spiral into a mid-morning crash and then a craving for more sugary food.”
Replacing refined carbs with slow-burning veggies, you’ll get long-lasting energy along with vitamins and nutrients to help you through the day! If you hard boil eggs in advance and chop any larger vegetables the night before, your breakfast could be even faster than it was previously. If you just want to add a runny egg on top, it will take the same amount of time as usual!
Ms. McElwain likes poached eggs in her salads — she makes them in the microwave — along with fruit. But it’s really up to you! We’re conditioned to think of breakfast as being only certain foods, but you can enjoy whatever you like. And it doesn’t have to be time-consuming!
While we don’t think that 2021 will be the year of the breakfast salad, it could be the year you try out breakfast salads and see what you think!
