When I first made the transition from vegetarian to vegan, my beautiful friend Danette helped me in so many ways. Her example was a great inspiration for me and she shared many recipes, as well as advice on how to grocery shop as a vegan.

Recently, my dear friend Cass decided to go veg and wanted to learn more about how our family eats. While this journey is a constant learning experience for me, I am always thrilled to share anything I can. So when I compiled a list for Cass, it started me thinking that it might be a fun way to share some of this information with others who might wonder about vegan options.

Today, I thought I would start with breakfast items that vegans can eat. Please note that there are far more options available than what you will find below, but these are items that we enjoy. If you have your own favorites, please share them below.

Vegan Breakfast Options That I Dig

• Photo by lepiaf.geoFresh Fruit: Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Canteloupe, Cherries, Coconuts, Cranberries, Dates, Figs, Grapefruit, Grapes, Honeydew Melons, Kiwi Fruit, Lemons, Limes, Mangos, Nectarines, Oranges, Papaya, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Plums, Prunes, Raisins, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tangerines, Watermelon (many more I am sure I'm forgetting)

• Cold Cereal - There are SO many cereals that are vegan. Just be sure to read labels and avoid those with honey and dairy products in the ingredients. Here is a short list of some that we enjoy: Cheerios, Cornflakes, Frosted Flakes, Grape Nuts, Kashi, Kix, Life, Mueslix, Multigrain Flakes, Nutri-Grain, Puffed Corn, Puffed Rice, Puffed Wheat, Raisin Bran, Rice Chex, Rice Krispies, Rice Flakes, Shredded Wheat, Wheetabix

• Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Almond Milk

• Soy Yogurt with Fruit

• Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Malt-O-Meal
  

• Toast with vegan butter - Many breads are vegan, but some sneak in whey, milk or honey. Just get familiar with reading labels.

• Granola (make sure it has no honey)

• Raw Nuts (great topping on fruit or by themselves)

• Bagels with Tofutti Cream Cheese *(check bagel ingredients, like note above for breads)

• English Muffins *(again, check ingredients)

• Soy Milk Smoothie

• Hashed Browns

• Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich or Toast (on vegan bread)

• Scrambled Tofu - there are many great recipes for this. I also love the Fantastic World Foods brand boxed type - you just add tofu and it's so easy & delicious

• Ready-Made Vegan Sausage (can be used in hash or by itself) or Vegan Bacon

• Pancakes or Waffles made with egg replacer (instead of egg) and soy milk (instead of cow's milk)

• Frozen Vegan Waffles (look for the gluten-free kind - they are usually vegan)

• Energy Bars (like Clifbar, Odwalla, Lara)

• Fruit Leather

• Applesauce

• Hot Tea

• Coffee with Soy Milk

• Fruit Juices

Breakfast Toppings that are Vegan

• Jams/Jellies
• Peanut Butter, Almond Butter
• Pure Maple Syrup
• Agave
• Cinnamon 
• Sugar (be sure it's a brand that does not use animal bone char - many do)
• Nuts
• Raisins
• Vegan Butter (Earth Balance is great)
• Brown Rice Syrup
• Brown Sugar
• Molasses