It is an understatement that mornings can be a chore - some (or rather, many) mornings consist of scrambling out of bed and stuffing a spoonful of cereal into your mouth on the way out of the door. Yet, there’s a reason why it has always been said that the first meal of the morning is the most important - it provides us with energy required to function for the rest of the day, and benefits our health in the long-term by reducing the risk of obesity and high blood pressure.

Still think breakfast is a hassle to prepare? If so, you will be surprised at how these 5 healthy vegan breakfast ideas will be ready in the blink of an eye, and also incorporate heart-healthy ingredients into your diet - like organic peanut butter and acai berry. Read on to find out more!

Rainbow Acai bowls

Image cred: Jannis Brandt on Unsplash

The acai berry has recently gained worldwide acclaim for packing a ton of antioxidants, essential fatty acids and amino acids. Acai bowls have been all the rage on instagram, with the colorful bowls flooding our feed. Adding acai berries can benefit your health by boosting energy levels and improving metabolism.The acai berry can be bought in frozen form for this acai bowl recipe, and the puree can be prepared the night before to save time the next morning. This is a great vegan breakfast idea to fill up your stomach quick!

1. Prepare the acai puree: add 1 banana, acai berries, strawberries, blueberries and a splash of milk to a blender and blend till smooth.
2. Slice up different colored fruits such as bananas, kiwis, strawberries, blueberries and mango to be used as toppings.
3. To prepare the acai bowls, pour the acai puree into the bowl, then arrange the different fruits according to the colours of the rainbow. Sprinkle granola, drizzle maple syrup and you’re done!

Blueberry and Coconut Pecan Vegan Cookies

Image cred: Olenka Kotyk on Unsplash

These vegan cookies are jam packed with nutrients and fibre, and is a foolproof recipe to make the night before a hectic week starts.

1. Prepare 1 ½ cup of oats, 1 cup of coconut flakes, 1 tablespoon of flaxmeal, ½ a teaspoon of salt, ¾ cups of chopped pecan and ½ a cup of dried blueberries.
2. Combine the dry ingredients above with 3 mashed bananas,1 tablespoon of maple syrup and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
4. Press 2 tablespoons of the mixture into the cookie cutter and transfer to a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
5. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Feel free to replace the blueberries in the vegan cookies with dried dates if you prefer.

Organic peanut butter toast with chia seeds

Image cred: Alisa Anton on Unsplash

On mornings where all you can spare is half an hour, toast with organic peanut butter is the way to go. Simply toast a few slices of bread, spread peanut butter on it, sprinkle some chia seeds and you’re done! Top with your choice of fruit, like strawberries or bananas. Chia seeds are jam packed with nutrients, and has six times more calcium than milk. So, go ahead and add them to your toast for an extra crunch.

3 ingredient pancakes

For vegetarians, this is an easy breakfast recipe that only requires 3 main ingredients: bananas, eggs and flour to create fluffy, nutritious pancakes.

Image cred: Alison Marras on Unsplash

1. Mash 1 large banana and add 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour and 1 large egg. Stir well.
2. Spoon batter into a nonstick skillet and cook for approximately 2 minutes.
3. Serve with blueberries and maple syrup or honey.

Banana, Peanut Butter and Dried Date Smoothie

This smoothie is perfect for rushed mornings when you just don’t have time for breakfast. Simply put everything into a blender, pack it into a tumblr and have your breakfast on the go!

1. Prepare one cup of unsweetened plain almond milk, 1 ripe banana, 4-5 dried dates, 1 frozen banana, 2 tablespoons of organic peanut butter and ¼ cup of ice.
2. Place everything into a blender and blend until smooth.

Now, with these 5 easy and healthy breakfast ideas, there’s no excuse for you to be skipping breakfast anymore. If you’re looking for some fragrant quality tea to accompany your breakfast, do check out Nilufertea.