Quick Answers
If you can’t have eggs or dairy for breakfast, some quick and easy alternatives include:
- Oatmeal or porridge topped with fruits, nuts, or nut butters
- Avocado toast
- Smoothies made with fruits, vegetables, and nut milks
- Overnight oats
- Chia pudding made with coconut or almond milk
- Nut butter and banana toast
- Yogurt made from soy, coconut or almond milk
- Tofu scramble with vegetables
- Bean and veggie breakfast tacos or burritos
- Whole grain cereal with nut or soy milk
Why Avoid Eggs and Dairy?
There are a few main reasons why people choose to avoid eggs and/or dairy products:
- Allergies or intolerances: Some people have allergies or intolerances to the proteins found in eggs and dairy. This causes adverse reactions when they consume these foods.
- Health conditions: People with certain health conditions like lactose intolerance cannot properly digest dairy. Consuming it causes gastrointestinal issues.
- Vegetarian/vegan diets: Those following plant-based diets avoid animal products like eggs and dairy for ethical/moral reasons.
- Nutritional preferences: Some people simply prefer to limit cholesterol or saturated fat intake from eggs and dairy.
- Skin conditions: Some skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis may be triggered by eggs or dairy.
If you fall into any of these categories, avoiding eggs and dairy at breakfast can help prevent adverse reactions and align with your nutritional needs or preferences.
Nutritious Egg and Dairy Alternatives
The good news is there are plenty of nutritious plant-based alternatives to eggs and dairy to build a satisfying dairy and egg-free breakfast:
Instead of Eggs
- Tofu: Scrambled or fried tofu can mimic the texture of eggs.
- Beans: Black beans, chickpeas or lentils can provide protein.
- Nut butters: Try peanut or almond butter on toast.
- Chia or flax eggs: Mix chia or flax seeds with water to replace eggs when baking.
- Commercial egg replacers: Products like Ener-G Egg Replacer work as egg substitutes.
Instead of Dairy Milk
- Soy milk: Fortified soy milk has protein, vitamins and minerals like dairy milk.
- Almond milk: Almond milk is low calorie and can be unflavored for cooking.
- Coconut milk: Coconut milk is creamy like dairy and good for smoothies.
- Oat milk: Oat milk has fiber, is low in fat and has a mild flavor.
- Rice milk: Rice milk is the least allergenic of milk alternatives.
Instead of Yogurt
- Soy yogurt: Soy yogurt has the same probiotics as dairy yogurt.
- Coconut milk yogurt: Coconut yogurt provides healthy fats and probiotics.
- Almond milk yogurt: Try almond milk yogurt with live cultures.
- Dairy-free kefir: Kefir made from coconut milk, soy milk or almond milk.
Instead of Cheese
- Nut-based cheeses: Try cheese made from cashews, almonds or macadamia nuts.
- Soy cheeses: Soy cheese comes in blocks, shreds and slices.
- Dairy-free cream cheese: Make cream cheese swaps from tofu, soy, cashews.
- Nutritional yeast: Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor.
20 Tasty Egg and Dairy-Free Breakfast Ideas
Here are 20 delicious ideas for breakfast if you need to avoid eggs and dairy:
| Egg-Free | Dairy-Free | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Tofu scramble | Soy milk | Tofu, soy milk, vegetables like spinach and tomatoes, avocado |
| Bean burrito | Soy cheese | Pinto beans, bell pepper, soy cheese, avocado, salsa, whole wheat tortilla |
| Avocado toast | Almond milk | Smashed avocado, whole grain bread, almond milk |
| Chia pudding | Coconut milk | Chia seeds, coconut milk, cinnamon, fruit like berries |
| Tofu and veggie hash | Oat milk | Tofu, potatoes, onion, spinach, bell pepper, oat milk |
| Overnight oats | Soy yogurt | Oats, soy yogurt, chia seeds, fruit, cinnamon |
| Tofu scrambler wrap | Nut cheese | Scrambled tofu, spinach, tomato, nut-based cheese, whole wheat wrap |
| Veggie omelet | Coconut yogurt | Egg replacer, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, onion, coconut yogurt |
| Banana pancakes | Nut milk | Mashed banana, oats, nut milk of choice, baking powder |
| Breakfast tacos | Coconut cheese | Black beans, salsa, lettuce, coconut cheese, corn tortillas |
| Nutty cereal | Rice milk | Whole grain cereal, sliced almonds, rice milk |
| Breakfast stir-fry | Nut milk yogurt | Tofu, veggies, soy sauce, nut milk yogurt |
| Tofu benedict | Hollandaise | Tofu, vegan hollandaise, English muffin |
| Tempeh bacon | Oat milk | Tempeh bacon, avocado, tomato, lettuce, oat milk |
| Breakfast burrito | Nut cheese | Beans, peppers, potato, nut cheese, whole wheat wrap |
| Granola fruit bowl | Non-dairy milk | Homemade granola, fresh fruit, non-dairy milk |
| Trail mix oatmeal | Soy creamer | Oats, trail mix, soy creamer, maple syrup |
| Tofu and greens | Dairy-free milk | Tofu, kale, dairy-free milk, onion, nutritional yeast |
| Mediterranean bowl | Coconut kefir | Chickpeas, veggies, olive oil, lemon juice, coconut kefir, pita |
| Sweet potato hash | Oat milk | Sweet potato, peppers, onion, spinach, oat milk |
Tips for Making Egg and Dairy-Free Breakfasts
Here are some helpful tips for making satisfying egg-free and dairy-free breakfasts at home:
- Get familiar with egg and dairy substitutes like flax eggs, nut-based cheeses and non-dairy yogurts and milks.
- Read labels carefully to check for hidden eggs or dairy like whey protein.
- Experiment with bold flavors using spices, herbs and sauces to make dishes more rich.
- Focus meals around veggies, whole grains, nuts and plant proteins.
- Make large batches of staples like non-dairy milk and dairy-free yogurt to have on hand.
- Buy unsweetened non-dairy milks and yogurts to avoid excess added sugar.
- Blend up veggies and fruits into green smoothies for an easy nutrient-packed breakfast.
- Use nutritious egg replacements like chia seeds, bananas or flax meal in baking.
- Try scrambled tofu or tempeh for a protein-rich eggless breakfast.
Sample 3-Day Egg and Dairy-Free Meal Plan
Here is a 3-day sample meal plan to give you ideas of what an egg and dairy-free breakfast could look like:
Day 1
- Breakfast: Peanut butter banana oatmeal made with soy milk, topped with walnuts
- Lunch: Chickpea and avocado salad sandwich on whole grain bread
- Dinner: Veggie and tofu stir fry with brown rice
Day 2
- Breakfast: Berry soy yogurt bowl with granola and almonds
- Lunch: Lentil vegetable soup
- Dinner: Baked sweet potato, veggie and bean tacos with guacamole
Day 3
- Breakfast: Pumpkin spice smoothie made with soy milk, banana and pumpkin puree
- Lunch: Veggie wrap with hummus, lettuce, tomato and cucumbers
- Dinner: Coconut curry with chickpeas and sweet potatoes over quinoa
Potential Nutrient Shortfalls
When avoiding animal products like eggs and dairy, there are some potential nutrients that can fall short if you are not careful to replace them:
- Protein: Make sure to eat sufficient plant protein sources like beans, lentils, tofu and nuts.
- Calcium: Eat leafy greens, calcium-fortified milk alternatives and tofu to get calcium.
- Vitamin D: Get enough sunlight and consider a supplement since it’s hard to get without dairy.
- Vitamin B12: This is mainly found in animal foods, so vegans need supplements.
- Zinc: Incorporate nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and whole grains which contain zinc.
As long as you eat a varied diet with different plant foods and get sunlight, you should be able to avoid deficiencies. Talk to a doctor or dietitian if you need personalized advice.
Bottom Line
Avoiding eggs and dairy due to allergies, intolerances or diet can definitely be done while still enjoying tasty and nutritious breakfasts. Focus on including alternative protein sources, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats from nuts and avocados, and non-dairy milks and yogurts.
With a little creativity, you can whip up eggless and dairy-free breakfasts like scrambles, smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt bowls and baked goods that provide balanced nutrition to start your day off right.