Experts recommend that adults eat two to three cups of vegetables every day. Get an early start and use these tips for including more vegetables at breakfast.

Asparagus in an omelet.

Chop four to five thin sprigs of asparagus and saute or steam them. Add the asparagus to your omelet fillings for a boost of B vitamins.

Spinach in a smoothie.

Tender spinach can be added to fruit smoothies without a noticeable change in flavor. Add ½ cup of fresh leaves to any single-serving smoothie for extra vitamins, including A and K.

Bell peppers with potatoes.

Skillet cook your chopped potatoes and add ½ cup of chopped bell peppers just before the potatoes are done. The less cooking time for the bell peppers, the more they will retain their vitamin C.

Tomato on a breakfast sandwich.

Fill a whole wheat English muffin with egg whites, cheese or skillet fried tofu. Top it off with two tomato slices and get in some cancer-fighting lycopene.

Kale with egg whites.

Finely chop a ¼ cup of kale and saute until softened. Stir it into your scrambled egg whites just before serving for vitamins A and K plus numerous antioxidants.

Pumpkin in oatmeal.

Stir ¼ cup of pumpkin puree into your morning oatmeal and top it with cinnamon and a drizzle of maple syrup. It’s a breakfast treat that will increase your vitamin A and fiber intake.

Sweet potato in a hash.

Saute onions and garlic, and stir in one small, mashed sweet potato for a breakfast hash that will boost your vitamin A and may help control blood sugar.

Cabbage with turkey sausage.

Stir a ½ cup of thinly-sliced cabbage into your sausage as it cooks for a breakfast side dish with plenty of disease-fighting glucosinolates.

Carrot puree with cold grains.

Steam and puree a carrot and stir it into cold grains like farro or quinoa. Add some coconut milk and cinnamon for a breakfast loaded with vitamin A and multiple phytonutrients.

Broccoli in a breakfast burrito.

Steam a ½ cup of broccoli, finely chop it, and add it to your burrito fillings. Broccoli adds vitamins A, C, and K for an even healthier breakfast.

Sources

• Harvard School of Public Health - Vegetables and Fruits

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.