Which would you rather eat for breakfast: vegetables or dessert?

(Whoever answered veggies—overachiever! 😉 )

Honestly, despite the fact that my blog is called Veggie Quest, my inner 3-year-old—and the rest of me—would still rather have dessert first, thanks anyway.

Luckily, I’ve found a way to get the best of both worlds: carrot cake oatmeal.

Oats, cinnamon, carrots, raisins, and a dollop of vanilla plant-based yogurt for icing. Yum!

Not only is it delicious enough to convince anyone to eat veggies for breakfast, but it’s lightning fast. I’m talking 5 minutes from start to finish!

Which is great, because I know you’re busy. And, as of next Monday, August 22nd, I’m going to get a whole lot busier too…because that’s the day I start my 9-month dietetic internship! That’s basically the equivalent of a residency for future dietitians. While not as intense as a medical residence, it still means I’ll be lucky to get my beauty sleep, much less cook a hot breakfast. (More about that next week.)

Vegetable-healthy, dessert-delicious!

In the meantime, I’m excited to share a recipe that would make any RD smile. Because this oatmeal delivers some serious health benefits, before you even add toppings:

• Soluble fiber from oatmeal, to mop up extra cholesterol and whisk it out of your body
• Carotenoids from carrots, which support healthy vision
• Nearly 3 mg of plant-based iron—15% of the Daily Value—to boost energy

Most important of all, though?

This carrot cake oatmeal delicious. Like, close-your-eyes-and-bliss-out delicious.

Quick and easy

It’s also so, so easy to make. Just chuck all your ingredients in a high-sided bowl, stir, and microwave for 3-4 minutes. That’s it! For a weekend family breakfast, quadruple the recipe, cut the total liquid by ¼ cup, and make it on the stove top.

However you make it, though, be sure to have fun toppings on hand! I used crushed walnuts, a little shredded coconut, and a couple of tablespoons of this decadent almond milk yogurt as “icing”:

Not low fat, but very tasty

Although the plant-based cream cheese icing from these skinny cinnamon roll muffins would be amazing, too.

You can also make a big batch of carrot cake oatmeal on Sunday and pop it in the fridge. It firms as it cools, so you can cut it into pieces on Monday morning and have breakfast ready for the rest of the week! Plus, it’s extra tasty when it’s cold—especially with a dollop of yogurt or coconut cream.

Finally, feel free to freestyle, like my friend and former classmate Kelda Reimers, RD, did. After reading this 2 pounds of vegetables a day post where I first experimented with carrot cake oatmeal, Kelda made her own version for her daughter. She used pre-shredded, multicolored carrots (which she minced to sprinkle size) and called the result “funfetti” oatmeal. Her daughter loves it!

“Funfetti” carrot cake oatmeal by Kelda Reimers, RD. #MomWin

So there you have it: vegetables for breakfast that taste like dessert. What better way to nourish your body—and delight your inner 3-year-old!

Carrot cake oatmeal (gluten free and vegan)

Your turn:

• Vegetables for breakfast: delicious or ick?
• If you eat breakfast veggies: What’s your go-to breakfast veggie dish?

Shared on the Healthy Living Link Party, Plant-Based Potluck Party, Allergy-Free Thursdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Gluten Free Fridays, and Real Food Fridays.