Growing up, as a kid I had to fend for myself for breakfast. So most days it was cereal. I think cereals were a tad bit healthier back then than they are these days, eh, who am I kidding? We got the cereal for the cool toy inside, right? Anyway, I never was much for the classic bacon and eggs for breakfast. Yes, I like bacon and yes, I like eggs. Just wasn't my thing for breakfast. Sure, I would have the occasional scrambled eggs, but mostly I ate cereal. Even pancakes or waffles seem to be better for dinner than for breakfast. Besides, cereal is quick. Quick to make and quick to eat and leaves very few dishes. So cereal it was.

Fast forward to a few years ago. I wasn't happy with the weight I had put on over the years and had a health scare that thankfully turned out to be a minor thing, but it made me really think about my health. That and the fact that I was inching ever so close to that 50 mark. So I joined a wonderful health and fitness organization and loved it so much I became a Coach. This post isn't about that though. I'll talk about that another day. 

This fitness organization has workout programs that include nutrition guidelines. So, in trying to eat more healthy, I was also trying to follow those guidelines. I started eating eggs for breakfast. I'd have eggs and toast. Then I switched to a multi-grain bread for my toast. So it was 2 eggs, over-easy with a slice of multi-grain toast. But I noticed it didn't make me feel great. Every day, a few hours after eating eggs, I would be in the bathroom wondering why I was feeling so bad if I was eating better.

I had also been trying to buy healthier foods. We grow a garden every year and in the summer, we have a lot of vegetables from that. We also have fruit trees and strawberry plants and blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry bushes. I had been buying organic foods when I could and had even looked into grass fed beef, but there was no place to buy grass fed anything around here at that time.

During my search for the grass fed beef, I found a local farm that raised chickens on pasture. They sold the eggs and they also harvested the chickens and you could buy fresh chicken. I decided to check them out. I stopped buying eggs at the grocery store and was only eating eggs from these pasture raised chickens. The difference was amazing!! Not only did they taste better, but I didn't have to worry about finding a bathroom after I ate them. Total game changer. The fresh chicken and turkey that I buy from them is awesome too, but that's another story.

That was about 5 or 6 years ago, I believe, that I found that farm and I have eaten eggs for breakfast almost every day since. No, it doesn't raise your cholesterol eating eggs if you are eating the right kind. My cholesterol actually dropped as did my triglycerides. 

That brings us to that picture up there. Two eggs, over-easy. Fresh from the farm. From chickens raised on pasture. Some days, I still have multi-grain toast. But most days, I have vegetables with my eggs. Now, I do NOT like omelets. Do not mix anything in with my eggs please. So I was not sure that I could eat vegetables with eggs. I started with spinach and it was awesome! Occasionally I will have potatoes, usually red because we grow those in the garden, but I prefer zucchini.

I started eating zucchini for breakfast by making zucchini patties. I shredded the zucchini and cooked like you would shredded hash browns, sort of. But that takes a lot of time and mornings are crazy busy so I switched to just cutting the zucchini in cubes. Game changer! Some days I have mushrooms with the zucchini, some days I will add onion, some days it's just the zucchini with the eggs. 

What I have found is that by adding a vegetable to my breakfast, I feel better all day long. It takes about 10 minutes to cook the breakfast in that picture. Sure, that's about 8 minutes more than making cereal and it makes more dirty dishes, but it is so worth it!

So, how do I cook that? Super easy. Add butter, real butter from grass-fed cows (I use Kerry Gold) to a pan. Add the cubed zucchini. How much is up to you. I often eat a whole 8-10" zucchini at breakfast. Add sliced mushrooms. I use portabella or white mushrooms. When the mushrooms start to brown and the zucchini starts to break down, move them to one side of the pan and cook your eggs on the other side. I like over-easy, but do them how you like them. Of course if you poach them, you will need to use a different pan. When the eggs are done, put it all on a plate, add salt and pepper to taste, and ENJOY!!

If you've never eaten vegetables at breakfast, I challenge you to give it a try. Also, find a local farm in your area that raises chickens on pasture. The difference is remarkable! Let me know what you think!