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 sauté 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 noticeably changing the flavor. Add ½ cup of fresh leaves to any single-serving smoothie for extra vitamins, including A and K.

Bell peppers with potatoes.

In a skillet, cook your chopped potatoes and add ½ cup of chopped bell peppers just before the potatoes are done. The less time the bell peppers are cooked, the more vitamin C they retain.

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 sauté until softened. Stir it into your scrambled egg whites just before serving to get 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 intake of vitamin A and fiber.

Sweet potato in a hash.

Sauté 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.

Thinly slice ½ cup of cabbage and stir with your sausage as it cooks for a breakfast side dish with plenty of disease-fighting glucosinolates.

Carrot puree with cold grains.

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

Resources

• 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.