This is what I call BIG BREAKFAST!

I have never been a fan of McDonald's Big Breakfasts. To me, they are just too salty, expensive and unsatisfying. I feel hungry about an hour after eating them.

Not anymore since I am a vegetarian! In fact, the only time I ever ate something from McD as a vegetarian was on May 2013, when my friend treated me to a McFlurry. It was tasty but left me with a bad stomach discomfort. God knows what those guys use in the world's favourite fast food joint.

So, I had a BIG BREAKFAST on Sunday. It is vegetarian (and vegan too!), under 500 calories, tasty and packed with genuine goodness!

I have added too much water for cooking the oats, hence the oats almost overflows. It looks pleasant to me, regardless.
I did not arrange the fruits properly because I was just too hungry.

This is the nutrition fact for my breakfast. I counted the nutrition facts using this website.

I love my breakfast! Although it is nowhere low in calories, it is packed full with fiber (60% of daily intake!), potassium and low in fat. The fat comes mainly from the nuts. Besides, it covers the entire allocated quantities of vitamin C for the day. Who needs Vitamin C supplements? I am also pleasantly surprised that it has some calcium and iron.

As for the protein, okay, I admit it is a little bit low, but I will have rice and veggies later, so I think they can cover it up? (I can't eat beans and eggs for the time being for my injuries to heal)

My breakfasts are usually the same oat-fruit-nuts combo, so I think my breakfasts are quite carbed-up, eh? (Definitely nowhere near to Freelee the Banana Girl's, I can't afford to eat like that. Besides, I prefer moderate-sized meals and warm breakfasts.)

Fruits, nuts and nori salad

The rest are oats+fruits+nuts/seeds combo, using different ingredients :D

I know this breakfast is quite high in sugar (almost 50g), but hey, I need that sugar for mental alertness! Plus, it comes from fruits, not refined junk, so it will not spike my blood sugar.

The need for sugar does NOT mean that I can eat sugary muesli cereals , breakfast bars or sweet drinks. They only result in energy crash, and me eating more and more. This is bad for me, especially since I am quite sedentary as I cannot move around a lot.

Now let's see some breakfast favourites from fast-food joints:

(Just for comparison purposes, no slandering intended)

 I get the nutrition information from the official sites of the fast food joints in Malaysia, so the information is not really comprehensive because not all restaurants offer nutrition information.

I did this table myself, with the information from the fast-food joints.

My conclusion:

• They are high in protein, mainly due to the meat and eggs used.

• They are packed with sodium and fat.

• They are calorie-dense.

• The quantity is small for a breakfast. 

I don't think anyone will eat those food alone, eh? I believe that most of us will order at least a soft drink or coffee to wash the food down.

Good carbs make one happy, hence I call this a BIG BREAKFAST and a HAPPY MEAL.

I don't know if my breakfast is a healthy one, but I can swear that with the lack of ingredients that I cannot pronounce, it is certainly better than those at the fast food joints. Plus, I feel energized on my typical breakfast combo, and I can prepare and enjoy it without all those long queues and greasy smell. Best of all, it is cruelty-free.

What is your idea of a big breakfast?