5 Unexpected Ways to Dress Up Your Morning Toast

By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine

5 Unexpected Ways to Dress Up Your Morning Toast
5 Unexpected Ways to Dress Up Your Morning Toast

I love breakfast, but I'm not at my most creative in the morning. My fast fall-back: whole wheat toast with a little butter or jam. It gets the job done, but it can get a little boring.

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I'm going to take my toast offering up a few notches with just a little creativity. I want to make my toast something worth getting out of bed for. So here are 5 simple but unexpected ways to dress up your morning toast.

1. "Nova" toast
I LOVE bagels and lox (a traditional combo of cream cheese and cured salmon on a bagel), so I'm going to try this combo on toast. I'll give it a Scandinavian spin by choosing rye bread instead of my standard whole-wheat, keep it healthy by spreading it with reduced-fat cream cheese and top it with some smoked salmon. It's much more flavorful than my plain toast for breakfast routine and just as easy to make.

2. "Strawberry Cheesecake" toast
We all want strawberry cheesecake for breakfast. (Ok, well I do.) But that's not always practical, or well advised. Create a "hint" of what you might be looking for by topping your toast with a shmear of reduced-fat cream cheese and sliced strawberries. Strawberry jam will do in a pinch too. For real confectionary taste, stir a splash of vanilla extract into your cream cheese.

3. "Everything" toast
I'm a big fan of the everything bagel, but it's not something I want to eat everyday. (A large everything bagel can average 294 calories, while a small slice of whole-wheat sandwich bread has only 100 calories, so I'll save myself 194 calories on the bread alone by choosing toast instead.) I'm going to take the best part of the everything bagel (the poppy seeds, the onion flakes and the sesame seeds) and throw that on my toast! I'll melt a little butter or cream cheese to help the topping stick.

4. "Pizza" toast
Everyone loves pizza, so why not have it for breakfast? I'll admit this one is a little more work (you have to scramble an egg), but it still only takes 10 minutes to make. Just toast a whole-wheat English muffin, top it with a little marinara sauce, a scrambled egg, cheese and even some pepperoni if you like, and voilá! Toast that's breakfast, lunch or even dinner worthy.

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5. "Quesadilla" toast
Can't wait until lunch to enjoy a quesadilla or enchilada? You don't have to wait! Spread some beans and cheese with a little salsa on your morning toast. When you spread refried beans on whole-wheat toast you get a boost of fiber that keeps you feeling full right up until lunch. Add some melted cheese, and you've got yourself the perfect breakfast.

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Want more ideas for topping toast? Try these suggestions from our fans on Facebook:

  • Peanut Butter and Honey

  • Avocado and Lemon

  • Nutella and Banana Slices

  • Hummus and Olive Oil

  • Almond Butter and Sliced Fruit

  • Fried Egg and Ketchup

  • Jam and Peanut Butter

  • Cinnamon and Butter

  • Avocado and Garlic Salt

  • Cream Cheese and Peanut Butter

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What's your favorite toast topper?

By Hilary Meyer

Hilary Meyer
Hilary Meyer

EatingWell Associate Food Editor Hilary Meyer spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.


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