If you are a vegetarian, eating breakfast is very important. Breakfast is an easy meal for you to stock up on essential nutrients for your body. Eating a balanced vegetarian diet can offer many advantages over the typical American diet, but ironically some vegetarians don't actually enjoy vegetables. Instead, some vegetarians become "carbivores" and fill up on bagels and pastries. You can't survive on carbohydrates alone. Keep reading to discover 4 tips on how to eat a full balanced vegetarian breakfast.

Eggs are a rich source of protein and B-vitamins. Because the vegetarian diet is low in cholesterol, you could eat eggs almost every day if you wanted to. Eating two or three large eggs for breakfast is a healthy part of a balanced vegetarian breakfast. For added nutrition, try making an omelet with Swiss chard, kale or spinach. These vegetables are high in iron and complement eggs well.

Vegetables also contain calcium, which can fit perfectly into the vegetarian nutritional guidelines. Turnip greens, collard greens and rhubarb have the highest amounts of calcium per serving. Tofu recipes cooked with tofu made with calcium sulfate provide a great source of calcium. Just one half cup of tofu made with calcium sulfate can contain as much as 430 mg of calcium.

You can make almost any breakfast meat vegetarian by using tofu. You can season tofu any way you would season other breakfast meats. Tofu doesn't have a flavor of its own; it absorbs the flavors it is cooked with. If you don't have time to cook, modern health food stores carry various tofu based sausage or bacon alternatives (pre-cooked). If you are a vegan, you can also use tofu in place of eggs in an omelet or scramble. Tofu is high in protein, calcium and iron.

One area where vegetarians can run into nutritional deficiencies is calcium. As you probably know, a deficiency in calcium can contribute to osteoporosis. A simple way to ameliorate a calcium deficiency is to eat a cup of yogurt for breakfast. For a more balanced breakfast, mix ½ cup of your favorite berries with your yogurt. You could also include some flaxseed granola, which is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids (which are mostly found in fish and important for the vegetarian diet). Many processed yogurts contain gelatin, an animal byproduct, so go for a natural yogurt and read the ingredients.

Instead of eating simple carbohydrates, like doughnuts or other pastries, try eating whole wheat for more balanced nutrition. Whole wheat keeps you feeling full longer than processed, sugary carbohydrates. Whole wheat also contains more nutrients like protein and zinc which are important, especially for vegetarians.

Being a vegetarian can be a part of a healthy lifestyle. Make sure you are eating a balanced breakfast to start your day off with nutrients that will leave you feeling satisfied and energetic.