FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook

• Who Says You Can’t Have Salad For Breakfast?
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How To Make A Breakfast Salad
• My Tips & Variations
• Breakfast Salad Recipe card
• Recipe Reviews

Who Says You Can’t Have Salad For Breakfast?

I don’t usually think of salad for breakfast, but lately I’ve been buying these huge packages of microgreens from my local warehouse club and honestly, struggling to get through them before they go bad. So, one day I slid my usual eggs and air fryer bacon onto a pile of the greens. Before I knew it, I was adding tomatoes and pesto , and making a whole breakfast salad out of it. It was a random creation, but here’s why I kept making it ever since:

• Way more exciting than plain eggs – Creamy avocado, crispy bacon, tender eggs, juicy tomatoes, and fresh greens make every bite interesting, and much more exciting than plain old eggs on a plate.
• Unique dressing – Honestly, any kind of salad can be a breakfast salad if you slide fried eggs over it, but I really liked using pesto as the dressing for this one. It feels more summery and more breakfast-y than other dressings. You’ll love this combo if you like my pesto eggs !
• Ready in 15 minutes – Once the bacon hits the skillet, the rest comes together fast while it cooks. I also have shortcuts below to make it even faster.
• Healthier breakfast idea – Unlike sweet options, my healthy breakfast salad is packed with fiber, good fats, and plenty of protein to start your day.

I wasn’t expecting this to become one of my favorite healthy breakfast recipes , but it really has. Make it with me and you might be surprised, too!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my breakfast salad recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

• Eggs – I like them sunny-side up, with a little sea salt and black pepper . Over-easy, poached, or coddled eggs also taste great here. I’ve even used hard boiled eggs and grated them on top for texture. You’ll also need salt and pepper for the eggs.
• Bacon – You can swap it with breakfast sausage or even turkey bacon if you prefer.
• Greens – I love using microgreens for a fresh, delicate base. But feel free to use other leafy greens, like spinach, arugula, romaine lettuce, or baby kale.
• Cherry Tomatoes – What I always have on hand these days because my kids are obsessed. Grape tomatoes or chopped larger tomatoes totally work, too.
• Avocado – Or if you want to get fancy, try a dollop of guacamole .
• Pesto Sauce – I usually make my own pesto , so this is my shortcut to big flavor without much effort. Store-bought works too, or you could use my simple lemon vinaigrette or creamy balsamic dressing .
• Optional Extras – A squeeze of lemon adds brightness, and extra fresh basil is a nice touch if you have some left from making the pesto.

How To Make A Breakfast Salad

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card .

1. Make the pesto (if you want your own). See my pesto recipe here . I didn’t include it in the recipe prep time because I usually make this ahead or keep extra in the freezer. But I’ve totally grabbed a jar of store-bought and it’s still amazing!
2. Cook the bacon. Start the bacon in a cold skillet and cook it until it’s nice and crispy. Set it aside, and chop or crumble. Leave the flavorful grease in the pan so you can cook the eggs in it.
3. Build the salad base. While the bacon cooks, pile the greens, tomatoes, and avocado into a large bowl. Drizzle on some pesto… I usually just eyeball it, but measured an amount for the recipe card below.
4. Fry the eggs. Crack the eggs into the hot pan and cook them however you like. I usually go for sunny-side up, so the yolk runs into everything.

1. Combine it all. Top the breakfast salad with eggs and bacon. I like to finish with a squeeze of lemon, a little more pesto, and basil. And while I usually serve it all by itself, it goes nicely with a side of fresh fruit or my banana smoothie if you want something sweet.

My Tips & Variations

• Make sure to get pesto on the greens, as this acts as the dressing. I tried adding the pesto only at the end and got most on the eggs while the greens felt kind of dry, so it works best to add it to the greens first. You can toss lightly if needed.
• Don’t overdo the pesto, though. The delicate greens can get soggy if they are drenched.
• Try these add-ins for extra flavor: Sprinkle on feta cheese or shaved parmesan for a cheesy finish, pine nuts or sliced almonds for some crunch, or blueberries for a pop of sweetness. This week I tossed in leftover air fryer veggies from the night before!
• Make it more hearty: This breakfast salad is already pretty filling, but I’ve added roasted sweet potatoes when I wanted more starch. I usually get two servings out of it that way.
• Vegetarian option: You can skip the bacon and fry the eggs in extra virgin olive oil instead of the bacon grease. This also cuts the time to make this recipe down to just 5-10 minutes.
• Prep ahead to save time in the morning: Cook bacon in the oven , make the pesto (if using homemade), and slice the tomatoes the night before. The day-of, you can fry the eggs in oil and assemble the breakfast salad in minutes.
• Make more servings: I created this as a single-serve recipe for just me, but feel free to double the recipe without changing anything else. If you want to make it for a bigger crowd, I recommend prepping the bacon like I mentioned above, and baking the eggs in a muffin tin .

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 2 slices Bacon ▢
• 1 1/2 cups Microgreens (or any greens you like) ▢
• 1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes (halved) ▢
• 1/4 medium Avocado (sliced) ▢
• 1 tbsp Basil pesto (or more to taste) ▢
• 2 large Eggs ▢
• Sea salt (to taste) ▢
• Black pepper (to taste) ▢
• Lemon wedges (optional, for serving) ▢
• Fresh basil (optional, for serving) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Place the bacon slices in a cold, large skillet . Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the bacon for about 10 minutes , turning every couple of minutes, until crispy. Drain on paper towels, leaving the bacon grease behind in the pan.
2. While the bacon cooks, assemble the microgreens, halved cherry tomatoes, and sliced avocado in a serving bowl. Drizzle with pesto sauce.
3. When the bacon is done, chop or crumble it and set aside.
4. With the skillet still hot over medium-low heat, crack the eggs into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes for sunny side up, or until done to your liking. You can cover the pan, or flip for over easy. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
5. Slide the cooked eggs over the greens. Sprinkle with chopped bacon. If you like, serve your breakfast salad with lemon wedges, more pesto, and/or fresh basil.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 breakfast salad (entire recipe)

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best texture in every bite, a few variations I’ve made, shortcuts to save time or prep ahead, and how to scale the recipe for a crowd.
• Storage: This salad tastes best fresh, but I have instructions to meal prep parts if you want it quicker in the morning.

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Breakfast Salad

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• The Basic Keto Meal Formula
• Understanding Macros
• Keto Food Swaps
• Keto Food List
• Electrolyte Basics
• Keto Diet Types
• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Keto Swaps For Bread

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Keto Swaps For Drinks

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Foods To Eat On Keto

• Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
• Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
• Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
• Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
• Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
• Avocados
• Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
• Almond flour and coconut flour
• Eggs
• Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

• White flour & sugar
• Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
• Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
• Cereal
• Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
• Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
• Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
• Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
• Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
• Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

• Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
• Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
• Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
• Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)

Breakfast Salad

My breakfast salad has all your morning favorites like eggs, bacon, avocado, and greens, with the perfect dressing for extra flavor. So easy!

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for the full recipe, including tips, step-by-step photos, and storage, or to save it to your account. You can also find it at: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/breakfast-salad/

Ingredients

• 2 slices Bacon
• 1 1/2 cups Microgreens (or any greens you like)
• 1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1/4 medium Avocado (sliced)
• 1 tbsp Basil pesto (or more to taste)
• 2 large Eggs
• Sea salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• Lemon wedges (optional, for serving)
• Fresh basil (optional, for serving)

Instructions

1. Place the bacon slices in a cold, large skillet . Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the bacon for about 10 minutes , turning every couple of minutes, until crispy. Drain on paper towels, leaving the bacon grease behind in the pan.
2. While the bacon cooks, assemble the microgreens, halved cherry tomatoes, and sliced avocado in a serving bowl. Drizzle with pesto sauce.
3. When the bacon is done, chop or crumble it and set aside.
4. With the skillet still hot over medium-low heat, crack the eggs into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes for sunny side up, or until done to your liking. You can cover the pan, or flip for over easy. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
5. Slide the cooked eggs over the greens. Sprinkle with chopped bacon. If you like, serve your breakfast salad with lemon wedges, more pesto, and/or fresh basil.

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 breakfast salad (entire recipe)

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best texture in every bite, a few variations I’ve made, shortcuts to save time or prep ahead, and how to scale the recipe for a crowd.
• Storage: This salad tastes best fresh, but I have instructions to meal prep parts if you want it quicker in the morning.

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. :)