What is in a full English breakfast and is there a vegan or vegetarian version?
THE FULL English breakfast is a staple of the British diet and as classic as fish and chips or a Sunday roast.
But is it just another name for a fry-up, or do certain ingredients make the full English what it is? And can you get a vegan friendly one?
The full English
Traditionally speaking, the full English breakfast is made up of the following ingredients:
- Bacon
- Eggs (scrambled, poached or fried)
- Pork sausages
- Mushrooms
- Tomatoes
- Beans
- Toast
The above are all fried - even the toast, if you wish - while the eggs can be cooked a variety of ways.
There’s no hash browns in a traditional English fry-up, these delicious fried potato patties are an American concept.
Similarly there’s no white or black pudding in a full English - but you will find them just across the borders in an Irish or Scottish fry-up.
What's in a veggie full English breakfast?
Making your full English breakfast vegetarian-friendly is easy to do.
Simply swap out the pork sausages for veggie equivalents and take out the bacon.
You’ll also need to make sure your ingredients are cooked in a separate pan to any meat components to ensure the fry-up is truly vegetarian.
Of course, you can break with tradition and jazz it up with some spinach, if you like.
Is there such a thing as a vegan full English?
Strictly speaking, a vegan full English breakfast isn’t a thing - in that, there’s no set list of ingredients.
But there are lots of ways to make your fry-up vegan.
For example, the tomatoes, mushrooms and beans and toast already are free from animal produce.
Most veggie sausages are vegan too, just make sure you check the pack.
And, you can now get vegan bacon - which is high in protein and fibre but low in fat - so really it’s just the eggs vegans are missing out on.
MORE ABOUT FOOD
And for many of us, nothing will ever come close to replicating a proper pucker plate of the full works.
But, if you’re vegetarian or find yourself in charge of cooking a veggie or vegan fry-up in the near future, that’s how it’s done.
On the topic of full English breakfasts, this man made the mistake of ordering one on holiday... and he was very surprised by what he was served.
And if you'd rather eat something on the go, here's our guide to the high street sandwiches that really cut the mustard.
Meanwhile, this is when you can grab a McDonald's brekkie.