Blueberry & Coconut Bircher Muesli Recipe | The First Mess (2024)

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I’ve been eating this blueberry coconut bircher muesli off and on for the last couple months, so figured it was time to share with you all. I know that the internet is crawling with overnight oats content, but if this recipe can inspire one person to try a new plant-based breakfast, then I’m happy. Mission accomplished!

Little changes become massive life shifts if applied over time. That’s how a plant-based diet has impacted me personally. I’m giving a talk about the how’s and the why’s of going vegan at an event this weekend, starting with what’s on your plate. When I started writing out what I wanted to say and pass on to people as a takeaway message, so many things came up.

People talk about climate change as a result of meat and dairy consumption a lot. The grocery store landscape becomes increasingly more varied with options for all kinds of eaters with every visit. There are new articles that espouse the benefits of a fully plant-based diet every single day. Influencers say and promote some borderline crazy sh*t (health and lifestyle-wise) in the news feeds of millions of people constantly. It can all be so confusing and overwhelming.

Starting with your true intention is the best angle for success and personal fulfillment. Maybe you want to eat a few more plants, or maybe you’ve felt a stronger sense of compassion for animals lately, or you just really care about the environment and this is a tangible everyday change that makes sense to you. Start there and go back to that intention whenever you need to. Let it be your guide!

Then, try committing to one plant-based meal a day. I find that breakfast is the easiest when you’re starting because things like oatmeal, cereal, toast, smoothies etc. are foolproof in terms of being either naturally vegan or easily vegan-ized. This way you’re only shifting about a third of your existing grocery shopping routine. Begin slowly. Turning on a dime and changing your lifestyle 100% can be difficult. It works for a lot of people, but for others: it sets them up for discouragement at the first sign of a setback because they feel like they failed their mission in one fell swoop.

From here, we keep growing and stacking our habits. We let the habits build into a lifestyle and a set of personal commitments that don’t feel like work. They feel natural because they’ve become a part of us over time. It’s important that all of these habits and life movements feel good. If you sense that you aren’t aiming true or something is off, re-assess that habit or part of your plant-based life.

I love small changes. I live by them, always trying to be better for myself and for my relationships. I eat 100% plant-based now and maintain a vegan lifestyle to the best of my ability outside of what’s on my plate–I do slip up sometimes and am transparent about that. Last weekend at a baseball game, I accidentally drank wine that did not use a 100% vegan filtration process. It happens and I am always learning. For the most part, my small changes have added up to a fulfilling lifestyle shift.

Remember this: no one is free from causing some type of harm 100% of the time, no matter how well-intentioned (or how vocal they are on Twitter). Millions of people making small steps and enjoying their little vegan breakfast is much more impactful than 100 completely perfect vegans. My goal with this work is to inspire the largest amount of people to eat plant-based; not to 100% convert a smaller and more dedicated group.

All of this is to say: go eat your blueberry coconut bircher muesli and keep changing your world/the world at large with small habits and choices if that feels right to you. Then keep going! :)