20 Canned Foods That Deserve To Be Eaten For Breakfast

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Experts (and moms) have been telling us for years that it's important to eat breakfast, and they're right. Research has shown it has physical and mental benefits, including topping up much-needed nutrients, preventing a spike in the stress hormone cortisol, and boosting our overall mood. All of which is great, as millions of people across the United States reach for cereals fortified with vitamins and minerals.

But an everyday breakfast doesn't have to be sweet. In fact, there's a world of flavors that will give us a fantastic start to the day. The best news of all? They come in cans. All the convenience of a bowl of cereal but they serve fiber, protein, and lots of other healthy, essential goodies, rather than sugar. Some canned products are co-stars in dazzling recipes, others can be cracked open and devoured just as they are. Here are some canned foods that deserve to be eaten for breakfast.

Of all the savory breakfast choices, few are as phenomenal as salmon. It's full of omega-3 fat and essential acids which our bodies can't make naturally. Throw in doses of vitamin D and B12, and it's easy to see why health experts love this oily fish.

They're not the only ones. Salmon is a popular breakfast food in places like Norway and Japan, where it's eaten smoked or salted. If that's not your bag, canned pink or red salmon is just as good — not to mention affordable and convenient.

No leftovers for these croquettes? No problem: Open a can of pink salmon, instead. A tin of smoked salmon will take your breakfast burrito to a whole new place, and if you don't have this ingredient to boost your omelet, then canned red sockeye salmon will do the trick.

Carbs do a lot of heavy lifting at breakfast, whether it's toasted bread, pancakes, or a bowl of something sweet and crunchy. But toast can be dull, pancakes require time and patience first thing in the morning, while not every breakfast cereal is worth eating. Here's a quick and easy alternative: canned biscuits.

Getting your morning carb boost is as simple as popping open a tin and whipping up some biscuits and gravy (also from a tin). But there are plenty of ways to take canned biscuits to the next level, including making sandwiches or nifty, bite-sized breakfast bowls.

Fancy something a bit different? Fill a split biscuit with cheese and scrambled eggs, and pop them in a waffle iron. Alternatively, roll the biscuits out a little, fill them with breakfast sausage and egg, before folding and tossing in the air fryer.

In 2025, when a social media user asked, "What exactly is Hawaiian cuisine?," many people explained it was the cosmopolitan mix of flavors created by immigrants. Among them is a breakfast dish locals adore, but which gives some tourists pause for thought: Spam and eggs. Many Hawaiians love tinned Spam. They eat more of it than any other American state, it's on almost every restaurant menu, even in fast food outlets, and it is a staple first thing in the morning.

You can opt for a low-sodium variety, while a 2-ounce serving of Spam also delivers important micronutrients like potassium and zinc. Pair it with scrambled eggs and rice for a powerhouse of a breakfast, and Spam is also delicious cubed and tossed into a pan with potatoes for a savory hash. For outdoor grill fans, there's always room for it in a fry-up.

For many Americans, breakfast in a bowl translates to porridge or oatmeal, or a serving of cold cereal. But in other countries, that bowl contains soup, from Vietnam's phở to Colombian beef ribs.  While those gastronomic delights aren't readily available in a can, there are plenty of soups that are.

Cans of cream of broccoli or cream of spinach are no different to a vegetable smoothie. They come with all the nutritional benefits, including fiber, vitamins C and A, and folic acid. Tinned soups can also be eaten hot or cold and, best of all, there's zero prep required.

If a smooth vegetable soup doesn't float your boat, get on board the breakfast soup train with minestrone and chicken noodle soups. They blend a delicious (and hydrating) broth with carbs, giving the body the morning kick-start it needs.

Tofu, long prized by vegetarians and flexitarians, has seen a boom in demand in the United States, as consumers seek out more affordable foods. Made from condensed soy milk that has been pressed into blocks, tofu is incredibly versatile.

The mild flavor means it complements a wide range of foods, and tofu is a good source of fiber, with a 3.5-ounce serving providing over half our daily value of calcium and manganese. Plus, it comes in a can.

At breakfast time, swap your everyday fried or scrambled eggs for sliced or diced tofu. You can pile it onto avocado toast, or tip a can of tofu into a morning smoothie for added silkiness. Just make sure to store it properly once you've opened it.

Without a 1929 mutation, the 1970s grapefruit diet (people thought eating them burned fat) would never have happened. The development of the sweeter, Texas Ruby Red turned the unpopular grapefruit's fortunes on their head, helping it secure a place on many a breakfast table.

Science has proved grapefruit can help people lose weight, not because it consumes fat, but because it's mostly made of water and very filling. Like its citrus fruit buddies lemons, limes, clementines, and tangerines, grapefruit has a low glycemic index and they're all good sources of fiber.

Stock up on canned white grapefruit and you can combine its tart zing with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt for a delicious, summery dish all year round. Add a splash of color to oatmeal with the red variety, or blend this citrus salad with other fruits for a punchy breakfast juice.

Citrus fruits have the sharp, tangy end of the flavor spectrum sewn up, but tropical varieties are where it's at for anyone seeking something sweeter. Of course there are the usual suspects: banana, pineapple, mango, and coconut. But other tinned tropical fruits for breakfast are available.

One of the most under-rated is jackfruit. Younger, unripe ones are marketed as a meat substitute thanks to their mild flavor. They come canned in brine, and are perfect with poblano potato or breakfast hash. Jackfruits in syrup are much sweeter and are amazing in a smoothie.

Then there's the funky-looking rambutan, which resembles a lychee but tastes like a grape. Rambutans are superfoods and good sources of vitamins, particularly B5. Crack open a can, drain the syrup, and pop a handful into a bowl of muesli or pep up a yogurt-based smoothie.

During the summer months, tayberries, strawberries, mulberries, raspberries, and blackberries are delicious bursts of flavor that brighten up a wide range of breakfasts, whether it's a simple bowl of yogurt and granola, or a multi-fruit smoothie. But outside of June, July, and August, berry pickings are much slimmer. Happily, some of them come in a tin. Unlike fresh berries, the tinned versions, whether they are on their own or part of a canned fruit mix, will last for months.

Not only do we get the benefit of their antioxidants and fiber, but they're available all year round. One of the best to add to your winter oatmeal are juicy tinned blackberries. They're a great source of vitamins C and K, which are good for the immune system and bone health, and they taste delicious.

With its asymmetric tin and bewildering opening method, canned corned beef has gone from being military rations to an iconic breakfast food. Because it's pre-cooked, preparation is minimal: Smoosh a block into the pan for an instant protein hit.

Variations on corned beef hash are everywhere. The day after St. Patrick's Day is the perfect time to make breakfast from corned beef leftovers, but you can whip up a batch with the tinned kind any time. In the Philippines, people start their day with a plate of corned beef silog, a blend of garlic rice and eggs.

If you want a lighter breakfast, corned beef hash with scrambled eggs is a winner. Not in the mood for potatoes? Quickly spiralize a zucchini for noodles for an alternative accompaniment, or boost that beef with a side of leafy greens.

Potatoes can hog the breakfast limelight, but there's a whole cast of canned root vegetables waiting to shine. Like many tinned foods, the veggies inside are at their freshest until the lid is cracked open, and all their antioxidants and vitamins are just waiting to be enjoyed.

Want to give your breakfast hash a sophisticated twist? Swap potatoes for canned sweet potatoes. Mash them and dollop them on the griddle for colorful, sweet or savory patties, or cook them with eggs and Italian sausages for a mouthwatering, make-ahead dish.

If you don't have any turnips to fry in a skillet with some bacon, a tin of diced rutabaga is an ideal substitute, while the perfect red flannel hash does exist. All you need to do is combine a can of beets, a can of potatoes, some cabbage, an onion, herbs, and a half-dozen eggs.

Bok choy, kale, arugula, and spinach are amazing sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and great for our bodies in a zillion ways. But at breakfast time (when we may not be at our best or brightest), all that rinsing and chopping can make it easier to avoid them. Not any more. Spinach in a can has put leafy greens back on the breakfast map.

Want to crank up the iron content of your morning smoothie? Open a can of chopped spinach, drain it, and add that green goodness to the blender. But it's not the only tinned leafy green available. Kale is one of the most nutritious foods we can eat, and it, too, can be bought in a can. It's the perfect addition to a breakfast scramble or hash, or you can pair tinned collared greens with pan-fried tofu for another savory start to the day.

Foodies across the United States have taken Korean superfood kimchi to their hearts (and stomachs) in recent years. While "fermented cabbage" doesn't exactly scream delicious, one mouthful of this tangy, garlicky flavorbomb is all that's needed to fall in love with it, especially for breakfast. There are hundreds of types of kimchi and as well as being probiotic, it's packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Best of all? Kimchi is sold in tins.

It is the ideal way to add zip (and a dollop of veggie goodness) to even the spiciest breakfast hash, but kimchi works particularly well with eggs. No matter how you cook them, they're delicious when paired with a hefty serving of fermented cabbage, while a sprinkle of Parmesan brings added richness. Make sure you store your opened kimchi properly so you can enjoy every last bite.

Eating the rainbow can be easier said than done, but one vegetable has been helping us do that for thousands of years: the bell pepper. It comes in a range of shades including white, purple and — rarest of all — brown.

The pepper family also gives us cherry, cubanelle, pimento, and Italian frying varieties, covering flavors from sweet to spicy. Bell peppers are a great breakfast food, loading us up with vitamin C, and plenty of them come in cans, so we can mix things up.

Slice some cute-as-a-button mini peppers and toss them into a potato or corned beef hash, or crack open a can of yellow bell peppers to add a burst of color to a canned spinach and egg flatbread filling. Pressed for time? Grab a can of pre-sliced red peppers and boom: a breakfast omelet boosted in seconds.

There are many reasons why canned tuna is among the most popular fish in the United States. It's full of vitamin B12, affordable, and versatile. Mix it with a dollop of mayo and slather onto wholemeal bread for a saintly breakfast. Want more protein first thing? Fork tinned tuna onto your avocado toast and thank us later.

Canned tuna comes in water or in brine, but both work in hot breakfasts. Crack a can into a skillet with some tinned diced potatoes and jalapeño peppers for a dreamy bagel filling, or combine your tinned tuna with scrambled eggs or as a filling for a breakfast omelet. If you're in the mood for something a little different, swap the eggs for a serving of fluffy white or brown rice.

If you want flexibility at breakfast time, look no further than the mighty tinned tomato. You can buy canned tomatoes diced, puréed or whole. Many come pre-peeled, so we don't have that messy job to deal with, and there are even ones with added vegetables.

Canned tomatoes deserve to be eaten for breakfast not just because of their versatility and nutritional value (they're sources of fiber, calcium, and potassium) but also for their flavor. Sauté tinned tomatoes in olive oil or butter until soft, then add a little honey and serve with a traditional fry-up.

If you prefer the tomatoes to be the star of the show, rather than a side, pop a can of them into a skillet and top with eggs for a quick, tasty breakfast. You can even throw in a tin of sliced peppers with the tomatoes for a sneaky shakshuka.

Unless you're using this hack to keep homemade bread fresh, chances are you don't have a warm, fresh-baked loaf for breakfast. But you could, if you popped open some canned brown bread, which is legendary in New England and further afield.

The original variety is great for both savory or sweet breakfasts, (think a slice of ham or a tumble of canned blueberries) or you could simply toast and butter a slice of canned brown bread with raisins. Both will sit in your pantry for months, but they're not the only carbohydrates that come in a tin.

Canned crescent roll dough is a game-changer for breakfast. Crack open a can, unroll it and fill the pastry with anything from chocolate hazelnut spread to scrambled eggs, cheddar and bacon. Roll it up, throw it in the oven and in minutes you'll have breakfast pinwheels.

In many households, breakfast is eaten against the clock, but wolfing down our food isn't great for us. Sea clams can help, as they're easy to digest, compared to other forms of seafood. You don't have to mess around preparing fresh ones either, just reach for a can of them. It's up to you whether you opt for whole or chopped.

Not only do you get almost half your protein requirement for the day in a single dish, sea clams go with a wide range of breakfast foods. Mix them with a can of corn, coat them in breadcrumbs, and fry them to make delicious fritters for the whole family, or add them to a veggie stir-fry. During the colder months, crack open a can of chowder and add your tinned sea clams to boost the meat levels.

In the United Kingdom, no proper English breakfast is complete without a side of canned baked beans, but there are so many more ways to incorporate this protein powerhouse into the first meal of the day. For example, you can put some pep in your step with a plate of canned refried beans, served with avocado on toast, or classic, huevos rancheros-style.

It's worth thinking outside the box, too. Roast the contents of a tin of garbanzo beans or chickpeas for a spicy, nutty addition to a breakfast hash, or you can mash them for a delicious quesadilla filling. Those with a sweet tooth can also get in on the breakfast action. Blend a can of white beans into a blondie batter for a make-ahead morning bar that will pack a protein punch.

A can of fruit, such as sliced cling peaches or punchy, pitted cherries is a great way to make morning oatmeal more interesting, but there's also another way to go: canned coconut cream. This low-carb, dairy-free ingredient is perfect for keto followers and vegans, plus it's loaded with goodies like potassium, iron, and zinc.

Scooping some canned coconut cream into a breakfast smoothie (alongside your fave canned fruits or veggies, or course) will give you an unctuous yet filling drink. You can also add a spoonful to a bowl of oatmeal to increase the richness without sending your blood sugar through the roof. Get more out of each can with this hack, and if you store it right, your coconut cream will last for several days.

Where would the average breakfast table be without ham? Well, plenty of Continental breakfast-loving hotel guests would be bereft, for starters, not to mention the millions of households chowing down on ham and eggs in a morning. Canned ham takes the convenience of breakfast meats to a whole new level (you can even use the container to cook in, according to a TikTok user).

Eaten in moderation, tinned ham can be a good source of protein, particularly for people with diabetes. Of course it's a match made in heaven with eggs, but you can give the traditional pairing a spicy twist by throwing in some chopped tomatoes and jalapeños (both from a tin, of course). If you want all the flavor but less salt, canned chicken breast is a great breakfast meat alternative.