Start your day with a little spice.

While breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it can sometimes get a little repetitive and boring. Unless you have ginger.

This versatile superfood hosts a bevy of health benefits, from treating nausea to reducing muscle pain. But what makes it really super? It’s easier to rely on than any other superfood and can be easily added to any meal of the day.

Whether you want to hide the spicy kick with creamy butter or let it fire up your senses first thing as you drink your coffee, ginger can bring both amazing and unique flavors to your morning. Here are eight ways to reap the health benefits of ginger in your breakfast.

Coffee and ginger create one powerful free radical-fighting duo, especially since coffee is one of the world’s biggest sources of antioxidants. To get your morning superfood pick-me-up, simply add ground ginger to your java (up to 1 teaspoon per cup), or try making the Yemeni drink qishr. This traditional Middle Eastern ginger coffee isn’t only spicy and delicious, it can also aid in digestion.

Ginger tea is a popular beverage for warming up chilly winters. Not only is it warm and comforting, it may help calm an upset stomach. A cup of this spicy tea in the morning would be particularly helpful in relieving nausea, motion sickness, or pregnancy-induced morning sickness.

You can easily make your own ginger tea at home by grating gingerroot and letting it seep in boiling water for 10 minutes. Add sugar to taste. Or, find ginger tea in stores.

Pantries are often stocked with fruit jams, but ever try ginger jam? It may not be the healthiest, but it certainly is a healthier option. Whether you’re buying it or making your own (using this fantastically easy recipe by Wendolonia), a smear of ginger jam is delicious on toast or biscuits.

For anyone craving a comforting bite of classic PB&J, try a unique variation of peanut butter and ginger jam.

Pro tip: For people on a low-sugar fix, you can also mince ginger and fold it into your butter. This just may become your new favorite thing, especially if you’re into bulletproof, or butter, coffee.

The company The Ginger People created their organic ginger syrup as a creative alternative to pancake syrup. With only two ingredients, this tasty syrup is delicious when used in beverages, baked goods, oatmeal, pancakes, and waffles.

You can also easily make your own ginger syrup at home by gently boiling the ingredients for 30 minutes and straining the mixture through a sieve or strainer for a smoother texture.

Ginger syrup recipe

  • 1/4 pound peeled and thinly sliced ginger
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
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A bowl of crunchy, fiber-rich granola is always an easy breakfast choice. But adding fragrant, spicy ginger granola to the mix would make it even better!

Grate 1 inch of ginger and mix it with honey or melted coconut oil, then drizzle it over your breakfast bowl. For a super dose of nutrition, try this superfood granola that’s packed with 11 superfoods (including ginger, of course).

Adding ginger to your morning breakfast bowl provides some serious anti-inflammatory benefits, especially for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

For a spin on this morning beverage, try a gut-awakening ginger juice. Ginger juice is great in a variety of things, like stir-fries and salad dressings. It includes a myriad of health benefits, from boosting the metabolism to naturally fighting bacteria. It’s also particularly good for treating pain, menstrual cramps, and exercise-induced soreness.

If ginger juice is too strong on its own for you, go ahead and add some to your morning smoothie or post-workout protein shake.

Low on time? You can still reap the benefits of ginger on the go. Grab a healthy, gluten-free turmeric and ginger Lärabar or meal prep some ginger energy bites, like these delicious dough balls Well Plated calls her “saving grace.” These treats make for a healthy breakfast if you’re rushing out the door.

Sure, ginger is used in popular baked goods — there’s gingerbread, ginger snaps, ginger-spiced cakes and pies. But you can rely on ginger to amp up breakfast pastries, too.

Try these lemon ginger pre-workout breakfast cookies by Vega for some seriously sustained energy. For people who exercise in the morning, they’re filled with healthy fats and protein to improve your performance.

With all of ginger’s incredible health benefits and low-effort methods to make any breakfast fit for royalty, it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t want to include it in the most important meal of the day. Which ways are you looking forward to incorporating ginger into your morning routine?

Tiffany La Forge is a professional chef, recipe developer, and food writer who runs the blog Parsnips and Pastries. Her blog focuses on real food for a balanced life, seasonal recipes, and approachable health advice. When she’s not in the kitchen, Tiffany enjoys yoga, hiking, traveling, organic gardening, and hanging out with her corgi, Cocoa. Visit her at her blog or on Instagram.