Udderly Replaced

Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast

There are certain foods I always associated with vacation mornings.

You know the ones — slow, indulgent, enjoyed without checking ingredients or worrying about how you’ll feel an hour later. For me, smoked salmon avocado toast with butter toast and feta cheese or even cream cheese was one of those dishes. Something I ordered seaside or poolside, convinced it could never translate into real life.

“THE PAUSE” has taken away a lot of everyday luxuries for me.  After waking up one day certifiably crazy and also lugging around 15 extra pounds my hormone doctor gently suggested I “limit the white stuff.”

I had already ended my relationship with dairy as much as possible….NOW the WHITE STUF?!?!  

Excuse me… WHAT is this world coming to?

But here’s the thing — I’m not willing to give up flavor, comfort, or joy just to keep my hormones happy and my jeans fitting the same way they always have. So I started recreating my favorite vacation foods at home — dairy-free, low carb, and still indulgent.

This smoked salmon avocado toast is the result. And honestly?

It was more than I had wished for.

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Why This Toast Works (Even After “The Pause”)

This isn’t just breakfast.

It’s proof that food after menopause doesn’t have to feel restrictive.

I start with keto bread, toasted in a skillet with dairy-free Country Crock olive oil butter until golden and crisp. That alone already feels like a small luxury.

Then comes the avocado — mashed until silky, seasoned generously with everything bagel seasoning. Creamy, salty, garlicky… without a single drop of dairy.

Next, smoked salmon, briny capers, thinly sliced red onion, and a handful of fresh arugula for balance. The finishing touch? A farm-fresh sunny-side-up egg with a deep golden yolk that only a truly fresh egg can give you. The flavor is hard to beat.

It tastes like something you’d order on vacation — but it fuels you like something made for real life.

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🥑🍳 Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast (Keto-Friendly & Easily Dairy-Free)

This recipe is written exactly as I make it at home. You can keep it fully dairy-free or add optional extras if your body allows.

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 1 slice keto bread

• Dairy-free Country Crock olive oil butter (for toasting)

• ½ medium avocado, mashed

• Everything bagel seasoning, to taste

• 1½–2 oz smoked salmon

• 1 large farm-fresh egg, fried sunny-side up

• 1 Tbsp capers, drained

• Thinly sliced red onion (about 1 Tbsp)

• Handful of arugula

(And if dairy does work for you, this is where you can add that little extra kiss on top — a light crumble of goat cheese or feta. Just enough to feel indulgent, not enough to tip the scales. I like to think of it as the sugar on top of a dish that already feels special — optional, intentional, and worth savoring.)

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👩‍🍳 How to Make It

1. Toast the bread

Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast the keto bread with a little dairy-free Country Crock olive oil butter until golden and crisp.

2. Mash the avocado

Mash the avocado until smooth. Season generously with everything bagel seasoning.

3. Cook the egg

Fry the egg sunny-side up (or over-easy if you prefer). A jammy yolk is perfect here.

4. Assemble the toast

• Spread avocado over the toasted bread

• Layer smoked salmon on top

• Add the fried egg

• Sprinkle with capers and red onion

• Top with arugula

• Finish with extra everything bagel seasoning and cracked pepper

5. Optional: Add a small drizzle of olive oil for extra richness.

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Life After “The Pause”

Menopause has a way of changing the rules without asking permission. Foods that once felt harmless suddenly cause inflammation, energy crashes, or stubborn weight gain.

But this stage of life doesn’t mean giving up pleasure — it means eating smarter without eating sad.

This toast is:

• Creamy without cream

• Satisfying without carbs

• Elegant without effort

And most importantly, it keeps me feeling full, energized, and happy — which matters more than ever after “The Pause”.

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Vacation-Style Food, Real-Life Living

If you’re navigating hormone changes…

If you’re dairy-free by necessity (or survival)…

If you still want spice and everything nice even though pasta and potatoes are no longer invited to stay…

This one’s for you.

Because after “The Pause”, we don’t stop enjoying food.

We just get more intentional, more creative, and a whole lot smarter about how we nourish ourselves.

And honestly?

That feels like a pretty delicious chapter. 💛