These 10 healthy make-ahead breakfast ideas will ensure that you’re not skipping the most important meal of the day!
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression before – “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” And it’s true – eating a healthy, nourishing breakfast helps to jumpstart your metabolism, aids in weight loss, and provides you with the energy to kick-start your day, amongst other benefits.
But it can be tempting to skip breakfast or just grab a large mocha from the drive-through, especially when you’re rushing off to work or attending to the kids. That’s why it’s so important to have healthy, on-the-go breakfast recipes that you can prepare ahead or that can be whipped up in minutes.
Principles for a Healthy Breakfast
1. It MUST contain protein
Eating breakfast early in the morning will make you feel full, which will curb your hunger later on.
Protein is also used by your body to build and repair bones, muscles, and cartilage.
2. It must have carbs
You need a source of energy, and we humans obtain them from carbohydrates. Are carbohydrates bad? Not so fast, there are good and bad carbohydrates. It depends on their molecular structure, but in essence, carbohydrates are bad if they spike your blood glucose either too fast or too high. Think of white bread, soda drinks, refined sugar or cakes.
Good carbs include:
- legumes
- vegetables
- whole grains
- fruits.
My favorite breakfast carbohydrate (to be honest lunch and dinner too) are legumes, specifically and in this order: beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
For me, whole grains and fruits are cheat meals, so I only eat them on my cheat day once a week.
3. It should have fiber
Similarly as consuming protein, fiber helps you feel full longer. Other benefits of fiber are maintaining a healthy gut and lowering type 2 diabetes risk.
Legumes and vegetables are sources of fiber.
Conclusion
A healthy breakfast should include:
- Eggs, meat, or protein shake. Eggs are my favorite protein because they are easy and fast to digest, can be eaten without using oils, and taste great. (But they are expensive these days!)
- Legumes (Good carbs, and have protein and fiber, all in one) such as beans or lentils.
- Any vegetable
So without further ado, here are 10 healthy make-ahead breakfast recipes that will make breakfast a breeze.
10 Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes
Scrambled Eggs and Refried Beans
This is my most common breakfast as a egg and beans lover. You can prepare in bulk on Sunday night, and reheat every day for the next 3 days. This will provide you with enough protein, fiber and carbs to jumpstart your day.
Omelette, Black Beans and Guacamole Breakfast
Have you ever thought about eating guacamole for breakfast? This omelette, black beans and guacamole breakfast is full of healthy fats, protein and fiber.
Can guacamole be a part of a make-ahead breakfast? Yes, if you follow these steps when you refrigerate it. Otherwise, you can just serve half of an avocado and smash it with your fork on every meal.
Paleo Buffalo Chicken Broccoli Egg Cups
Found at Girl in Healing
These buffalo chicken broccoli eggs cups taste as good as they sound. Eggs are the perfect breakfast food – they contain all of the essential amino acids your body needs, making them a complete source of protein. Add to that the broccoli and chicken that these delicious egg cups contain, and you’ve got yourself a tasty, healthy breakfast option. These can easily be frozen and reheated for a quick, healthy on-the-go breakfast.
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Found at Balanced Life Leslie
Who doesn’t love the idea of chocolate for breakfast? Well, with this healthy chocolate chia pudding, you can turn those dreams into reality. This chocolate chia pudding only has four ingredients and can be whipped up in minutes in a high-powered blender. It’s a decadent, sweet but healthy breakfast (the sweetness comes from the medjool dates) that any chocolate fan will love.
Whole Wheat Blueberry Banana Muffins
Found at Cup of Catherine
Muffins are a common “grab-and-go” breakfast item, but they can be full of hidden nasties. Instead of going through the Starbucks drive-through and buying an expensive, sugar-filled muffin, try making a big batch of these whole wheat blueberry banana muffins instead. Instead of using white sugar, I like to use coconut sugar (or even omit the sugar entirely.)
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats
Found at My Menu Pal
These slow cooker pumpkin pie steel cuts oats are the perfect make-ahead breakfast idea for the cooler months. Just prep the ingredients and place in the slow cooker the night before and you’ll wake up to a warm, delicious, healthy breakfast (added bonuses – your house will smell wonderful and you can enjoy a few more minutes in your cozy bed because you know that breakfast is already taken care of!)
Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats
Found at The Small Town Foodie
Overnight oats are the quintessential “make-ahead healthy breakfast” and for good reason. They take minutes to prepare, then just throw them in the refrigerator and they do their thing overnight, tasting better and better as you’re snoozing soundly. Then bam! Wake up and you have a delicious breakfast waiting for you in the fridge. One of my favorite flavor combinations for overnight oats is peanut butter and banana, which is why I love this recipe so much!
BBQ Kidney Bean Kale Burger
Found at Veggie Inspired
Ok, so you might be thinking “burgers for breakfast? That doesn’t sound healthy!” And you’d be right – but I’ve included these for a reason. While I wouldn’t recommend making an entire burger with the bun and condiments for breakfast, the actual burger patty itself is a great, healthy, savory breakfast option. These are vegan-friendly and absolutely loaded with healthy ingredients. And they can be easily made ahead, frozen, and then popped in the microwave for an easy, on-the-go breakfast.
Gluten Free Zucchini Bread Breakfast Cookies
Found at C It Nutritionally
Unlike store-bought cookies which are full of sugar, artificial dyes and artificial flavors, these are cookies that you actually want to eat for breakfast. And they taste as good as they look! Packed with nutrients, these zucchini bread cookies are super-fast to make and are the perfect healthy grab-and-go breakfast idea.
Cake Batter Smoothie Bowl
Found at Bucket List Tummy
I’m rounding up this list of 10 healthy on-the-go breakfast recipes with a healthy breakfast that sounds too good to be true! A cake batter smoothie bowl. Because who doesn’t love cake batter?! But don’t worry, this one is completely healthy! The cake batter flavor comes from this Nikki’s Coconut Butter Vanilla Cake Batter which is just as delicious as it sounds. And if you don’t have time to put together a full smoothie bowl, you can just whip this up in the blender for a healthy, on-the-go breakfast.
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