Breakfast is so important, so why do we often skip it? Saving time and money while supporting a healthy way of eating isn’t as impossible as it may sound. As we all have heard time and time again, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but so often we think “Who has the time?” I’m here to tell you – YOU DO!

Investing a small amount of time on a Sunday to prepare your breakfasts for the week will pay dividends for your health and stress levels during the week.

Six Quick Breakfast Ideas

Easy Oatmeal Jars

If you’ve read my article on mason jars, you know that I love them for many reasons, but one thing they’re great for is breakfast. I like to make my oatmeal jars with half oatmeal, half quinoa, but the great thing about these is how flexible they are!

Quinoa is great to add because not only is it healthy and delicious, but I can cook up a whole bunch at once to use in multiple meals throughout the week.

I use:

• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• ½ cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 1 cup almond milk or coconut milk (using full fat coconut milk will make this creamier)

You can adjust this to suit your preferences, just make sure you always use enough liquid to completely cover your oatmeal/quinoa mix.

Add-ins:

You can use several different combinations – I like berries and almonds, for instance, but walnuts, pecans and apples cooked in butter and a bit of honey, or bananas and Greek yogurt are all delicious additions.

Take the main ingredients and your add-ins (the proportions should be about ½ cup for fruit and 2-3 tbsp for nuts), combine them, and pour them into mason jars to sit overnight in the fridge. Now you can grab one and a spoon on your way out the door. Simple, healthy, and filling! Re-heat or enjoy cold!

Egg Muffins

If you’re looking to cut carbs or you want to make sure you’re eating more of the healthy amazingness that are eggs, egg muffins (or “eggies” as we call them at our house) are quick to put together and will keep you full all morning, with lots of healthy fat and protein.

Recipe:

• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 6 slices of bacon
• 2 tbsp coconut oil or butter
• 2 medium avocados, with flesh scooped out and diced
• 1 ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup coconut milk or heavy cream
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon and drain all of the fat, leaving enough to grease a 12 tin muffin pan. Beat the eggs then mix in the other ingredients. Crumble then fold the bacon in. Pour the mix into the muffin tin. Cook the muffins in a 350 oven for about 25 minutes or until a butter knife/toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and store several to a ziploc (depending on how hungry you are!) and put them in your refrigerator. Another grab-and-go meal that is healthy and satisfying!

Baked Egg Avocado Boats

Few things are as delicious or healthy as avocados – these creamy, fatty fruits are great on chips, but they’re wonderful at breakfast time, too. This recipe offers a healthy breakfast full of protein and good fats, but without the sugar or processed nonsense you may want to avoid. Plus, it’s ready in the time it takes you to dress your toddler – who doesn’t like multitasking?

Recipe:

• 1 Avocado, cut in half lengthwise and with the pit removed
• 2 Large eggs
• Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Take the two halves of the avocado and, leaving the skin on, scoop out just a slight bit more flesh around the pit area. The idea is to extend the “bowl” left by the seed. Add some Parmesan cheese to your bowl, and then crack an egg in both halves. Stick them on a baking sheet uncovered, and place them in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Add some more Parmesan and salt and pepper to your liking, let cool for about 5 minutes, and then dive into these delicious little morsels.

Banana Mock Ice Cream Recipe

You probably wouldn’t expect ice cream for breakfast, let alone for it to be a healthy breakfast, but lucky for you, I’m here to change that thinkin’. This is a very easy way to get some fruit and non-meat protein in your breakfast without spending tons of time and money.

If you’re like me, chances are good you often have a banana (or two or three) that doesn’t get eaten before it browns. Take those (or purchase overripe bananas from your grocer at a discount), peel them, stick them in sandwich bags, and pop them in the freezer.

This is a great way to have frozen, easy-to-grab bananas with which to base your smoothies, but they also serve as a fantastic mock-ice cream.

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas, very ripe and very frozen
• 2 tbsp almond butter or peanut butter
• ¼ cup coconut milk or heavy cream
• Whatever flavors you prefer – cocoa powder, vanilla protein powder, instant coffee, etc.

Pop everything but the milk/cream into a blender and blend until smooth then slowly add the liquid. Then, well, you eat it. You can also add nuts, berries, or chia seeds!

Breakfast Quinoa Mini Muffins

If you’ve got some quinoa left over from our previous foray into the previously mentioned oatmeal jars, why not give it a whirl in a savory dish? These little mini-muffin quinoa bites are a great way to get the protein-packed power of quinoa, along with some flavorful vegetables and cheese, plus they’re wonderfully portable.

Recipe:

• 2 cups quinoa, cooked
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup shredded cheese (a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar is fantastic here)
• 1 cup of other add-ins; vegetables like spinach or kale, crumbled bacon, or switch it up and use feta cheese and olives for a Greek twist
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together and portion out into a mini-muffin tin, greased with coconut oil or butter. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving, and portion the little guys out into containers for a quick grab-and-go breakfast that will keep you energized and satisfied all morning long.

Eggs In Purgatory

It can be difficult getting away from the concept of eggs for breakfast, but this is for good reason, as eggs are incredibly healthy and filling. If you want to add “delicious” to that list of adjectives, try eating perfectly cooked eggs simmered in a spicy marinara, bursting with a rainbow of delicious sautéed vegetables. Maybe throw in some whole wheat toast, and a cup of coffee. Yeah, that sounds good, right? Give Eggs In Purgatory a try and you’ll probably convert even the most diehard anti-eggist.

Recipe:

• ½ yellow onion, diced
• ½ cup diced mushrooms
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups marinara, no added sugar ideally
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup diced jalapeno (optional, but spicy is delicious!)
• Shaved Parmesan for topping
• ½ cup mozzarella, shredded
• 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil

Saute the onions in a cast iron skillet until they just start to brown. Add in the diced mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes or so, adding in salt and pepper to taste. This also helps draw out some of the moisture from the vegetables.

Sprinkle in the pepper flakes and the diced jalapeno and cook for another few minutes, tossing to makes sure the flakes get evenly distributed.

Add in the marinara and simmer until the sauce begins to bubble, and then add the mozzarella in 4 circles on the top.

Crack an egg onto each mozzarella spot, and place the whole skillet in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Alternately, you can pour some of the sauce into individual ramekins and crack the eggs into those, but the heat and time remains the same.

Pull them from the oven when they’re set and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan. Definitely allow to cool before serving – the top might be cool, but oven-cooked marinara is like magma. Portion these out into glass containers and reheat at work, or on a cold winter morning in the oven, and dive in – they’re perfect.

Quick Breakfast Ideas for the Family

I hope these recipes will help end the battle between starving yourself and rushing to beat the clock in the mornings. Getting protein and healthy fats each morning can curb your desire to eat bad food later in the day, keep you full and focused, and is far cheaper than grabbing something in a drive-thru. In reality, these breakfasts are even faster than the drive-thru plus you’ll be saving yourself from the guilt later on. And if you DO want a guilty pleasure for breakfast that’s still super easy, make sure you check out my post on French Toast Bake!

Thrifty Guardian

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Thrifty Guardian was founded as a way to help parents lead richer lives through money saving tips, side hustle ideas, and parenting advice (including fun DIYs and recipes!)

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