When you work a full-time job, you often forget how much there is to do in the morning before sitting down at your desk. If you have kids, it’s even harder. Fortunately, you can find fast and healthy breakfasts with a search online.
Here are a few suggestions for healthy breakfasts that don’t take forever to prepare. Whip up one of these and you’ll set yourself up for a productive day in no time. Let’s take a look at these five-minute breakfast ideas!
Quick-cook oats
Oatmeal is a healthy breakfast that’s packed with fiber and can even help lower your cholesterol levels because of its high percentage of the soluble fiber beta-glucan. However, many people resort to pre-packaged oatmeal because they think that oatmeal takes a while to cook.
Especially if you’re only making oatmeal for one person, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Use quick-cook oats (which are simply regular oat flakes chopped finer) to cut down on cooking time. Then scatter healthy toppings like fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, milk, or a nut butter on top.
English muffin with nut butter
An English muffin, split and toasted, is the perfect base for any number of healthy breakfast ingredients. The easiest choice is to smear it with nut butter, be it peanut, almond, cashew, etc. This option gives you fiber as well as plenty of healthy fat and protein. You can also sprinkle it with chia seeds for crunch and an added protein boost.
Did you know that just one ounce of chia seeds contains up to 4 grams of protein? This breakfast is probably one of the quickest ones out there. If you’re really in a rush, you don’t even need to toast the English muffin!
Cottage cheese
Many people who are trying to eat healthy are afraid of cheese because they have the idea that it’s full of unhealthy fats. Fortunately, for cottage cheese, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Because cottage cheese can be made from any type of milk, you can choose the fat percentage for yourself in the store ranging from about 4% to fat-free.
Just one cup of cottage cheese contains 28 grams of protein, which will keep you full much longer than any fast-food breakfast sandwich could. You can also top your cottage cheese with fruit, nuts, or seeds to add flavor.
Overnight oats
Another way to eat oatmeal for breakfast is to use a different variety of oats. They take a little longer to make, but you prepare them the night before so there’s no rushing in the morning. That way, you wake up to a fully cooked bowl of oatmeal that only requires a little warming up.
Prep overnight oats by mixing equal parts rolled whole oats with milk or another liquid (water, rice milk, coconut milk). You can also add in some yogurt. Then you leave them overnight in the fridge and wake up the next morning to breakfast already taken care of!
Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a classic Middle Eastern breakfast of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. It’s another breakfast that’s both quick, healthy, and tasty. It just requires a little bit of prep the evening before. By making the tomato sauce the previous night, you can simply pour it into a skillet, crack a few eggs into it, and leave it to cook while you finish getting ready.
Once you’re ready to go, your breakfast should be done. Traditionally, the eggs are spooned up out of the skillet, then the extra sauce is sopped up with light, fluffy bread.
Smoothies
Smoothies are another healthy breakfast that isn’t only fast — they’re endlessly customizable. You could make a smoothie every day and never have the same variation twice. Make yours even healthier by using non-dairy milks as the liquid base and add in things like handfuls of greens, seeds, protein powder, and fresh fruit.
Smoothies with salad greens taste great by adding in strategic fruits. Green apple chunks and mango both do wonders to hide the intense vegetal taste of more potent greens, like kale.
Toast with nut butter and banana
A quick breakfast that serves as many people’s go-to is toast with peanut butter. In order to make this healthier, focus on finding whole-grain bread, and topping it with either all-natural, no sugar added peanut butter or another nut butter such as cashew or almond. Then add some sliced banana on top. You can sprinkle some chia seeds or nutritional yeast over it all for some added flavor and a fiber boost. Like a smoothie, the possibilities for different breads and spreads are endless. You can keep a few loaves fresh in the freezer if you want to switch it up often.
Quinoa porridge
If you thought quinoa was only a savory dinner food, think again! People have recently found that quinoa makes a great hot breakfast cereal. Simply cook it in milk until it becomes thick and porridge-like. Then, top it with your favorite breakfast cereal toppings. You can add in peanut butter, chia seeds, flax seeds, or fresh fruit for more flavor and a protein boost.
This is an ideal breakfast for those winter days when you want to try something new, but still crave that warm and satisfied feeling that comes from a good, hot breakfast.
Avocado on toast with egg
Many people swear by avocado toast as their go-to quick snack. Avocadoes are rich in essential nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin B, and potassium. This breakfast is the perfect way to use up avocadoes, no matter how ripe they are. Ideally, they should be at peak ripeness, and able to be mashed onto a slice of toast. But even if they’re still hard, sliced avocadoes work perfectly well. Toast your bread, slice or mash your avocado, and top the whole thing with an egg cooked your favorite way.
Crock-pot casserole
A crock-pot casserole is an excellent option for mornings, especially if you come from a big household with many hungry mouths to feed. Simply mix up the ingredients for the casserole in the evening and set the crock-pot to work overnight. Then, in the morning you have a warm and hearty breakfast for your whole family to enjoy. Keep it healthy by focusing on egg and vegetable casseroles, rather than richer dairy and meat based concoctions.
Egg muffins
Egg muffins are another brilliant breakfast that can easily be prepped the night before, to ensure you always have a quick breakfast to grab and go. Crack a few eggs into a bowl and mix in your desired flavors of choice. You can use meat, like cooked sausage and bacon, or some uncooked vegetables. Great options include spinach, carrot, mushroom, and tomatoes.
Make sure your mixture is thoroughly combined, and divide it between 12 well-oiled muffin cups. These can be kept in the fridge and quickly reheated for the perfect serving of fresh eggs and veggies.
Microwave quiche
Did you know that it’s easy to make quiche in the microwave? A quiche for one, that is! There are tons of easy recipes out there, but the key is that if you’re using vegetables, you par-cook them before adding them to the egg mixture. Then, squeeze as much liquid out of them as possible. That way your eggs will cook at the same speed as your veggies, and you won’t end up with a soggy quiche.
Microwave muffins
Muffins are another breakfast food that usually has to be made the night before if you want to have one in the morning. Not anymore! There have been some awesome recipes developed in the last few years that make a single serving muffin in the microwave in just five minutes! They’re super healthy too, because you can add in whole-grain flour, and oatmeal.
Scrambled Eggs
That’s right, good old scrambled eggs. Eggs are super high in protein, and if you know how to make them right, they shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Scrambled eggs are incredibly versatile. Make them healthier by adding chopped veggies into the mix or keep it classic with milk, and plenty of salt and pepper.