We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But what happens when this meal also gets in the way of your beauty sleep? You have the best of intentions, but the next thing you know you hit the snooze button one too many times and your homemade breakfast is starting to head in the direction of office donuts.
If you know you don’t have time to cook in the morning, try making breakfast the night before. It’s a game changer! There are plenty of healthy, delicious meals you can make before bed and enjoy with little effort the next morning. These breakfasts will keep you full and give you the energy to start your day without the stress of trying to cook before work.
1. Smoothies
Source: Emilie Eats
Keep your freezer stocked with frozen fruits and vegetables and you will always have what you need to make a nutrient packed breakfast. Before bed, throw the frozen produce of your choice, as well as any seeds or protein powder, into a blender and put it in the fridge. The next morning the frozen fruit and vegetables will be softer and easier to blend up, but still cold from being in the fridge.
For those who like an icy cold smoothie, prep a week’s worth of smoothies in Tupperware or sandwich bags and just pop into a blender in the morning. Add the liquid of your choice, blend, and go! Try this Mango Avocado Green Smoothie—the banana and avocado combo will keep you full for hours.
2. Fruit Salad
Source: Cooking Classy
If drinking your breakfast isn’t your style, but you still want to start your day with a healthy serving of fruit, consider a fruit salad. This is an easy meal to make that will taste better as the days go on and the fruit juices mix with each other. Tip: Add nuts, yogurt, or chia seeds for protein. This Honey Lime Rainbow Fruit Salad is almost too pretty to eat and will be a sweet start to your day.
3. Overnight Oats
Source: Food Network
Oatmeal is one of the best breakfasts you can eat—if you don’t overload it with sugar. So skip the microwavable brown sugar varieties and opt for a healthy batch of homemade overnight oats. Oats are a great source of whole grains and fiber and choosing a recipe that adds fruit, nuts, and seeds will make it even healthier.
But take care when preparing this meal as there is an art to making overnight oats. You start with a base of old fashioned rolled oats, which can handle soaking in liquid overnight without getting too mushy. Then you mix the oats with your ingredients of choice. Finally, stir in a liquid that equals the amount of oats and let sit overnight. Prep your oatmeal in a mason jar for an easy breakfast you can bring to the office. You can quickly microwave your oatmeal in the morning to warm it up or enjoy cold.
4. Oatmeal Bites
Source: Feeding Finn
If you are more of a breakfast on the go kind of girl, make these Fruity Oat Breakfast Bites that you can easily pop in your mouth as you get ready or while you check your email. Make a big batch ahead of time and freeze them for ultimate freshness, then in the morning all you have to do is zap them in the microwave and you are good to go.
5. Chia Seed Pudding
Source: Natural Chow
Chia seeds are little, but mighty. They are full of protein, fiber, and Omega 3’s as well as other necessary nutrients. They also happen to make really tasty pudding that could not be easier to make. In a small bowl combine almond milk, flavor additives like vanilla extract or cinnamon and sweetener if desired. Then sprinkle on chia seeds and stir them into the mixture. Refrigerate overnight and sprinkle fresh fruit on top in the morning. Yum!
6. Muffins
Source: Gimme Some Oven
A muffin seems like a quick breakfast no brainer, but generally they don’t make for the healthiest breakfast. Luckily there are ways to make healthy muffins at home! Look for a recipe that doesn’t rely on white flour, butter, and processed sugar. Instead opt for one made of whole-wheat flour or oats. This Healthy Zucchini Muffin recipe is made of whole-wheat flour, oats, and maple syrup instead of processed sugar.
7. Frittatas
Source: Foodie Crush
If you prefer a more savory breakfast, then these Muffin Tin Frittatas are the perfect breakfast for you! Mix ingredients together as you normally would for a frittata, but instead of cooking them on the stove, fill a muffin tray with the ingredients and bake. Tip: Freeze the ones you won’t be eating soon.
8. Pancake Bites
Source: Cincy Shopper
For an indulgent breakfast that will make Monday seem a lot less tedious, try whipping up these Blueberry Pancake Bites. Be cautious with this recipe; they are so delicous you are in danger of eating them all the first morning.