Meal Prep Monday: The Healthy Breakfast To-Go Edition
Happy Monday friends! Hope your weekend was every bit as fabulous as you are. Not sure about you, but breakfast is one of my most favorite (yes, that’s right…”most favorite”) meals of the day. I could literally eat all the components of a typical “breakfast meal” throughout the day. Specifically, coffee. Does that count? Anyway, the problem is, a healthy breakfast can be really difficult to fit in, specifically if you find yourself scrambling (no pun intended) to pull something together before heading off to work or school. Raise your hand if any of the following have become part of your breakfast routine as of late:
- Mondays are for McDonald’s
- Breakfast?!?…aint no one got time for that.
- I mean, 711 has a pretty solid protein bar selection. Or maybe I’ll just grab one of their breakfast sandwiches. Because that’s healthy (insert sarcastic tone).
Once in awhile, things happen and options are limited. It’s nothing to feel bad about. However, when it becomes a routine that you just can’t seem to break, it’s probably time to re-evaluate your breakfast strategy. A couple disclaimers here:
1) Some fast food places DO have healthy options. I can do a whole different blog post on that. But, here’s the thing..you can save dinero and sodium content doing it yourself. Comment on this post or shoot me a message if you’d be interested in learning about some healthier fast-food options.
2) There are people that practice intermittent fasting or choose not to have “breakfast” in the morning as part of their eating style. I’m not completely anti-IF’ing, as long as you’re still providing your body with the fuel it needs and aren’t prone to overeat, post-fast. You’re technically “breaking your fast” when you start eating, and these options can really be consumed any time of day. Some people eat breakfast at 5 AM…some people “break their fast” at 2:00 PM. Do you.
Ok, Christina…get on with it…
So, here are a few of the quick, easy and healthy breakfast items that I’ve included in my breakfast rotation. As a quick note: I usually workout fasted (unless I’m lifting “leg day”-heavy and I’ll have a small pre-workout snack) in the morning. So, my breakfast is typically my first meal of the day, and it’s post-workout. This is the perfect time to include a combination of protein (for muscle repair) and carbohydrates (glycogen replenishment, energy restoration). For more information on pre/post workout nutrition, check out this article from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics . While those are MY main macronutrient focuses post workout, that may not be what your body craves or needs. You may, for example, want to include more satiating fats into your breakfast. Or, perhaps you aren’t dairy free like me and want to substitute in some deliciously healthy dairy ingredients. Knowing that, all of the recipes below can be modified to meet your unique needs. I’ve listed a few options to give you a little guidance.
Four Healthy & Easy On-the-Go Breakfast Ideas
Homemade “Egg McMuffins”
1 Whole Wheat or Sprouted Grain English Muffin
¼ cup of liquid egg whites OR 1 egg
2 TBSP Fresh Salsa
1 TBSP of Nutritional Yeast (optional add-on for a cheesy flavor, with some B vitamins)
¼ Avocado (optional healthy fat add-on)
1 slice of Canadian Bacon (optional protein)
Fresh Spinach (optional micronutrient add-on)
Mushrooms (optional micronutrient add-on)
Directions
- Prepare egg whites (or egg) on stove or in microwave
- Toast english muffin
- Place egg on one side of toasted english muffin
- Place toppings on top of egg/egg whites and put the other side of the english muffin on top.
- Wrap in tin foil.
- Put in the fridge (if preparing the night before)
- Heat up in microwave prior to eating
* You can obviously prepare and eat right away or within an hour or so without having to reheat (or you can eat if cold). However, if you’d rather have it ready in the morning for grab and go…I recommend the above).
Protein-Chia Seed Pudding
½ cup cashew milk
2 tbsp. Chia seeds
1 scoop of protein powder (I like Sunwarrior Protein Powder (Vegan) or Bone Broth Protein Powder)
¼ cup of berries (optional for some healthy carbs and micronutrients)
1 tbsp. Nut butter (optional for healthy fats)
Directions
- Mix cashew milk, chia seeds, and protein powder together in an air-tight container
- Place in the refrigerator and let sit overnight.
- Add optional toppings the following morning and you are good to go!
* If you add in the nut butter, you’ll be getting a pretty decent amount of protein sans the protein powder. That’s a great option for those that prefer not to use protein powder.
Proats
1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats
1 cup of water (or ½ water ½ nut milk)
½ scoop protein powder (I like Sunwarrior Protein Powder (Vegan) or Bone Broth Protein Powder)
1 tbsp. Nut butter (optional)
1 handful of berries (optional)
Directions
- Portion out oats & protein powder into ziplock bags at the beginning of the week
- Grab “proats” dry mix
- Add water to just cover the top of the oats
- Cook in the microwave from 1/5-2 minutes (depending on micro-strength)
- Stir and add nut butter/other toppings
- Put back in the microwave for :30 seconds (watch vigilantly to avoid spill-over)
* If you don’t have protein powder or don’t particularly like to use protein powder, you can mix egg whites in for some added protein. If you do that, I recommend adding some cinnamon and stevia for a little flavor.
** For some added greens and volume (because who wouldn’t want more?!), add some shredded zucchini
Smoothie
1 scoop protein powder (I like Sunwarrior Protein Powder (Vegan) or Bone Broth Protein Powder)
8 ounces Cashew Milk (or milk of your choice)
Ice (I usually put in 5 big cubes)
Water
1 scoop Sunwarrior Super Greens (optional for some fiber, probiotics, and micronutrients)
Leafy Greens/Spinach (optional for some healthy micronutrients)
½ banana (optional) or ½ cup strawberries (optional for some healthy micronutrients and carbs)
1 tbsp. Flaxseed (or flaxseed meal) or 1 tbsp. Chia seeds (optional for added protein, fiber, and Omegas)
1 tbsp. nut butter (added healthy fats option)
Directions
- Pre-portion “smoothie bags” ahead of time with any of the non-liquid ingredients
- Throw ingredients in blender with ice, water, and milk of your choice
- Blend, Blend, Blend.
* I recommend using a high-powered blender, especially if you’re going to be adding in fruits, vegetables, etc into the mix. We recently purchased this Ninja Blender and love it. It’s easy to clean (major points), works fast, and mixes all ingredients really well. There are a few more expensive options that I’m sure also work really well. But, for me, this one has been awesome.
These are just a few ideas for fast, easy breakfasts to grab just as fast as a bacon, egg and cheese….but way healthier. All of these can be at least partially prepared the night before, making it easier to grab and go in the morning. If you have the time to cook and sit down to eat breakfast in the morning, you 100% should do that. Taking the time to enjoy your food is a major step in developing a more positive relationship with eating and food.
Small steps. Now go crush the rest of the week!
~ Christina
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