Mornings are often one of the craziest times of the day, especially for those with families and kids to get ready. It can be very difficult to get an entire healthy breakfast ready in those short moments you do have. These make-ahead breakfast ideas are great for those mornings. Not only will they save you time, but they will make sure that you and your entire family will have a nutritious and filling start to fuel your day.
1. Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are so popular right now because they are so versatile and so easy to make. Once you make the oatmeal base, you can add whatever toppings you like and completely transform the meal so that you never get bored.
My favorite base is:
- 1/2 cup Old-fashioned Oats or Steel-Cut Oats
- 1-2 Tbs. Powdered Stevia
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 Tbs. Chia Seeds
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened, Vanilla Almond Milk
Add all the ingredients for your base to a medium mason jar and then add your favorite toppings. Put your lid on tight and store in the fridge ready to go for the morning. Here are some great options for flavor combinations:
- Banana Nut – Sliced bananas, sliced or slivered almonds, and walnut pieces
- Blueberry Walnut – Fresh blueberries, walnut pieces
- Apple Cinnamon – Diced apples, and an extra 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
- Peaches and Cream – Diced peaches, 1/4 cup sweetened, vanilla almond milk
- Peanut Butter and Jelly – 1-2 Tbs. natural peanut butter, sliced strawberries
2. Make-Ahead Omelets
Omelets are another great option that you can make ahead and easily take with you to eat on the run. Just like the overnight oats, you create your egg base and then you can add whatever toppings you like to make them exactly how you want them.
I like to make these ahead in bulk and they can even be frozen and thawed as you need them. The easiest way to make them is to bake them in a regular-sized muffin tin, so the ingredients listed for the egg base below will make 12 muffin-sized omelets at a time.
Start with your egg base:
- 1 dozen eggs (or the equivalent in egg whites)
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Black pepper
- 1 tsp. Garlic powder
Mix all of the above ingredients together. Spray your muffin tin with nonstick spray and add your favorite toppings to each cup. Pour the egg mixture into each cup to almost full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Here are my favorite topping combinations to make delicious omelets:
- Three cheese – Shredded mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan cheese
- Meditterannean – Diced tomato, spinach and shredded mozzarella cheese
- Western – Peppers, onion, garlic, and cheddar
- Ham and Cheese
3. Delicious Yogurt Parfaits
Yogurt parfaits are another great option for busy, on-the-go mornings. You can easily make them ahead and put them in jars in your fridge and have them ready to grab and go when you need them.
Much like the omelets and overnight oats, you can make these parfaits any way you like. Just follow the basic formula for building your parfait and try your own recipes.
A basic parfait is made of layers of the following ingredients:
- Yogurt
- Fruit
- Granola
Simply take a medium mason jar and put a scoop of yogurt in the bottom, followed by your favorite fruit and a layer of granola. Repeat the process as many times as you want or until your jar is full and then put the lid on top and put it in your fridge until you are ready to eat it.
My favorite combinations are:
- Blueberry Granola – Greek yogurt, fresh blueberries, granola, chia seeds
- Dark Chocolate Strawberry – Greek yogurt, dark chocolate chips, sliced strawberries
- Honey Banana Oat – Greek yogurt, sliced bananas, honey, old-fashioned oats
As you can see, I prefer to use Greek yogurt, rather than regular yogurt or nonfat yogurts that are popular in stores. Many of these brands are loaded with added sugar and chemicals, but Greek yogurt, especially those with no added sugars, are much better for you and have added protein.
Also be cautious of store-bought granola. Often, it is made with a ton of sugar and loaded with additives. Instead of buying it, you can make it at home in no time! Simply spread a thin layer of old-fashioned oats on a baking sheet with whatever nuts and dried fruit you want, add some chia seeds, a drizzle of honey, a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of melted natural butter or coconut oil and bake it at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until it becomes crunchy. Watch it carefully so that it doesn’t burn!
Check out my Easy Honey Almond Granola recipe for another delicious option!
4. Breakfast Trail Mix
Trail mix is known to be a great on-the-go snack that is loaded with protein and gives you tons of energy, and it is becoming more and more popular as a breakfast food.
You can add yogurt bites and other dried fruit to make it a filling, delicious breakfast any day of the week! Never heard of yogurt bites? Simply take a baking sheet and cover it in a layer of parchment paper. Add your favorite yogurt to a ziploc bag and cut a small hold in the corner of the bag. Squeeze a pea-sized amount of yogurt on to the baking sheet and repeat this process until the entire sheet is full, leaving enough room around each drop to spread a little. Bake at 215 degrees for 60 minutes and let them cool. You will have tasty little, dehydrated yogurt bites to add to your favorite trail mix!
Here are some common ingredients you can mix and match and store in ziploc bags until you’re ready to eat them:
- Dried fruit – bananas, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, raisins, cranberries, cherries
- Nuts – almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, pine nuts
- Yogurt bites
- Granola clusters
- Dark chocolate chips
These healthy, easy to make recipes are great for busy mornings and you can make them all ahead of time in less than an hour! If you have any make-ahead breakfast ideas, or go-to recipes you love, let me know! I’d love to hear from you!