5 Grab-and-Go Breakfasts

June 7, 2018

By Anna Varriano

In this blog, I’m sharing 5 yummy recipes for grab-and-go breakfasts, but first, a bit of breakfast conversation.

Do You/Should You Eat Breakfast?

I’m guessing that at some point you’ve heard someone say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – or that you should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper!

Despite this, perhaps some of you skip breakfast, daily or frequently, either because you don’t have time, you’re not hungry in the morning, or you’ve heard that skipping breakfast will help you lose weight. If that’s the case, you may be interested in a small new study published in the American Journal of Nutrition.

This study suggests you should eat breakfast. It showed that compared to eating 3 meals a day, skipping breakfast lead to higher post-meal insulin levels and increased fat oxidation. In easier to understand terms, this means skipping breakfast may lead to issues with blood glucose balance and may also promote low-grade inflammation throughout the body. Both of these outcomes can interfere with weight management, cardiovascular health, and a host of other health issues … but it was a small study, so far from delivering conclusive results.

The truth is, you’d be hard pressed to find any conclusive studies regarding the question of whether or not you should eat breakfast. So what should you do? Are you ready for some earth-shattering advice on this question? OK … here it is:

Eat breakfast if you’re hungry … and/or if it makes you feel better.

That’s it – just listen to your body! If you’re hungry in the morning, and you feel better when you eat breakfast, then eat breakfast. If you’re not hungry in the morning and you don’t feel good when you eat breakfast, then don’t eat breakfast … but beware of the following!

The Problem:

If you leave home without having breakfast, chances are you’ll be hungry soon afterwards, when you’re away from your kitchen that is stocked with healthy breakfast foods (It is, right? Right!) – and by healthy breakfast foods, I’m not talking breakfast cereals, store-bought muffins or granola bars, or toast with PB&J). If you don’t eat breakfast before you leave home, chances are you’ll end up buying something that isn’t all that good for you.

The Solution:

Whether you’re racing against the clock to get out the door in the morning, or you’re too tired to make yourself a healthy breakfast, or you’re just not hungry (yet!), don’t let any of those be reasons for not having a healthy breakfast. To help you out, here are 5 Grab-and-Go breakfasts that you can prepare ahead of time. On those busy mornings when you’re rushed to get out the door, you’ll be thankful that you did! All of these breakfasts are loaded with healthy fats, proteins, and carbs that will fuel you through your morning!

#1 – Basic or Fancy Eggs to Go

Eggs are nature’s perfect food, offering healthy proteins and fats, including cholesterol. Yes, cholesterol is healthy! Hard boiled eggs will keep in the fridge for up to a week and make a great grab-and-go breakfast or any time snack. If you can find a source of eggs from pastured hens, that is the ultimate!

You can also make some more interesting grab-and-go egg breakfasts such as egg muffins or a quiche. Make them when you have time and then refrigerate or freeze for grab-and-go breakfasts.

There are loads of variations on how to make egg muffins (just Google ‘egg muffins’). Basically, to make a dozen egg muffins, you beat a dozen eggs, then mix in some sautéed diced veggies and maybe some fresh herbs (whatever strikes your fancy – think omelette), and season to your taste. Pour the mixture into a greased muffin tin and bake in a 350F oven for about 15 minutes, or until the egg muffins are firm/an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool, remove from muffin tin, and refrigerate (up to a week) or freeze them individually in small freezer bags. Defrost overnight and you’ll have a grab-and-go breakfast the next morning!

If you make a quiche ahead of time, it will keep in the fridge for up to a week or you can freeze it in individual serving sized slices. Here’s one of my favourite quiche recipes – my Greens and Feta Quiche with an Almond Crust.

#2 – Power-Packed Cookies or No-Bake Yummy Snack Bars


These cookies and bars freeze well, and you can make substitutions to many of the ingredients to suit your taste. Not only are they easy to make, they are also soooo delicious and loaded with healthy, nutrient-rich ingredients. They are a GREAT alternative to store bought cookies and bars that are typically highly-processed and loaded with sugar and unhealthy fats.

#3 – Mason Jar Yogurt Parfait

For this yummy grab-and-go breakfast, simply alternate layers of WHOLE FAT, plain, organic yogurt (Greek is higher in protein), mixed berries, and chopped up nuts and seeds (or a healthy granola) in a mason jar. Put the lid on and refrigerate. You can make a bunch of these at once. They’ll keep nicely in the fridge for several days, especially if you use whole berries (e.g. raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) or other fruits that won’t go mushy quickly.

#4 – Mason Jar Oatmeal with Toppings

Place equal amounts of oats and a non-dairy ‘milk’ (e.g. almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, etc), ¼ tsp of cinnamon, and some chopped up dried fruit, nuts, and/or fresh green apple in a mason jar. Put on the lid (make sure it’s tight!), and shake.

Place in the fridge overnight. You’ll have oatmeal to go in the morning. Note that for one serving, I usually use ½ cup each of oats and ‘milk’. I like to add fresh fruit in the morning before I head out (papaya this time – did you know it’s a digestive aid?).

Oh – and here’s a little short cut I sometimes use. I substitute the oatmeal with a Jordan’s cereal (already has nuts, seeds, dried fruit in it!)

These can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days – just note that the oatmeal will get softer/mushier/creamier the longer it sits. You can add more liquid in the morning if you like.

#5 – Mason Jar Chia Pudding

Chia pudding is super easy to make in advance. It’s a great source of nutrients, including fibre and inflammation-busting omega-3 fatty acids. You can also take a lot of liberty making it to your liking … including getting your chocolate fix! You can add fresh fruit to the jar before you head out if you wish. Check out the video below for instructions and some flavour ideas.

Enjoy!

References:

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/105/6/1351/4668664

http://time.com/4786181/skipping-breakfast-health-benefits/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-ricci/should-you-eat-or-skip-br_b_10502220.html

[printfriendly]

Privacy Policy