5 Quick and Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Back to School
Fall is a great time to re-establish routine, and set new goals. We’ve been working on several goals of home organization, and eating healthier. Although we are not sending our boys to school just yet, we’re still on a mission to start our days better with breakfast.
Typically the boys scarf down several bowls of cold cereal in the morning. They LOVE cereal, and most mornings it suits us just fine. However, I don’t always take time out to eat something myself. I’m quick to jump into the daily routine of fixing their breakfast, cleaning it up, emptying the dishwasher, starting a load of laundry, and getting them dressed and ready for the day. I regularly find myself at 11am thinking on an empty stomach about what to serve for lunch. Anyone else?
And just like everything else, if I fail to plan, I pretty much plan to fail. So I’ve been planning a couple of healthy breakfast options to my week. And trust me, it has to be practical in the kitchen – easy on hand ingredients and quick recipes that don’t force me out of my comfy covers any earlier!
Here Are 5 of My Favorite Quick and Healthy Breakfast Ideas:
1. Baked Oatmeal – This recipe for Overnight Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal from Simple Bites is scrumptious! It’s a hearty and healthy way to start the morning. And I love that you make it ahead, and bake it in the morning.
Source: simplebites.net via Jen (QuatroMama) on Pinterest
2. Fruit Smoothie – This Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie from Annie’s Eats looks like a great smoothie recipe to recreate. However, you don’t have to have a recipe to make great smoothies – just blend some yogurt, frozen fruit, a little bit of milk or juice and you’re good to go! (You can even add in some hidden goodies like spinach or flax seed to boost it nutritionally.)
Source: annies-eats.net via Talaya on Pinterest
3. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – I’m over the moon excited about this recipe. I’ve tried my hand at banana bread time and time again without getting it just right and I finally found a winner! I adapted Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe from AllRecipes.com by using butter instead of shortening.
Source: allrecipes.com via Jen (QuatroMama) on Pinterest
4. Eggs in Muffin Tins – I haven’t tried baking eggs in muffin tins yet, but it’s too genius to not try! You just baked them in a lightly greased muffin tin at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Wouldn’t this be perfect for on the go breakfast sandwiches?
Source: macheesmo.com via Jen (QuatroMama) on Pinterest
5. Pumpkin Pancakes – Nothing puts me into the mood for fall better than the taste of pumpkin. Our family’s Pumpkin Pancakes are always a hit and so easy too!
Source: 4tunate.net via Jen (QuatroMama) on Pinterest
How about you? What are YOUR favorite go-to breakfast recipes? Oh and if you have a good homemade granola recipe, please share! =)
i have no idea how I got started reading your blog, but you are on my google reader now, so I get your updates. You have a beautiful family! I’ve never commented before, but I just tried the baked egg. I thought I’d try it with one egg now before making an entire breakfast of it tomorrow. I used one of those rubber non stick muffin pans. I think the metal is probably necessary. I had to cook it 30 minutes, and it does taste good but kind of rubbery. Just thought I’d pass along:-)
Good to know. Thanks for passing that along, Sarah! I’m going to try it this week!
I love the egg idea….although I have a feeling that my kids wouldn’t eat their eggs runny. I may have to try this with scrambled eggs 🙂
These all look amazing. I have never cooked eggs like that. Must. Try.
We have made “Eggs over my Hammie” with our Brownie troop and now make it at home too. You put a slice of ham (we prefer maple ham) in the muffin tin. Crack an egg and put it in the little ham pocket you made. (You can also scramble the egg if you prefer.) Top off with shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or so at 375 degrees. To really get the kids involved have them crack the egg in a separate bowl so you can fish out any pieces of egg shell 😉
We love pumpkin pancakes especially when we put apple butter on them. Delicious!!
We also make huge batches of waffles, pancakes, and french toast and them put them in the freezer. Each morning we can pull out whatever we want and pop them in the toaster. Like an Eggo Waffle, but cheaper and healthier.
Here’s and easy one….Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Put peanut butter on one side of two slices of bread
Spread a little of your favorite jam on one of the pieces
Make a sandwich, butter the outsides and grill it.
The peanut butter melts, and the warm jam oozes out. Yummy
This is one breakfast my kids would actually eat during those years
when breakfast wasn’t cool. We even had it for supper occasionally when
we had to hurry to a sporting event or when I had failed to thaw something out for supper.
Yum!! These look so good, Jen! I might try some for myself 🙂
Hey Jen, my in-laws do the “moon over my hammies”, but just a little different. they put a biscuit(from a can) on the bottom, then a slice of ham/turkey, and then the egg on top. It comes out like a little half sandwich 😉
I have a granola recipe that worked pretty well for me, except i doubled the recipe so i forgot to cook it longer in the microwave, and ended up cooking it on a really low temp in the oven for about an hour or so…but it was DELICIOUS!!!
2 1/4 cups oats (any kind)
1/2 cup choppednuts, of your choice or 1/2 cup a mixture nuts ( since i doubled the recipe i used 1/2 c. almond slices and 1/2 c. chopped pecans)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter (cut into pieces)
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup wheat germ ( i did NOT add the wheat germ)
1/2 cup dried fruit, of your choice ( i used 1/2 c. craisins and 1/2 c. raisins)
1/2 cup of coconut (if you like it)
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients, except dried fruit, in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Cook on high for 2 minutes. (watch these cook times to make sure it doesn’t burn)
3. Stir; cook for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Remove from microwave and add dried fruit; mix well.
5. Spread on large cookie sheet to cool.
6. Store in air tight container.
Chocolate chip banana bread has always been a hit at our house! The eggs in a muffin tin sound interesting!
You inspired me. I went home last night and baked eggs!! lol 🙂 I actually decided to scramble them. I wonder if it’s because I added milk to my eggs, but they didn’t come out of the muffin man exactly as I had hoped. I think I may be experimenting with sausage, etc. next time. Made my morning a lot easier before school today 🙂
Thanks for sharing, I am preparing my shopping list right now to try some of these this coming shopping trip~ I personally can’t wait to make the pumpkin Pancakes! =)
Pumpkin pancakes… Now there’s an idea… 😀
These sound like some great ways to have a fun breakfast. I know when my pack went camping, we made “zippy eggs” Crack an egg or two into a Ziploc bag and add ham, onion, peppers, cheese… whatever you want. Boil it for a few minutes in a large part of water and serve. Basically comes out like an omelet. Quick and easy.
Thanks for sharing your ideas!