A quick, easy, healthy and hearty breakfast definitely helps to get your day started off on the right footing. However, few of us have the time or energy to prepare much first thing - especially during the working week, when a rushed slice of toast or bowl of sugary cereal is often the go-to solution. With that in mind, here are a few of our favourite quick and easy breakfast ideas for busy mornings.
Another limiting factor when it comes to breakfast choices is often a lack of viable options in the cupboard and/or fridge. Many of us tend to plan evening meals fairly meticulously when shopping for groceries, but breakfast items are typically treated as more of an afterthought.
Instead, try planning out your breakfasts for the week in advance when you shop. It only takes five minutes to write a quick morning meal plan, and ingredient lists can be really simple if you choose items that mix and match together in various combinations.
If you always keep a basic supply of eggs, cereal oats and grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, baked goods, yogurt and milk (or non-dairy alternatives) in stock, you’ll never be short of healthy and tempting easy breakfast recipes to throw together. Moreover, a lot of these breakfast ingredients can be prepared in just a few minutes the evening before.
Ideal ingredients to keep in stock include:
In the next section, we’ve included a couple of quick recipe outlines to get you started. They’re both just designed to help get you thinking more creatively about easy breakfast ideas - feel free to create your own variants if you prefer to use other core ingredients!
Bake these ahead of time in a muffin tin, just as though you were making cupcakes, and store in the fridge. A filling, healthy and savoury breakfast treat to snack on at home or add to a lunchbox.
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Often called Bircher muesli, this is a brilliantly fast and easy way to prepare a delicious healthy breakfast in advance. If you make it in a container with a tight-fitting lid, it’ll keep in the fridge for up to five days - feel free to make a larger batch on a Sunday night for the week ahead. Use regular dried oats, not the ‘quick oats’ variety; the latter tend to soak up any liquid too readily, and are prone to getting soggy.
ViewThe only ingredients you will absolutely need are the oats themselves, and some sort of liquid (typically milk, yogurt, or a non-dairy alternative). Everything else is endlessly variable. For that reason, this isn’t strictly a recipe, but a general guide to assembly.
Place a portion of dry porridge oats (about two good handfuls) into a bowl, glass jar, mug, or whatever you’ll be eating them out of. Match this with an equal measure of milk or plain yoghurt - such that the ratio is roughly 1:1 - along with a teaspoon or two of honey, maple syrup, or another natural sweetener. If you like, add a good pinch of chia seeds at this stage.
Stir lightly but thoroughly until the texture is nice and even, adding a splash more liquid if the mixture seems too clumpy. This is your base mix that will sit in the fridge while the oats soak up the moisture and become soft. When you’re ready to eat, add any toppings you like - chopped fruits (fresh or stewed), granola, peanut butter, nuts, chocolate chips and jam are all great - and dive in.
Feeling inspired? Try our range cooker tool and discover your perfect range cooker today.
