Whether you love hitting the gym before sunrise or you’re the unofficial family driver to early morning hockey practices, it’s important to start your morning with a nutritious and filling breakfast. The suggestions below are catered to every taste, preference and time allowance and can be used as a jumping off point for future breakfasts to go. Here you’ll find ideas for savoury, sweet, slow-cooked, and make-ahead breakfasts that will leave you and your family feeling satiated for hours.
Breakfast bars
Commercial breakfast bars are often loaded with sugar, preservatives and empty carbohydrates. Why not try making your own personalized breakfast bars from scratch? While you may have to stock up on a few pantry items (nuts, nut butters, seeds and dried fruit are common breakfast bar ingredients) you’ll find that they will undoubtedly come in handy next time you decide to make breakfast bars, trail mix or homemade granola. Store breakfast bars in a sealed container or tin in the fridge for up to a week. To freeze, wrap each breakfast bar individually in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Oat and Apricot Breakfast Bars
Make-ahead breakfast burritos
Packed with protein and fibre, a frozen batch of make-ahead breakfast burritos means that a savoury, portable, and filling breakfast is only moments away at all times. Avoid rubbery scrambled eggs by slightly undercooking them before freezing. Adding a dash of milk and a light sprinkling of cheese to the eggs will also help keep them light and fluffy when defrosted. Fold black, pinto or kidney beans directly into the eggs or add a generous tablespoon of refried beans to the tortilla before topping with scrambled eggs. Pack condiments like salsa, hot sauce and guacamole into small jars or containers to give your breakfast burritos some extra oomph.
Nut butter sandwiches
Usually thought of as a brown bag lunch staple, nut and seed butter sandwiches also make a high energy breakfast when you’re on the go first thing in the morning. Choose nut and seed butters without added sugar and whole grain bread with at least 3 grams of fibre per slice whenever possible. Thinly sliced fruit (try bananas, strawberries or apples) add sweetness, up the fibre content and are a good source of essential vitamins and minerals. Nut and seed butter sandwiches can be made the night before or quickly the morning before if all the ingredients are laid out and the fruit is pre-sliced.
Slow cooker oats
Nothing beats a bowl of hot oats early in the morning, especially when autumn temperatures mark the arrival of subzero mornings. All you need to do is add the oatmeal ingredients to your slow cooker, set the timer for 8 hours and cook on low heat while you sleep. You’ll wake up to thick, creamy oats just waiting to be adorned with your favourite healthy toppings. Add thinly sliced or pureed fruit for natural sweetness and keep your favourite oatmeal toppings handy (a swirl of nut or seed butter, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or a few tablespoons of chia seeds will add extra protein, helping to keep you feeling fuller, longer.)
Leftovers
Leftovers from the night before are often overlooked because they don’t fall into the category of “breakfast” foods. Breakfast for dinner has become an official meal, so the concept of dinner for breakfast should also be one that’s celebrated. Why shouldn’t you enjoy a slice of pizza from last night? Or leftover pasta with sauce? Or that casserole your whole family raved about the night before? A healthy meal is a healthy meal, regardless of what time of day you enjoy it. For an even faster breakfast, portion out leftovers ahead of time so they can be grabbed and reheated. A good quality thermos will keep leftovers piping hot all night, no reheating required.