For most of us, preparing a balanced breakfast from scratch is far from the first thing on our minds when we wake up in the morning. Many of us end up up grabbing the first thing in sight on our way to the office or skipping it altogether.
While skipping breakfast occasionally won’t do too much harm for healthy, active adults, a nourishing meal at the start of your day can have a variety of awesome benefits, including sustained energy, focus and a feeling of well-being throughout the day. Eating a nutrient-rich and well-balanced breakfast is also a great way to prime yourself to make healthy choices throughout the day, and can help prevent overeating later.
To make squeezing in that healthy weekday breakfast easier, we’ve rounded up fast, balanced and hassle-free breakfasts you can make in under ten minutes.
1. Greek Yogurt with Fresh Fruit
Protein-packed Greek yogurt with fresh fruit is a fast and easy breakfast staple for busy people. Protein takes longer to digest and helps curb appetites for hours, and one cup of Greek yogurt can contain between 20–25 grams! To pull together this dish, cube up fresh fruit the night before, then top with ⅔ cup low-fat Greek yogurt. Top with nuts, chia seeds, flaxmeal or hemp seeds for a boost of fiber and healthy fats. Breakfast no-brainer!
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2. Eggs and Avocado Toast
Eggs are a quick, nutritious option for any omnivore. They’re a natural source of high-quality, complete protein, with 6-7 grams of protein per egg. They also provide 13 essential vitamins and minerals, such as selenium and B vitamins.
Scramble or poach an egg and enjoy on top of a slice of fiber-rich multigrain toast, topping it with a few slices of avocado for healthy fats and baby greens for flavor and vitamins C & A. If you’re looking to add some spice to your breakfast, give our chilaquiles a try — avocados are a natural fit with beans, tortillas, salsa, and eggs.
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Related: How Many Eggs Should You Really Eat?
3. Overnight Oats
For a filling morning boost of vitamins and fibers, overnight oatmeal is a balanced choice that can be flavored with just about any fresh or frozen fruit and milk. Oats, a soluble fiber-rich whole grain, will keep you satisfied and even-keeled throughout the morning.
Prep your 5-minute overnight oats the night before and voila: just grab them from your fridge on your way out the door the next morning. For an extra healthy fats and protein, top them with 1–2 teaspoons of nuts, nut butter or flaxseed.
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4. Toast + Nut Butter + Fresh Fruit
Natural nut butters such as peanut, almond or cashew are fantastic sources of healthy fats and plant-based protein, which, when paired with a whole grain toast, provide you with a complete protein to fuel your morning. Instead of sugary jam, try topping your toast with fresh fruit slices, chia seeds, hemp seeds, cinnamon and cocoa powder. PB&J is definitely not just for kids!
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Related: The Health Benefits of Nuts
5. Smart Smoothies
Smoothies make fantastic fast and nutritious breakfasts that are portable and rich in protein, fiber and micronutrients.
Try this peanut butter and jelly smoothie, blending frozen strawberries for the familiar PB&J effect without the added sugars. Banana provides fiber and potassium, spinach provides iron and vitamin C, and yogurt adds protein — a key component for staying satiated throughout the day — (for a total of 18 grams per serving).
Don’t like peanut butter? Try this 5-minute coconut smoothie instead, which sneaks in kale, fiber-rich mango, superfood flaxseed and high-protein cottage cheese for a whopping 17g protein per serving.
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Related: 9 Refreshing Smoothie Recipes
6. Make-Ahead Chia Seed Pudding
Chia pudding is like morning yogurt with a dairy-free, chewy twist. It only takes a couple of minutes to prep, but needs to be made the night before so it can bulk up a bit in the fridge overnight.
Blend ¼ cup chia seeds with 1 cup almond milk or a non-dairy milk alternative, blend with cinnamon, vanilla and honey and let sit overnight. Then simply top with fresh fruit in the AM.
To get started, try this balanced chia seed pudding recipe, which contains 5 grams of protein, 12 grams fiber, 43% of the recommended daily calcium intake, and plant-based omega-3 fats from chia seeds.
Related: Calcium-Rich Plant Foods
Do you have another great quick and healthy breakfast? Share it in a comment!
