Recipes to try

Recipes to try

August 25, 2016

Healthy make-ahead breakfasts to save time and fill you up

Image credit: iStock/ALLEKO

How often do you find yourself grabbing an unhealthy breakfast on the go, sticking just to coffee or skipping the meal altogether? Busy lifestyles mean that very few of us get to sit down and eat a proper breakfast every day of the week, which isn’t great for your health.

Not getting a good breakfast can mean you lack concentration, feel tired for the rest of the day, get hungry quickly so snack on unhealthy foods and don’t get all the nutrients you need. This is why it is important to ensure you get a good breakfast, even if you are having to eat it during your commute.

To make it easier for you to enjoy a solid breakfast that will set you up for the day, here are some options that you can make in advance to save you time in the morning:

Make-ahead frittata

You may be surprised to hear that a large frittata cooked on a Sunday night will ensure you have something at the ready for breakfast for the rest of the week. If you make a big enough frittata, you can cut it up into five wedges, pop each of these into a bag or container and then just put them in the freezer.

Doing this means you just need to remember to take a wedge out to defrost each evening to be eaten cold or reheated the next morning.

Rather than just making an omelette, fill your frittata with vegetables, more protein and a healthy carbohydrate to ensure it fills you up and is completely balanced. A great option is a broccoli, sweet potato and goat’s cheese frittata, which is delicious and healthy.

Chia seed pudding

Those who prefer a sweeter breakfast could try some chia seed pudding. This is really easy to make and personalise, plus chia seeds are incredibly good for you as they are high in protein, fibre and nutrients. They will also keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours.

All you need to do to make the pudding is soak some chia seeds in milk overnight. You can choose any nut milk or coconut milk for this, adding some honey, maple syrup or agave nectar to it for sweetness.

Pop this in a pot, cover and put in the fridge. When you wake up, your pudding will be ready! Of course, you can also add other things like cocoa powder, cooked quinoa, oats, fruit puree, spices and fruit slices to make the pudding more interesting.

Energy bars

Buying an energy bar each morning can get quite expensive, which is why you might want to try making your own. One of the easiest options is peanut butter energy bars, which can be made in bulk to set you up for the week.

Simply add roasted, unsalted peanuts and dried dates to a food processor and blend until you have roughly chopped bits. Add in a sprinkle of salt, vanilla extract and some maple syrup before turning the processor on again. Add in some water so it starts to combine to create a dough.

Flatten this into a baking tray that is lined with clingfilm to set before slicing up into bars and storing individually.

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