Quick and Easy Breakfast Ideas

Happy Thursday (aka Friday Eve)!   This weekend is going to be really fun and I have a ton planned, so I'm just counting down the hours until Friday.

In my most recent monthly goals post, I mentioned that I wanted to start eating breakfast every morning.  In the past, I've either completely skipped eating breakfast, or bought something as soon as I got to work because I was so hungry.

I'm trying to save some money (and be a little healthier) by bringing my own breakfast to work lately.  The five different meals I'm talking about today are all: #1 delicious and #2 quick/easy to make.

breakfast for runners

A few disclaimers before we start:
  • I am not a nutritionist.  Some of these breakfasts are not the healthiest (pretty sure bagels and cream cheese are on the do NOT eat list), but when I'm working out and training (especially running in the morning), I get really hungry.  I would rather eat something high in calories and fats that will keep me full and my muscles happy, rather than have a healthy breakfast that will leave me hungry and takes a while to make.
  • Some days I just grab some fruit or a granola bar before leaving.  That wouldn't be very exciting to write about, so I picked a few of my favorite "recipes" to cover.  Each of these takes me less than 5 minutes to put together and are perfect for work.  Most of them can even be prepared ahead of time so you can grab and go!
  • I'm not a fan of smoothies or overnight oats (which is the majority of what I find when I search for "quick breakfasts"), so hopefully these are different recipes than you're used to seeing!  I would also love to hear what you all eat in the morning!

I'm linking up with Amanda for Thinking Out Loud Thursday- and let's get into it!


Breakfast Bagel Sandwich

Really filling and perfect for the a post-workout breakfast.  This is something that I'll make at work- just bring in all of the components and assemble once I'm there!
quick and easy breakfast ideas
Whole Wheat Bagel + Cream Cheese + Smoked Salmon + Hard Boiled Eggs + Dill
Substitutions: Avocado, Mustard, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon


Cookie Dough Oatmeal

I'm not a fan of the taste or texture of overnight oats, and I love this recipe that I found on Fitnessista.  The combination of nut butter with the oats and protein powder is perfection, and keeps me full all day!
fast breakfast ideas
Oatmeal + Protein Powder + Pumpkin Pie Spice + Salt + Nut Butter + Milk + Toppings
Substitutions: Coconut Milk, Cacao Nibs, Fresh Fruit


Kefir Berry Bowl

Some mornings I'm in the mood for something sweet, and this is the perfect solution.  Kefir is extremely healthy for you, but tastes way too sour on its own.  Adding fresh berries sweetens it up while making a nutritious and light breakfast.
healthy breakfast ideas
Madagascar Vanilla Kefir + Raspberries + Blackberries
Substitutions: Greek Yogurt, Honey, Strawberries, Cottage Cheese


Waffles

I keep frozen waffles at work just in case I don't have time to make a breakfast.  Waffles are super cheap and easy to find, and are the perfect base for a number of toppings.  
morning run recipes
Frozen Waffles + Nut Butter + Coconut
Substitutions: Bananas, Nutella

Breakfast Scramble

This is usually what I'll make on the weekends.  I like to make a huge batch and put it in separate containers, so I can just grab one before leaving to work, nuke it, and have a filling and delicious breakfast in seconds.  The frozen potatoes come already diced up with peppers and onions, which make this a really quick and easy breakfast.
potato o brien recipe
Potato O'Brien + Scrambled Eggs + Bacon + Arugula + Cheese
Substitutions: Sausage, Spinach, Avocado, Salsa (list goes on and on)


 I hope you liked my breakfast ideas!  What are some of your favorite things to eat when you're in a rush?

Comments

  1. Heather [is probably running]July 16, 2015 at 4:24 AM

    Lately I've been going for a protein shake (almond milk + protein powder + frozen banana) and/or a Luna bar. This morning I had a PB&J Uncrustable for breakfast, probably not the healthiest of options but it was quick and easy!

    I like the idea of keeping frozen waffles at work. So long as my coworkers don't decide to help themselves!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJuly 16, 2015 at 6:02 AM

      Oh man, I loved Uncrustables growing up! I might have to pick some up :) I actually put the waffle sleeve in a brown paper bag with my name on it in the freezer and no one touches it!

      Delete
  2. meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNiclesJuly 16, 2015 at 4:40 AM

    I am a lifelong breakfast eater - I don't think I have ever skipped it unless I was sick with a stomach virus! I love oatmeal these days but used to swear by an English muffin with peanut butter for years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJuly 16, 2015 at 6:03 AM

      That's great Meredith! I wish I was more like that, but my stomach can't tolerate a lot of food in the morning. English muffins are the best!

      Delete
  3. LesleyJuly 16, 2015 at 5:58 AM

    I always eat breakfast... my mom could always tell when I was sick because she couldn't get me to eat breakfast. I do try to get more protein with breakfast, but I seem to be hungry earlier in the morning when I do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJuly 16, 2015 at 6:03 AM

      That's interesting to hear! Usually if I have a high-protein breakfast I stay full up until lunch.

      Delete
  4. AnonymousJuly 16, 2015 at 7:29 AM

    I'm all about smoothies in the morning. Or I will pack oatmeal and a single serve almond butter pack. I usually make and bring an egg scramble to work for lunch - I can eat breakfast at anytime during the day! I have a grapefruit in my fridge that I've been meaning to cut up as a healthy snack. Note to self - pack for work tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJuly 16, 2015 at 7:45 AM

      I bought some grapefruits last week and had them as my snack all week! They're so delicious, just a pain to cut up. Oatmeal and single serve almond butter is a great and easy idea!

      Delete
  5. Fairytales and FitnessJuly 16, 2015 at 7:34 AM

    I've never heard of the cookie dough oatmeal but yum!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Morgan @ Morgan Manages MommyhoodJuly 16, 2015 at 7:46 AM

    Love this! I usually have a few, precious moments to make my breakfast between getting my son happy/settled and me being to hungry that I become a raging lunatic. I've been loving yogurt and fruit with some honey -so good!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJuly 16, 2015 at 10:54 AM

      That's a great quick breakfast to make! I'm sure it's tough to get something filling in when you're wrestling a baby!

      Delete
  7. Amanda @ .running with spoons.July 16, 2015 at 9:26 AM

    Love these! I think my favourite quick breakfast would probably be a smoothie. If I know I'm going to be in a rush in the morning, I'll put all the ingredients together the night before and just blend it all in the morning, then stow it in some kind of tumbler and I'm out the door :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJuly 16, 2015 at 10:56 AM

      That's what pretty much everyone on my bus does as well! I can only have smoothies when I'm at home..I get lazy and don't feel like rinsing it out at work and then leave it there by mistake, then I just end up throwing it out because it's disgusting!

      Delete
  8. UnknownJuly 16, 2015 at 9:41 AM

    Okay, this really helps me! I'm literally just sitting around right now trying to figure out what to make everyone for breakfast. We all get so sick of the same old things. The smoked salmon bagel sounds bomb!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJuly 16, 2015 at 10:56 AM

      That's great Suzy! Glad that this helped, and yes the bagel is amazing!!

      Delete
  9. Alanna @ Madeleines & MarathonsJuly 16, 2015 at 12:32 PM

    Thanks for sharing! These all look so great. I can't decide what I'm most excited about, the Kefir Berry Bowl or the Cookie Dough Oatmeal! I'm always a fan of the breakfast bagel too. I think breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I try to start my day off right.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Katherine @ Sweet. Souther. Run.July 16, 2015 at 5:34 PM

    I love all of your breakfast recipes! I'm always rushing in the morning but I know it's important to eat breakfast. I'll definitely be trying some of these next week, thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Alison (Fueling for Fitness)July 16, 2015 at 7:25 PM

    Oh my... That smoked salmon bagel looks to die for! I would happily eat that for breakfast, lunch or dinner! I love dill with eggs and salmon but I always forget to buy it. I'm on a huge cold cereal kick at the moment. We're so used to needing a portable breakfast option from when we were traveling and it has kind of stuck with us! Before we left for our trip, I used to be a die-hard smoothie fan. Before that, I ate overnight oats / oatmeal every day for 2 years straight and got so burnt out that I can't eat it at all now.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jess @hellotofitJuly 18, 2015 at 4:16 PM

    Mm I'll take a bowl of that scramble, please! I love breakfast, but when I'm busy it's hard to make a quality meal before I sprint out the door. Great ideas!

    ReplyDelete

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