Ahhhh breakfast. The meal that trips me up so much it’s infuriating. I can whip up a healthy dinner easily and lunch is often just leftovers of said healthy dinner. But breakfast is usually a last-minute consideration in amongst the school bag preparation and ushering of kids out to school. After having Finn, I found myself in a terrible rut of just making a cup of tea and scoffing hobnobs from the cupboard amidst the chaos.
After coming to the realisation that breakfast was, in fact, the cornerstone of my diet and that said hobnob scoffing often resulted in a day laden with poor food choices, I decided that enough was enough. I started making a concerted effort to have a healthy breakfast, which, for me, usually means low carb, high in protein and healthy fats. I was a bit late to the comments on my mental health routine post, where a few of you requested the vanilla and banana smoothie recipe. So rather than a tardy reply buried in comments, I thought it best to place it in this post.
In order to make my breakfasts both healthy and equally importantly, quick… I have found myself opting for either one of the following two smoothies or the make-ahead meals that I’ve linked to below. Each of these breakfasts have been tried and tested on quite a few occasions now, so let this be your reference point if you’re looking for delicious but quick brekkie ideas (that aren’t ye ole faithful porridge).
Vanilla & Banana Smoothie
I spotted this recipe on the Jillian Michaels app. As a side note, I love this app. Her exercise routines and recipes are all very easy to follow. This is hands down one of the sweetest, tastiest smoothie recipes I have ever tried.
Ingredients (makes 3 servings)
3tsp vanilla extract (not essence, that stuff is nasty)
1 cup coconut milk
1 & 1/2 frozen bananas (or one big banana, no jokes)
3 tbsp almond butter (I swap this for whatever nut butter I have handy)
3 tbsp hemp seed (I actually substitute for milled linseed instead as it’s more widely available)
Directions: Blitz in a blender.
I usually look for a bunch of bananas when I’m shopping that have started turning a bit brown then peel and freeze at home. If you don’t have frozen bananas, just chuck in some ice to make sure the smoothie is served nice and cold. Sprinkle with tasty things and enjoy.
Green Smoothie
If you’d like a serious vitamin boost in the morning and a smoothie that’s got a lovely flavour but is not super sweet, then this one based on a recipe from Pete Evans’ The Complete Gut Health Cookbook is amazing. I actually feel like I’ve had a caffeine shot after this bad boy. Perfect for if you feel you need a body reset.
Ingredients (makes 1 breakfast serving or 2 small servings)
1 cup of frozen mango (or two mango cheeks if you’re using fresh)
1 cup of baby spinach
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp powdered collagen (omit or sub for protein powder if your vegan or just don’t fancy it)
250 ml water (or as much as you’d like to reach the consistency you like)
Directions: Blitz in a blender!
Make Ahead Breakfasts
If I can, I usually try to set aside a bit of time on a Sunday to make at least one of these. Make ahead recipes are the way to go for midweek breakfasts if you ask me. It really does make it as simple as grab and go, without all the hidden bad stuff of convenience foods.
- As recommended by lovely reader Sara, these Egg and Chorizo Breakfast Muffins from The Body Coach are incredibly tasty. A great, filling, protein bomb that’s so easy and quick to make ahead.
- I love the Shutterbean food blog, but one of my absolute favourites of hers (aside from her bacon fried rice) is her Hippy Banana Bread. I made a batch of this last Sunday and with a bit of butter and a cup of tea, it’s such a great and filling breakfast. I directly substitute the plain flour for gluten-free plain flour and the recipe still stands up.
- Another low carb but bread-like favourite in our house is Jamie Oliver’s Superfood Protein Loaf. Honestly, this is delicious and you would never be able to tell it’s gluten-free. I love this smothered in avocado or better yet, toasted with butter and blackberry jam! Although it’s quite savoury bread, this somehow works.
- And finally, I’ve mentioned these on the blog before but they’re worth mentioning again. Morning Glory Muffins from Raising Generation Nourished. I could eat a batch of these in one go. They’re so tasty.
Weekend breakfasts are a completely different ball game. When I’ve got time on my side I do love a bit of kitchen faffery. Perhaps I can follow up this post with some of those recipes too?
I would love to know any of your own recommendations for quick healthy brekkies.
Also, quick poll… If you’re putting jam on toast, do you butter it first? Or just opt for jam. Gavin and I disagree on this regularly. He’s a jam only guy and I’m a love-the-salty/sweet-combo of butter and jam kind of girl ☺️
With a 3 month old my breakfast has been a choc chip brioche and coffee, pre baby i loved porridge or eggs and breakfast was my healthiest meal so its all gone downhill!
Just bought a breville active smoothie maker which is fab but right now baby is lightly napping in the sling , i am hungry but the blender noise would wake him! Fml!
I used to make egg, feta and tomato muffins when i was on the body coach plan, maybe i need to dig the recipie out!
Aw Rachel I feel your pain. Finn is 6 months old and I’ve been eating crap for that entire 6 months. I have a nutribullet which is pretty noisy too. But since my kid never sleeps 😴 it’s not been too much of a problem. Just so you know, the banana smoothie is still excellent when made the night before and stored in the fridge. The green one isn’t too bad either but def better made fresh so the greens don’t oxidise.
And I need to try these egg, feta tomato muffins! Is there a recipe you could link to?
The recipie was tailored to my weight etc as i did the paid online plan not the books but it was
10g butter
– 3 eggs
– 1 egg white
– 85g cherry tomatoes, chopped in
half
– 1 spring onion, chopped
– small bunch chives, chopped
– 40g feta cheese
I didnt bother with chives and sometimes skipped spring onion too… butter is just for cooking it in if you prefered to make it as an omlette..far as i remember you just mix it all up, bang it into some greased muffin trays and bake,,,cant remember temp…maybe 180ish for 20 mins? There was a lot of feta on that plan and i got a bit addicted to it, i could still stuff myself with it now! Will give banana smoothie a go in the fridge, i used to make an avacado smoothie and put it in the fridge but it went a bit gross! Youve got my empathy on the baby not napping, my boy either naps for Britain or not at all/lightest nap where you have to rock him the whole time!
Also cant remember if that made 6 or 12 muffins…sorry…was 2 years ago..! Will have to attempt it again
Oh thank you for sharing! I’ve screenshotted this already 😘
Some great tips there. Will definitely try! My go to breakfasts for speed: eggs and smoked salmon. Eggs either poached, scrambled or fried in coconut oil. OR low fat natural yoghurt with raspberries, blueberries, nuts and seeds on top with a drizzle of honey. Both ready to eat in minutes and super healthy. Chuck a handful of spinach on the side of the eggs and salmon for some daily greens. I know these can’t be eaten on the go, but for for the eggs and salmon, just substitute freshly cooked eggs for eggs boiled the night before and have it all ready in a Tupperware.
I love eggs and salmon too Leanne! The boiled eggs tip is a good one.
I’m boring and just love cornflakes for my breakfast. Also I’m definitely with you on butter and then jam!
Yes! Another win for the savoury sweet combo.
Love these, thank you, will def give some of them a go. Overnight oats here – make 3 at a time and then they’re ready to go in the morning! Just make sure your milk is fresh at the start…I’ve made the error a couple of times by day 3 the last one is a horrible mouthful of curdled oats & a waste of good nuts/berries etc!
Do you eat overnight oats cold? It’s not something I’ve ever tried before 🙈
Yes, they’re really good, can add diff flavours to your tastes. If you prefer hot, apparently you just heat them up in microwave in the morning but I haven’t tried that myself.
I get airtight masonary jar, half fill with oats, 2 tbsp natural yoghurt, almond milk (or whatever you’d prefer), pinch of cinnamon, tbsp honey/maple, tbsp chia seeds, and then whatever you fancy…raisins, walnuts, blueberries, bananas etc or a combo!
I’ve never tried anything more adventurous than porridge/muesli/granola/general crap for breakfast so I’m pretty excited by this list! Does these sort of things take long to prepare? I feel like I spend so long faffing around in the kitchen and I don’t even like cooking so it’s frustrating. But I do like eating…
The make ahead stuff generally takes about a half an hour to prepare so I don’t find it too intrusive to my Sunday. Husband is on the clean up duty too, which definitely makes it more appealing!
Butter then jam! Jam on its own is too dry, surely? The only things I don’t add butter first with are things like peanut butter or chocolate spread – because they act too similarly (and the flavour is weird).
You encouraged me to have a healthier breakfast this morning. Normally I reach straight for the toast but this morning I made porridge and topped it with banana and nutella. I very rarely have time to do anything with eggs (getting a toddler out the door on time can be very… aggravating?) so perhaps I should take a look at some of your make ahead suggestions.
I always feel a sense of pride when I’ve done the make ahead thing on a Sunday. Totally takes the pain out of the weekday mornings.
And high five to the butter and jam vote!
I’m really bad at having any kind of breakfast during the week and end up eating sugary cereal bars mid-morning but weekend breakfasts are my favourite meal. I find eggy bread fills me up for most of the day, but I also love banana pancakes – just banana mixed with an egg and chucked in the pan then blueberries and yoghurt on top. I’m getting hungry just thinking about breakfasts!
Sugary cereal bars were my nemesis too! And if I have time for them, breakfast can be my favourite meal of the day.
Yay- glad I’ve converted you to the body coach egg and chorizo muffins! I’ve convinced so many friends and love how easy they are. If you make them regularly definitely invest in silicon cupcake trays. Mine were cheap from home bargains but make the washing up so much easier!
I’m not a smoothie fan (can’t deal with the texture), but I’m definitely going to try the banana bread if I can manage to exclude the walnuts (I’m sadly allergic and find so many healthy recipes feature nuts which are hard to exclude) x
They are SO good!! I’m so glad you suggested them.
As for the banana bread, just load it up with 1 1/2 cups of anything textured so even dried fruit and seeds would do. Alternatively, Shutterbean’s standard banana bread is also delish.
I love overnight oats during the week and take them to work and have them when I get in. Porridge oats mixed with fat free greek yoghurt and cinnamon. Then add some frozen raspberries and blueberries which thaw overnight. If I’m feeling particularly hungry I’ll chop a banana and have that on top. Has changed my approach to breakfast and it’s now something I look forward to! At the weekend I’ll likely have a wholemeal bagel with eggs!
I can’t quite get my head around eating cold oats! But I’ll need to give it a try now that it’s been suggested so much. I love the sound of the berries in there. Do you use whole rolled oats?
Naomi do you use the coconut milk from a tin?
My sister got me into peanut butter AND butter on toast. It’s a killer! x
I do when I’m baking, but for the smoothies I actually prefer the consistency of the Rude Health Coconut Drink, although it’s really more just flavoured rice milk than anything. You’d be upping the healthy fats by using tinned coconut milk! xo
I’m an unsalted butter then jam person for toast – I like the texture of the cold smooth butter under the jam but I’m not a lover of salt (unless in caramel!). I also do that on croissants which makes my husband want to cry, he doesn’t understand the need for butter on top of something already choc-full of butter. Kill joy 🙂 I cannot get into muffins or smoothies with any form of dairy etc in it for breakfast weirdly. I’m a plain yogurt and linseed person with some fruit during the week, and waffles or pancakes or porridge at the weekends (largely driven by the small people’s demands but I won’t say no!). Although my healthy yogurt is often swiftly followed by some dark chocolate (oops!!).
Where are all the parents who aren’t owning up to eating the same breakfasts as their kids. Rice crispies followed by toast with butter anyone?