Meal prepping is good for your health and good for your wallet. Meals you make at home are usually lower in salt, sugar, added fats, calories and additives, and at the same time higher in nutrients than the ones you buy from Cafés, sandwich shops and supermarkets. Most people get creative at lunch prepping, but many struggle with breakfast.
So to celebrate World Food Day, we’re providing you with five delicious, easy-to-prepare breakfast ideas that are healthy for your body and your wallet.
1. Egg muffins
If you like a savoury breakfast and are looking for something low in carbs and high in protein, these muffins are a winner. They are super easy and quick to make, and will have you tied over until lunch time.
Macros per Muffin:
- 🔋kcal: 100
- 🍞carbs: 2.4g
- 🍖protein: 8.8g
- 🍫fat: 6g
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- 200g baby spinach
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 150g button mushrooms, sliced
- 150g cherry tomatoes, sliced (leave some raw to top the muffins)
- Salt and pepper
- Grated cheese
- 1 tsp olive oil
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C
- Line a muffin pan with muffin tray liners and set aside
- Heat a large non-stick fry pan over medium heat and add half a teaspoon of olive oil
- Once hot, add in the red pepper slices and sauté until tender
- Add in the spinach, mushrooms and some of the cherry tomatoes and sauté until cooked
- Once the veggies are cooked, set aside to cool
- Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk together, season with salt and pepper
- Spoon cooked veggies into the lined muffin pans – make sure you have approximately the same amount in each section
- Pour the egg mixture onto the veg mixture
- Top with left over tomatoes and grated cheese
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until set
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
Serves 8
2. High Protein Overnight Oats
The great thing about overnight oats is that you can add whatever you fancy. Cacao powder and peanut butter are a favourite, but the options are endless. If you don’t have a sweet tooth in the morning, add avocado, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. These oats are great for both pre and post work out.
Macros:
🔋kcal: 384
🍞carbs: 50.7g
🍖protein: 27g
🍫fat: 7g
Ingredients
- 120ml milk of choice
- 50g rolled oats
- 1 scoop protein powder of choice
- Optional toppings: yoghurt, fruit, nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, a tsp of honey
- Optional savoury toppings: avocado, pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Method
- The night before, place oats in a portable container and cover with milk
- In the morning, stir in the protein powder
- Top with toppings of choice
3. Healthy Breakfast Cookies
Chocolate cookies for breakfast? Yes please! Especially when they are high in fibre, high in protein and contain a large dose of tryptophan: the pre-cursor of happy hormone serotonin. You can even replace the honey with agave to make these the perfect vegan breakfast cookies… yum!
Macros per Cookie:
- 🔋kcal: 123
- 🍞carbs: 10.8g
- 🍖protein: 5g
- 🍫fat: 6.4g
Ingredients
- 50g rolled oats
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 tbs cacao powder
- 80g peanut butter
- 40g chopped peanuts
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp honey
- 50g dark chocolate (minimum 70%), chopped into small pieces
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C
- Blend oats in a blender or food processor until they have a flour-like consistency
- Add all remaining ingredients, except the chocolate, and blend together until you get a smooth dough
- Pour the mixture into a bowl and mix through the chocolate
- Roll heaped tablespoons into balls, place on a lined baking tray and slightly flatten with a fork
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until set
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days
Makes 10-12
4. Multigrain Flapjacks
A healthy take on flapjacks that are perfectly portable and packed with healthy fats and whole grain goodness. They are also gluten free and an excellent source of different types of fibre.
Macros per Square:
- 🔋kcal: 147
- 🍞carbs: 22.7g
- 🍖protein: 3.3g
- 🍫fat: 4.7g
Ingredients
- 100g quinoa
- 100g buckwheat
- 100g of oats
- 10 pitted dates
- 2 tbsp of coconut oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Mixed seeds and/or nuts like pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds, chopped hazelnuts and almonds
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C
- Rinse the quinoa and buckwheat in a sieve under cold water and place into a pan
- Cover with water and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer uncovered until all water evaporated and they are soft
- Meanwhile, soak 10 pitted dates in 100ml of boiling water. When soft, use a blender or food processor to blend to a paste
- Whilst the grains are still warm, stir through 2 tbsp of coconut oil, and add the date mix
- Stir in the oats, seed/nut mix and cinnamon
- Pour the mixture onto a lined baking tray
- Press down firmly and bake for 15-20 minutes. Leave to cool
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week
Serves 12
5. Quinoa Ricotta Quiche
A balanced brekkie containing all the macronutrients plus those important micronutrients from the veg (feel free to replace the veg with any other varieties you have laying around in your fridge). This high protein quiche is the perfect post workout meal!
Macros per Triangle:
- 🔋kcal: 171
- 🍞carbs: 9.8g
- 🍖protein: 10.8g
- 🍫fat: 10g
Ingredients
- 180g ricotta
- 8 eggs
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 200g kale
- 150g roasted pumpkin
- 250g cooked quinoa (ready-made pouch or 125g dry quinoa cooked as described in recipe 2)
- 300ml milk of choice
- ½ tsp olive oil
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C
- Line a baking tray and set aside
- Heat a large non-stick fry pan over medium heat and add the olive oil
- Once hot, add in the onion, green pepper slices and kale and sauté until tender
- Whisk eggs, ricotta and milk together until well combined. Season with salt and pepper
- Combine sautéed veg and cooked quinoa with the egg, milk and ricotta mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through
Cut into triangles and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
Serves 6-8
If you try out any of these recipes, tag @aurofit on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook – we’d love to see!