A Dietitian’s 12 Favorite Quick and Easy Breakfasts

Whether you’re still half asleep in the morning or have kids running around, it can be helpful to have a few breakfast ideas that are quick to put together or can even be made ahead of time.

Below are 12 of my go-to quick and easy breakfasts, including store-bought and homemade options!

While they’re all a bit different, a healthy, filling breakfast should have: 

• Protein (check out our post The Power of Protein at Breakfast) 
• Healthy fats
• Fiber
• A serving of fruits or vegetables

Let’s take a look at some convenient, but still balanced, products and recipes! 

6 Healthy and Convenient Store-Bought Breakfast Items

1. Bob’s Red Mill Organic Classic Oatmeal Cup

Nutrition: 200 calories, 4.5 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 150 mg sodium, 33 grams carbs, 6 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar, and 7 grams protein. 

Made with oats, chia seeds, and flaxseeds, these oatmeal cups are high in fiber and provide a good amount of protein. To make them, all you have to do is pour hot water in, cover, and wait 3 minutes. 

To make it more filling, I like to add a serving of natural peanut butter and either ½ a banana or a few tablespoons of dried blueberries. 

2. Wild Friends Single-Serving Almond Cashew Super Butter 

Nutrition: 190 calories, 16 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 95 mg sodium, 9 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, 5 grams protein. 

While any single-serving packet of nut butter will work, I like Wild Friend’s super butters as they contain a blend of nuts as well as chia and flax seeds for a boost of omega-3’s and minerals. 

I’ll either make a sandwich with 1 packet of the butter and Dave’s Killer Bread Wheat English Muffin. Or I’ll put it in a bowl along with a sliced banana or apple.

3. Trader Joe’s Vanilla Overnight Oats 

Nutrition: 240 calories, 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 105 mg sodium, 35 grams carbs, 6 grams fiber, 12 grams sugar, and 8 grams protein. 

If you don’t feel like making your own, Trader Joe’s Vanilla Overnight Oats is a great alternative. It’s naturally sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free. 

Plus, it’s made with just 5 ingredients: unsweetened almond milk (water, almond butter), rolled oats, dates, vanilla extract, and sea salt. 

4. LÄRABAR Protein Bar 

Nutrition (for the Lemon Blueberry Muffin Bar): 220 calories, 8 grams fat (0.5 grams saturated), 115 mg sodium, 25 grams carbs, 4 grams fiber, 19 grams sugar (0 grams added sugar), 11 grams protein. 

If you prefer something small for breakfast, I like LÄRABAR’s new line of protein bars.

As with traditional LÄRABARs, the protein ones are made with just a handful of whole ingredients. Then for protein, they added a plant-based pea protein.

The Lemon Blueberry Muffin bar ingredients include: DATES, ALMONDS, PEA PROTEIN, APPLES, BLUEBERRIES, BLUEBERRY EXTRACT, SEA SALT, LEMON EXTRACT. 

To make it more filling, add 1 hard boiled egg or a piece of string cheese on the side for extra protein.

5. Evol Lean & Fit: Egg White, Kale, Roasted Tomato & Goat Cheese Sandwich 

Nutrition: 160 calories, 4 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 400 mg sodium, 19 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar, and 10 grams of protein. 

While I prefer making my own freezer-friendly egg sandwiches, if you don’t want to spend the time meal prepping, these Evol breakfast sandwiches are a good way to go. 

Simply microwave one while you get ready in the morning.

For a balanced breakfast, I’ll usually have a clementine or two on the side.

6. Amy’s Kitchen Breakfast Burrito 

Nutrition: 290 calories, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 540 mg sodium, 40 grams carbs, 5 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, and 12 grams protein. 

Amy’s breakfast burrito is another good savory option.

Amy’s breakfast burrito is one of the better frozen options out there as it’s made with black beans, tofu, potatoes, bell peppers, and diced tomatoes.

All you have to do is microwave it for 2 minutes and it’s ready to go!

Make it a more balanced meal by adding sliced avocado or a Wholly® Guacamole Classic Mini cup. Of course, you can’t go wrong with a little salsa either.

6 Homemade Quick and Easy Breakfasts

1. Overnight oats

Overnight oats are my go-to easy breakfast.

I usually make 5 jars on Sunday so that breakfast is ready to go the rest of the week.

There are so many ways to make overnight oats. To get started, check out these 3 High Protein Overnight Oat recipes. 

Nutrition: 340-409 calories, 11-18 grams fat (2-4 grams saturated), 40-50 grams carbs, 10-12 grams fiber, 4-10 grams sugar, and 17-23 grams protein. 

2. Freezer breakfast burritos 

While store bought burritos are convenient, they can be high in sodium. And can get expensive over time. Instead, I like to make my own freezer-friendly versions.

I like these Veggie Packed Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Burritos from Ambitious Kitchen. 

Nutrition: 448 calories, 20 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 44 grams carbs, 7 grams fiber, 6 grams sugar, and 22 grams protein. 

3. Mason jar yogurt parfaits 

Another great use for mason jars is to assemble yogurt parfaits on Sundays or the night before. 

Simply place 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt (fat-free, 2% or whole fat depending on your health goals) in a jar.

Add frozen or fresh berries on top and 2-4 tablespoons of a low-sugar granola. I like KIND and Bear Naked granolas, but you can also make your own. 

Nutrition: 301 calories, 6 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 37 grams carbs, 3 grams fiber, 17 grams sugar, 26 grams protein. 

*Calculated using 2% fat plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup blueberries berries, and ¼ cup Bear Naked Vanilla Almond granola. 

4. Hard Boiled Egg or Egg Cups + Fruit 

Hard boiled eggs are the OG grab-and-go breakfast. Not only can you make a bunch at once, but they’re also a relatively inexpensive breakfast option. 

One large hard boiled egg provides: 78 calories, 5 grams fat (2 grams saturated), <1 gram carb, 0 grams fiber, <1 gram sugar, 6 grams protein. 

Personally, I like egg cups a little better as they’re essentially mini frittatas that you can add seasonings and vegetables to. 

I like these Sweet Potato and Spinach Egg Muffins.

Each “muffin” provides: 87 calories, 5 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 3 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram sugar, 6 grams protein. 

Whichever option you go to, grab a piece of fruit with you for some fiber and carbs. 

5. Protein-filled smoothie 

Smoothies are another classic quick breakfast option.

However, the key is making a smoothie that will actually keep you full. And that means making sure that there’s protein and healthy fat in your smoothie. 

There are many ways to do this including:

• Protein powder
• Nut butter
• Seeds (like hemp, chia, or flaxseeds)
• Greek yogurt
• Milk/soy milk.

Avocado is also a delicious way to make your smoothie creamier and also more nutritious. 

To make your morning easier, you can put all the veggies and fruits for one smoothie in a freezer bag. Just make sure to slice them first so that they’ll blend better.

Then, in the morning simply add the contents of the bag into your blender, add milk, yogurt, and/or nut butter, and blend away.

I like this Green Smoothie with Banana and Cherries. To make it even more filling, I’ll often add a serving of vanilla protein powder. 

Nutrition (with 1 serving of a vanilla plant-based protein powder): 290 calories, 5 grams fat (1.5 grams saturated), 34 grams carbs, 4 g fiber; 21 g sugar (only 4 grams added sugar due to protein powder), 27 grams protein. 

6. Baked oatmeal muffins 

Another option for oatmeal-lovers is to make a batch of baked oatmeal muffins or cups. 

To get you started, Eating Bird Food has 4 simple variations. Each cup provides approximately 139 calories, 4 grams fat, 23 grams carbs, 4 grams fiber, 6 grams sugar, and 4 grams protein. 

Pairing one of these with a hard boiled egg would be a delicious way to get that balance of fiber, fats, and protein. 

The Bottom Line

Just because there isn’t time to sit down and make a full breakfast, doesn’t mean you have to skip it altogether. 

Breakfast can be a great way to fuel your activity throughout the day and get essential nutrients. 

Be sure to use your Lose It! app to adjust these breakfast ideas to better meet your individual nutrition goals. Have a favorite quick and easy breakfast? Share in the comments below!