Breakfast: Make the Most Important Meal of the Day Filling and Tasty!

Breakfast foods are big favorites around here. And not just the kids' favorites. I could eat breakfast food all day. In fact, some days I do! The best part about breakfast is that, generally speaking, it doesn't take long to prepare. Sometimes, I have to be prepared ahead of time. Sometimes, it's a quick "what can I toss together" or defrost. And there are some days that it does take a while! 

We rarely eat breakfast on the go. We don't eat breakfast together very regularly on weekdays, but most of the time, we eat breakfast at the table, at least the girls do. Simpler breakfasts are best for weekdays, especially when it's the very end of school and everyone is just *done*. And sometimes, simple means pulling something out of the freezer. Here is a list of breakfasts we've had lately:

- yogurt with berries (I added toasted seeds/nuts to mine)
- whole wheat toast with avocado and boiled egg slices
- raisin toast with butter, berries
- whole wheat pancakes and berries
- banana with nut butter
- sweet potato hash browns topped with fried eggs (shred the sweet potato directly into a pan with heated butter/oil/bacon grease, stir around until softened, crack eggs into pan)
- omelet with spinach
- cereal* with berries (365 brand honey flakes and oat clusters)


Here are a few other ideas that need to be prepared ahead of time, but can make a busy morning a little easier:

- overnight oats (this is a very versatile breakfast - I just made some with rolled oats, frozen berries, flax meal, and milk)
- english muffin sandwiches (layer: cooked eggs, cheese, sausage/bacon on an english muffin, wrap up in parchment paper and foil, freeze; heat in toaster oven or microwave when ready to eat)
- breakfast burritos (wrap cooked eggs in a tortilla with cheese and salsa)
- egg cups (use muffin tin to bake 'mini' frittatas using whichever vegetables and types of cheese you have on hand; heat in toaster oven or microwave when ready to eat)
- breakfast bread or muffins 
- green smoothie (prepare ingredients the night before, blend together in the morning using these estimates: 2 cups of greens, 2 cups fruit - frozen fruit is perfect! - 2 cups liquid and add in rolled oats, flax meal, chia seeds, honey, nut butter, cinnamon, greek yogurt)

I do try to keep a box of bars as a back-up just in case. It's not often that a "bar" is for breakfast (except for hubby) but it does happen every once in a while!

Two tips:

1. Be prepared: Boil eggs ahead of time. Cut up fruit/veggies ahead of time. Make enough overnight oats for several days. Make some of the freezer sandwiches above. Buy avocados with different degrees of ripeness.

2. Get creative! Use leftovers. Have one burger left? Some vegetables that aren't enough for a meal of leftovers? Quinoa or couscous? Mix (or top) whatever little leftover you have with an egg and there's breakfast! 


What's YOUR favorite breakfast?



*We don't typically have cereal but every once in a while, the girls ask for some. Our go-to brands are Cascadian Farm, Kashi, and 365 Everyday Value (Whole Foods).