Mornings can often feel chaotic, especially for busy individuals and parents juggling multiple responsibilities. Between workouts, getting ready for the day, preparing meals, and ensuring everyone gets out the door on time, finding the time to prepare and enjoy a healthy breakfast can seem like a daunting task. However, starting the day with a nutritious and filling breakfast is crucial for setting a positive tone and providing sustained energy throughout the morning. Breakfast bowls offer a convenient and customizable solution, allowing you to meal prep in advance and enjoy a delicious and wholesome breakfast even on the busiest of days.
The Allure of Breakfast Bowls
Breakfast bowls have gained popularity due to their versatility, convenience, and health benefits. They are essentially a deconstructed breakfast, offering a blank canvas to create a meal that suits your individual preferences and dietary needs. The beauty of breakfast bowls lies in their adaptability - you can easily adjust the ingredients to incorporate seasonal produce, on-sale items, or whatever your taste buds are craving.
Key Components of a Healthy Breakfast Bowl
A well-balanced breakfast bowl should include a combination of protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and healthy fats to provide sustained energy and keep you feeling full and satisfied until lunchtime.
- Protein: Incorporate protein sources such as eggs, breakfast sausage, bacon, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, nut butter, or plant-based alternatives like tofu scramble or black beans.
- Fiber-Rich Carbohydrates: Opt for complex carbohydrates like rolled oats, quinoa, sweet potatoes, hash browns, fruits, or vegetables to provide sustained energy and promote digestive health.
- Healthy Fats: Add healthy fats from sources such as avocado, nuts, seeds, chia seeds, or a drizzle of olive oil to support brain function, hormone production, and overall satiety.
Types of Healthy Breakfast Bowl Recipes
Breakfast Power Bowl
This recipe makes two generous adult servings, or four smaller kid-friendly servings.
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup quinoa
- 2 tbsp. flaxseed meal
- 1½ tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 3 tbsp. maple syrup + more for drizzling
- 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other nut milk)
- 2 cups water
- Sliced banana
- Berries
- Sliced peaches or pear
- Chopped apples
- Hemp hearts
- Pepitas
- Chopped Dates
- Nuts
Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan, mix together oats, quinoa, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, vanilla extract, cinnamon, maple syrup, almond milk, and water.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
- When the liquid is just about gone, your oats and quinoa are fully cooked!
- Serve with your favorite toppings and an extra drizzle of maple syrup.
- Enjoy!
High Protein Egg & Hashbrown Breakfast Bowls
These bowls are perfect for meal prep, gluten-free, customizable, and ready to grab from the fridge.
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Ingredients:
- Frozen hashbrowns
- Sausage (or other favorite breakfast protein)
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Cheese
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Garlic
- Spinach
- Almond flour
- Baking powder
- Olive oil, ghee or butter
- Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease 5 oven-safe containers (like 4-cup glass bowls).
- In a skillet with olive oil, ghee or butter, sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic until softened. Add spinach, cover, and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a blender, combine egg whites, whole eggs, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend until smooth. Add the cottage cheese, blend until creamy.
- Add 1 cup frozen hashbrowns to each container. Top each bowl with 2oz of cooked sausage (or other protein of your choice)
- Pour the egg and veggie mixture evenly over the hashbrowns and cooked meat in each container.
- Sprinkle shredded Parmesan evenly over the tops.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the centers are fully set .and no longer jiggly.
- Let the bowls cool, then cover with lids and refrigerate.
High Protein Baked Egg Bowls
These meal prep breakfast bowls are packed with 33g protein.
Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Egg whites
- Cottage cheese
- Turkey breakfast sausage
- Cheese
- Spinach
- Bell pepper
- Chives
- Salt and garlic seasoning
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Spray 4 oven safe bowls (at least 2 cup capacity) with non-stick cooking spray and arrange on a baking sheet. Set aside.
- Add cottage cheese and eggs to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in egg whites until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Add spinach to the bottom of the prepared bowls, then top with bell pepper and sausage. Season with salt and garlic seasoning, then divide the egg and cottage cheese mixture evenly among the 4 bowls. Top with cheese and chives.
- Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, covered with foil for the first 20 minutes.
Make Ahead Breakfast Bowls
These breakfast bowls can easily be customized with additional protein or more vegetables that you prefer.
Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Ground turkey
- Potatoes O’Brien
- Cheese
Instructions:
- Prepare the freezer bowls by cooking the eggs in the large skillet on medium heat, cooking the ground turkey in the skillet, and cooking the potatoes O’Brien until golden brown.
- Once portioned out, top with cheese or top with cheese just before serving.
- To store in the freezer, be sure to use freezer-safe storage and then freeze them until you are ready to serve.
- When ready to eat, remove the lid or plastic and microwave for 2-3 minutes until fully heated through.
Savory Breakfast Bowl
This recipe is as yummy as it is nutritious.
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 3 slices of chopped bacon
- 1 diced sweet potato
- 2 tbsp of Greek yogurt
- ½ avocado
- 1 cup fresh spinach or kale
- 2 tbsp of crumbled feta or goat cheese
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tsp of minced garlic
- Salt and pepper (and additional seasoning)
Instructions:
- Roast sweet potatoes on a sheet pan: Preheat the oven to 400°. Toss your cubed sweet potatoes in ½ tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them onto a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Roast for about 20 minutes.
- Sautee your greens: While the potatoes roast, heat a large skillet over medium. Add the remaining ½ tablespoons of olive oil and a tsp of minced garlic. After a minute or so, toss in your spinach or kale. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the greens are wilted, and then place them in a bowl or on a plate.
- Cook eggs over medium heat: In that same skillet, crack in your eggs and cook them to your desired preference. Make sure to keep medium heat so the eggs cook evenly! Season as you’d like.
- Cook and prepare meat: Lay your bacon strips in a dry pan. Cook them on low heat, occasionally flipping, until they become golden brown. Once they’re at your desired crispiness, place them on paper towels to absorb excess grease.
- Prepare your bowl: Now that you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready, it’s time to assemble your bowl! Layer in your sweet potatoes, sauteed greens, avocado, and eggs.
Chicken Scramble Bowl
This recipe makes eight bowls to feed the whole crew or stash away in the freezer for quick breakfasts.
Ingredients:
- Ground chicken
- Potatoes
- Peppers
- Onions
- Eggs
- Chipotle peppers in adobo
- Canned pineapple in juice
- Garlic
- Salt
- Dried oregano
- Ground cumin
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
Instructions:
- Preheat an oven to 450ºF. Add the potatoes to a sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the potatoes are in the oven, toss the peppers and onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with the garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. After 15 minutes, add the peppers and onions to the sheet pan and toss everything together. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender and all the veggies are slightly browning around the edges.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat before adding the ground chicken. Brown one side for 3-4 minutes before breaking apart to fully cook.
- While the chicken cooks, add everything else to a food processor and blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, add the sauce and bring to a simmer before reducing the heat to low. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, while preparing the eggs and veggies.
- Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, oil, or butter and heat over medium-low heat. Add the eggs and cook to scramble.
- For 8 bowls, add 6 ounces of cooked chicken, 4 ounces of scrambled eggs, and 4 ounces of roasted vegetables. Serve with fresh cilantro, cotija cheese, hot sauce or salsa macha, nonfat Greek yogurt or sour cream, warmed tortillas, or your choice of garnishes and sides.
Breakfast Burrito Bowls
This recipe is a fantastic way to start the day!
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Ingredients:
- Ground turkey
- Eggs
- Hash browns
- Taco seasoning
- Tomato sauce
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep an extra large sheet pan, and line it with parchment paper or foil. Spray generously with cooking spray. Set the hash browns to bake for 26-28 minutes, or until the underside is golden and crispy.
- Warm up a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, spray with olive or avocado oil cooking spray, and add the ground turkey. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add water and tomato sauce into the skillet, and bring to a gentle boil. Then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.
- In a bowl add eggs, salt, and pepper. Heat a large pan (preferably non-stick) over medium heat. When the pan is warm, reduce heat to low and slowly add in the eggs. As the eggs begin to cook together, slowly move them around with a rubber spatula. Continue to gently push and stir them until all of the eggs are cooked. This can take up to 5 minutes depending on size of pan.
- Add 1/2 cup of hash browns, heaping 1/2 cup for turkey taco meat, and about 1/2 cup of eggs to each container or bowl. Top with desired toppings. Serve immediately or place in meal prep containers.
Tips for Breakfast Bowl Meal Prep
- Prep Ingredients in Advance: Chop vegetables, cook grains, and prepare protein sources ahead of time to streamline the assembly process.
- Store Ingredients Separately: Store each component of your breakfast bowl in separate airtight containers to maintain freshness and prevent sogginess.
- Use the Right Containers: Opt for meal prep containers that are appropriately sized for individual portions and are microwave-safe for easy reheating. 4-cup (32 oz) glass bowls work best.
- Freeze for Longer Storage: If you plan to store your breakfast bowls for longer than 4-5 days, freeze them in freezer-safe containers for up to 2-3 months.
- Customize with Toppings: Add fresh toppings like berries, sliced fruits, nuts, seeds, or a drizzle of your favorite sauce just before serving to enhance flavor and texture.
- Reheat Properly: When reheating your breakfast bowls, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until heated through.
Customization and Variations
The beauty of breakfast bowls lies in their endless customizability. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and flavor combinations to create bowls that cater to your specific preferences and dietary requirements.
- For a sweeter bowl: Add fruits, yogurt, and maple syrup.
- For a savory bowl: Add eggs, salsa, hot sauce, and cheese.
- For a vegan bowl: Use plant-based protein sources like tofu scramble or black beans, and opt for dairy-free alternatives like almond milk or coconut yogurt.
- For a low-carb bowl: Swap potatoes for radishes.
Overcoming Common Misconceptions
- Breakfast bowls are only for sweet cravings: While many breakfast bowl recipes lean towards the sweeter side, savory options are equally delicious and satisfying.
- Breakfast bowls are time-consuming to prepare: With proper meal prep, breakfast bowls can be assembled in minutes, making them a convenient option for busy mornings.
- Breakfast bowls are not filling enough: By incorporating a balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fats, breakfast bowls can provide sustained energy and keep you feeling full for hours.
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