Make Ahead Breakfast Options for the Mom on the Go

This has been an interesting year for us.

In September, my five year old twins joined their big sister and began heading off each morning to elementary school. This means that four of us have to be out the door by 8 am, five days a week. Throw the hubs in there, and I’m often scrambling to make five healthy meals before my coffee has officially kicked in.

Lately, I decided I’m going to plan ahead. No more crazed mornings of timing the eggs, the bacon, the toast, and everything else. Nope. I’m prepping healthy and delicious breakfast treats that will fill their bellies and get them ready for a day of learning.

I recently shared my love of make ahead freezer meals, so this was a natural addition for our family.

My first attempt at this new way of doing mornings were mini quiches. They’re quick to prep, and were a big hit with everyone. The recipe below made 12 individual quiches. I just popped them into the microwave for 30 seconds to reheat once we were ready to eat.

Ingredients:

6 eggs, scrambled with a splash of milk

12 slices of honey ham

shredded cheese for topping

Instructions:

Line a muffin tin with ham slices. Pour the egg scramble on top of the ham slices, filling about 2/3 of the way. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Want a great no-bake option for a smoother morning? Try a make ahead yogurt parfait! These are also quick and easy to make, and super filling with the addition of oats and flax seed.

Ingredients:

18 oz. Greek yogurt of your choice

1 cup old fashioned oats

6 Tablespoons milk (we use almond)

3 teaspoons ground flax seed (you can buy pre-ground but we like to grind our own)

3 cups frozen fruit

Instructions:

Mix yogurt, oats, milk, and flax. Layer yogurt and fruit in container of your choice (we find wide mouth Mason jars to be easiest) as desired. Refrigerate overnight or up to three days.

We also drink a ton of smoothies around here, but with the many ingredients we put in it’s a long process to make them. And you can’t store smoothies in the fridge after they’re blended, because the liquids and solids start to separate and they’re just never as tasty again.

Our solution? Freeze them in ice cube trays! Once we’re ready to enjoy a smoothie, we just put them into a water bottle. Allow those suckers to melt while we get dressed and ready to go, then give them a good shake to blend them back up.

If you need a few hearty and healthy smoothie recipes, we love this apple pie one, this pina colada one, and for fall we even make a great pumpkin one! This classic fruit and veggie one is our go-to though – it’s loved by everyone in the family (even my picky Sadie).

Another easy make ahead meal? Overnight oats. There are literally thousands of overnight oats recipes floating around Pinterest. But my kiddos’ number one way to eat them is with a pinch of cinnamon.

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut or regular oats (not quick oats)

4 cups water

1/2 milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

a dash of cloves

a dash of salt

optional diced apples

Instructions:

Combine all in a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.

My new favorite breakfast is chia pudding. My kids? They’re definitely not fans of it. But I think it tastes similar to tapioca. And I LOVE tapioca! And chia is super filling, so it keeps my hunger at bay longer.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chia seeds

1 cup coconut or almond milk

1/2 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Mix everything in a jar or other container overnight. Enjoy the next day!

There are tons of other options for hearty breakfasts that will fill those little tummies up before they head out the door. We love to make our version of a McMuffin – we call it the McMezyk – and they’re easy to make ahead and reheat using a sandwich press, or even with a zap in the microwave.

What are your ideas for make ahead morning meals?