Nutrient dense breakfast just got more convenient with these 5 make ahead breakfast ideas that don’t need to be warmed up!
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The hill and bale race…and some early morning breakfast options!
We dove head first into the school year and all the fun things to do after school over the last couple weeks! My older 2 had the most fun cross country meet this weekend that included jumping over bales of hay on the course, which was exciting to watch! Between early morning starts for high school, and early morning races, we’ve had to keep some easier to eat, and more on-the-go breakfast options around to make mornings just a little smoother!
The number one goal…
Just because certain days of the week have earlier mornings or crazier schedules doesn’t mean that we have to skip on nutrient density for meals. In fact, while nutrient density for growing kids matters for every kid, it is even more important for these kids that are super active and on the go. Think about the fuel requirements for a car to drive across the country. You just need more fuel than taking your car across town. The fuel matters!
The game plan
My goal here is to show you 5 different breakfast concept ideas that you can prep ahead on the weekend or a day off in order to have easy grab-and-go options for breakfast during the week. I’m talking not even scrambling an egg! No heat. No oven. Just grab and go!
Will they need sides?
If you have teenagers or growth spurting kids, then yes, it’s possible. To make the sides simple, plan to hard boil a dozen eggs (you can even do this super fast with your Instant Pot!) while you prep the food too. Or cook enough bacon to go on the side. On the go yogurt cups work well for sides too. These side options can sit in the fridge for the kids to grab on their way out the door.
Make Ahead Breakfast Idea #1 :: Overnight Oats
The ultimate make ahead breakfast! These little jars are more than just a bowl of oatmeal. You can really pack out overnight oats with so many nutrients from nuts and seeds, to protein powder, fruit, and fats! Here are some recipes to try!
- Peaches & Cream Overnight Oats
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
- Strawberries & Cream Overnight Oats
- “Fruit On the Bottom” Overnight Oats (This recipe is in my newest cookbook, Nourished Mornings! Have you ever had of Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt cups?! Same concept with a fruity syrup that gets stirred into the oats! This is a great one to use when you only have frozen fruit around, and is one of my kids’ favorites in the cookbook!)
Make Ahead Breakfast Idea #2 :: Breakfast Cookies
Breakfast cookies became my “go-to” when I had just one of my girls starting kindergarten, and a toddler and baby in tow for the school drop offs! Talk about crazy mornings. I truly look back sometimes and wonder how I did it! Breakfast cookies were my answer to the hangry toddler in the car and the kindergartener that was pokey with getting her shoes on and hair brushed. All of my breakfast cookies are nutrient packed, and can be made in advance and stored in the pantry or freezer for easy grab and go.
- My staple breakfast cookie recipe with 6 different flavor swaps!
- Fruit Sweetened Protein Breakfast Cookies
- Blueberry Breakfast Cookies (This recipe is in my cookbook, Nourished Mornings! The kids will love the sweet, dried blueberries and incredible flavor! These last for weeks in the pantry!)
Make Ahead Breakfast Idea #3 :: Pantry Granola
If you have a dedicated cereal crew, this section is for you! Granola is so fool-proof to make and will last you weeks in the pantry. Choosing homemade versus store bought will give you way less sugar, more nutrient variety, and more fun flavor choices! You can use the granola like cereal with a splash of milk, on top of yogurt cups with fruit, or break them into more like clusters for eating by the handful.
- Honey Nut Granola
- Pumpkin Pie Granola
- Copycat Bear Naked Brand Granola (This recipe is in my cookbook Nourished Mornings!)
- Peanut Butter Banana Granola (This recipe is in my cookbook Nourished Mornings! This one is 2 out of 3 girls very favorite granolas!)
- Apple Pie Granola (This recipe is in my cookbook Nourished Mornings!)
- Double Chocolate Granola (This recipe is in my cookbook Nourished Mornings! This one is my chocolate-aholic girl’s favorite granola!)
Make Ahead Breakfast Idea #4 :: Baked Oatmeal
This is probably the most used kind of recipes weekly in my house. And yes you can eat baked oatmeal cold or room temp! It has the texture of cake, so it really works! You could even cut them into more like a bar shape. All of my baked oatmeal recipes are baked with more than just oats. Every macro can be found, and baked oatmeal is really easy to add protein powder to as well!
- Our Staple Baked Oatmeal Recipe – just swap the fruit or dried fruit for what you have on hand!
- Pumpkin Apple Baked Oatmeal
- Fruit & Cream Baked Oatmeal Cups ((This recipe is in my cookbook Nourished Mornings! Think Fruit N Cream oatmeal packets meets soft and fluffy muffin!)
- *Top Secret Veggie* Chocolate Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal (This recipe is in my cookbook Nourished Mornings! Seriously like a brownie for breakfast! Your sweet tooth and chocolate kids will love this one!)
Make Ahead Breakfast Idea #5 :: Smoothie Packs
This was a newer concept for me while I was recipe testing for my new cookbook, Nourished Mornings. My middle kiddo was obsessed with all of the smoothies we were testing out, and wanted one like everyday. Smoothies are easy to make in the first place, but sometimes I just didn’t want to look at another recipe or have to get all the ingredients out. So we made her smoothie packs with freezer bags so that she could just grab them from the freezer and blend it up on her own! Just use a freezer safe bag to stash the ingredients for your favorite smoothie. Or, you can find the directions for my nutrient loaded, macro-packed smoothie packs in my cookbook, Nourished Mornings!
BONUS Make Ahead Breakfast Idea #6 :: Egg Muffins
Surprise! You thought you were getting 5 ideas, but I do have another for you! Two out of my 3 kids love cold egg muffins, and I just needed to make sure to mention that here! You just never know! Especially if you have toddlers or little ones who don’t usually like hot food anyway, just give it a try. When I saw my girls grabbing them from the fridge to eat as snack one day, I thought, why don’t we use those more often for fast breakfast?! My suggestion would be to have everyone taste test an egg muffin from the fridge, and see what they think. Offer this as an option for breakfast with a banana or yogurt cup with fruit and they just might take you up on it!
