Eating healthy is all about choosing the right food and the right portions. That's why it is so important to find easy healthy breakfast ideas for weight loss.
Too often we find ourselves relying on processed products from the store because we are running out of time.
Likewise, we often eat too much, especially if we are eating food that isn’t especially filling.
Breakfast is the first meal of the day and for many of us, it is also a very important meal. Yet, many of us find that we hardly have any time first thing in the morning.
Now, research does suggest that skipping breakfast may not be as harmful people often assume (1), but many people find that a good breakfast is essential for having energy in the day and staying in a good mood.
Having a good breakfast can also be very relevant for weight loss.
For many people, skipping breakfast makes them crave high-calorie food and can mean that they eat too much in subsequent meals. Besides that, skipping breakfast often makes people frustrated and even angry.
Not fun.
So, how do you get around this?
There are a few different ways and I’m going to show you some recipes that can encourage you to eat breakfast every day, even if it isn’t normally your style. These are all easy healthy breakfast ideas for weight loss and hopefully they can make your day a bit easier and more interesting.
All of these recipes are healthy additions to your diet and in most cases they are also filling and a good source of protein. These factors alone make the options great for weight loss.
Fast and Easy Breakfasts
Being short on time doesn’t mean you have to skip out on having a good breakfast. In fact, there is a range of breakfast options that you can eat regardless of how little time you have. In some cases, you could even eat the breakfast as you were running out of the door.
Here I’m specifically considering recipes that are fast to prepare in the morning. In many cases, they will involve some prep work the night before. However, for many of us, prepping the night before is easier and less stressful than trying to do it first thing in the morning.
Overnight Oats
There are a few really great things about overnight oats. The first is that you prepare them the night before, so you just have to grab them out of the fridge in the morning. Some people choose to put them in the microwave for a little to get rid of the chill, but you don’t even have to do that if you don’t want to.
Another great thing is their flexibility. There are so many different variations of flavors that you can use with overnight oats. In fact, once you get used to the general concepts, you can pretty much make it up as you go along.
At the same time, oats are a good source of resistant starch (2) and are often promoted as a way to feel full, get energy and even lose weight. After all, those benefits are one part of the reason that oatmeal is so common first thing in the morning.
To get you in the mood here are three overnight oat recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers.
Cocoa Banana Overnight Oats
Image from My Fussy Eater
This recipe for Cocoa Banana Overnight Oats is perfect for people who aren't sold on the idea of overnight oats. After all, chocolate for breakfast is a fantastic idea and this recipe would end up tasting a lot like a chocolate smoothie. The simplicity of the recipe is also pretty appealing. You might even find that you have all of the ingredients that you need in your cupboard at home.
Blueberry Cobbler Overnight Oatmeal
Image from Dashing Dish
This second recipe is a bit different because it relies on flavors from fruit, specifically blueberries - which would be why it is called Blueberry Cobbler Overnight Oats. Both this and the previous recipe were made in mason jars, but realistically, you can make them in just about any container. Personally, I'd recommend something that you can stick in the microwave so you can warm the dish up if you want to. Jars aside, the recipe here sounds amazing and seems like a great flavor for early in the morning.
Apple Pie Overnight Oats
Image From Annie's Noms
Here's one more overnight oats recipe and as you can see, it is a completely different flavor profile as well. This time, the recipe is for Apple Pie Overnight Oats, which sounds really wonderful. This flavor option would work really well in fall or if you're just looking for a healthier alternative to apple pie. Besides, the apple pie topping just looks perfect, doesn't it?
Quiche Muffins / Mini Quiches
Eggs are an amazing choice for breakfast. They are a great source of protein and are associated with a range of health benefits. In fact, despite popular belief, eggs are actually really good for your health. That's why they work so well as easy healthy breakfast ideas for weight loss.
Eggs are especially relevant for weight loss because of the protein they contain. Research has suggested that an egg breakfast can help to decrease how much a person eats at subsequent meals (3). Now, there are lots of different ways to get protein into your diet, but eggs do make the most sense for breakfast.
After all, eggs are a pretty common breakfast food anyway.
One fun way to get eggs into your breakfast is mini quiches. There are many variations of this recipe, but in general, you end up with a small quiche that you can pick up and eat. That’s a great option if you’re in a hurry.
In fairness, you probably wouldn’t want to actually cook mini quiches first thing in the morning (although they are easy to make and fairly fast too). However, you can easily make the quiches the night before. In fact, you could make up a batch of mini quiches and have them for breakfast throughout the week.
Here are four recipes to get you started with making mini quiches of your own.
Crustless Mini Quiche
Image from Will Cook for Friends
One of the biggest challenges with quiches is the crust. That's the part that takes that most time and it also tends to be fairly high in calories, which isn't good for those of us trying to lose weight. Even mini quiches often use a crust, although that often just involves buying preformed crusts from the grocery store. These Crustless Mini Quiches are especially appealing because you don't have to fiddle around with making or eating the crust. This makes them faster to make and much easier to eat.
Mini Ham and Edam Cheese Quiches
Image From The Cook's Pyjamas
I swear, these Mini Ham and Edam Cheese Quiches look professional. Realistically, you could eat them as a snack food just as easily. But, our focus with this post is on breakfasts so I'm going to call these a breakfast food. These little beauties also freeze really well, so it would be easy to prepare these ahead so they are always on hand when you need them.
Ham and Corn Mini Quiches
Image from Bake Play Smile
This Ham and Corn Mini Quiches recipe does involve a crust for the quiches, but even with that, the recipe is still very simple to make. The inclusion of corn in a quiche is a great approach, especially as doing so adds in a few more nutrients and also makes the quiche taste sweeter overall.
Mini Spinach Frittatas
Image from Kim's Cravings
Strictly speaking, these Mini Spinach Frittatas aren't quiches at all (not surprisingly, they're frittatas). Nevertheless, there is a strong similarity between the types of recipes, so these frittatas still fit in with our overall theme. The addition of spinach would work well in the overall recipe and it's a great way to eat a bit more spinach. Besides, doesn't the green just look cool in the frittatas?
Quinoa Muffins
Quinoa has become pretty popular as an alternative grain, but quinoa isn’t limited to dinner. In fact, quinoa has become pretty common in baking as well. And why not? It can have quite an appealing taste and is a great source of energy. In some cases, recipes for quinoa muffins can be similar to the quiches that I mentioned above. But, in other cases, the recipes more closely resemble traditional muffins.
Here are some examples of fantastic quinoa cup recipes.
Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups
Image from Iowa Girl Eats
This first recipe is a bit interesting because these Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups end up looking and tasting pretty similar to the mini quiches from above. In fact, I debated a bit about which section to put these muffins in. The quinoa is a great way to make baby quiches a little bit more interesting and the difference in texture would be really appealing.
Protein Muffins with Quinoa
Image from Food Faith Fitness
The previous example might have resembled mini quiches, but that's certainly not the case with these Protein Muffins with Quinoa. Instead, these muffins look (and probably taste) much more like traditional muffins. So, you could really use these as snacks during any point of the day.
But, they are a good option for breakfast for a couple of reasons. The first is that they are a good source of protein, both from the quinoa and also from the use of protein powder. At the same time, the muffins are a good way to get a little sweetness into your morning, without it being excessive.
Carrot Quinoa Muffins
Image from Well Plated by Erin
The flavor profile of these Carrot Quinoa Muffins reminds me of carrot cakes, which I love. But, of course, these quinoa muffins are much healthier than carrot cake and they aren't as sweet either. Instead, they end up being a lightly sweet snack with lots of healthy ingredients. Like the other quinoa muffins, these make for a good breakfast because of their protein content and they are also good for snacks.
Protein Shakes and Smoothies
Another great option for early in the morning is protein shakes (well, protein shakes and protein smoothies if you want to be specific). These have become pretty popular recently because they can be a good way to get a lot of nutrients all at once.
Smoothies are especially powerful because they can be a way to get superfoods that you wouldn’t normally eat. Likewise, many people use them to eat veggies like kale or spinach. After all, if you make your smoothie right, you can’t even taste the vegetables.
Again, there is a lot of variation in the different types of smoothies out there and some are much healthier than others. Regardless, here are is a smoothie recipe that you can add to your morning lineup.
Chocolate, Banana and Peanut Butter Shake
Image from A Sweet Pea Chef
This Chocolate, Banana and Peanut Butter Shake is a reminder that healthy breakfasts don't have to be boring. In fact, this recipe would taste like a sweet treat, especially for fans of chocolate and peanut butter. At the same time though, you're still getting a decent amount of protein and energy from the shake. That's a great way to hit the ground running early in the morning.
Unique or Unusual Options
Even if you’re not short on time, breakfast tends to get old rather fast. After all, people often end up eating the same food every day. Breakfast is a little strange in this way. It’s the only meal where people eat the same thing just about every day. But, you don’t have to. If nothing else, you could just mix up the various options I’ve talked about on this list.
With that in mind, here are some other breakfast options that you might not have thought about.
Breakfast Power Bowls
Power bowls have become pretty popular recently. Essentially, a power bowl is a just a nutrient-packed meal served in a bowl. Typically, this will include at least one source of protein and, at least, one source of healthy fats. The rest of the bowl typically includes ingredients that are high in nutrients, including a range of vegetables.
Realistically, you could have any power bowl for breakfast, but there are also some that specifically use flavors and ingredients that we associate with breakfast. These bowls can be a great way to get going in the morning. Plus, you can always swap out some of the ingredients if there are specific things that you don’t like.
Here are four breakfast power bowl recipes to inspire you.
Lemon Quinoa and Egg Bowls
Image from A Farm Girl's Dabbles
With this Lemon Quinoa and Egg Bowl, the main sources of protein are the quinoa and the egg. At the same time, you get a lot of nutrition from the various veggies that are included. In this case, the recipe is actually for four bowls, but you could easily cut it down if you were just making breakfast for one. It's also worth noting that you don't have to use a fried egg, you can pick whatever cooking method you prefer for the egg. That might be fried for some people, but it could equally be a poached or a hard boiled egg.
Breakfast Power Bowl
Image from Simple Healthy Kitchen
Don't get fooled by the simple title, this Breakfast Power Bowl is loaded with nutrients. This time, the recipe gets inspiration from the typical flavors that you find at the breakfast table, including granola, yogurt and berries. As the creator notes, it is also a bowl that you can have hot or cold, depending on your preference. If you have it cold, the recipe has some similarities to the overnight oats that I talked about earlier, but either way would taste great.
Smoked Salmon, Egg and Avocado Power Bowl
Image from My Fussy Eater
Like the first bowl that I mentioned, this Smoked Salmon, Egg and Avocado Bowl could be a good choice for breakfast or for another time of the day. In fact, the original post for this suggests using the bowl as a lunch option, especially as you could easily make a portable version. Regardless of whether you want the bowl for breakfast or lunch, it is a great option if you're looking for something filling.
Chia Yogurt Power Bowl
Image from Fit Foodie Finds
Here's one final example of a power bowl. This time, it's a Chia Yogurt Power Bowl and as you can see, it's another power bowl that is strongly focused on the idea of breakfast. This time the ingredient choice kind of resembles a parfait but the creator has put their own twist on the power bowl as well.
Smoothie Bowls
Smoothie bowls are a twist on the idea of having a protein smoothie for breakfast. For the most part, the benefits of a smoothie bowl are similar to an actual smoothie, because you are still getting the same general nutrients. However, smoothie bowls aren’t as good for people in a hurry as you have to take the time to sit down and actually eat from the bowl, which is much slower than guzzling down a smoothie.
That difference in time is an advantage too though. Smoothie bowls are based on the idea that the human body processes liquid calories in a different way to calories that we eat. The pattern is why people often feel less full after drinking calories than they do after eating them.
A smoothie bowl gets around this by having a different texture. In many ways, the texture of a smoothie bowl is similar to that of slightly runny ice cream or frozen yogurt. That can make this type of bowl feel like a dessert rather than breakfast.
There are lots of different variations out there, but here are three examples of recipes for smoothie bowls.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl
Image from Simple Vegan Blog
I mentioned a chocolate and peanut butter smoothie earlier in this list, so including a Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl does make a certain degree of sense. For me, this recipe is a great reminder of why I find smoothie bowls so appealing to start off with. Visually, the bowl is stunning, especially if you include all of the toppings. At the same time, the bowl would end up tasting a lot like eating chocolate ice cream. Yum!
Quick and Easy Acai Bowl
Image from Dinner at the Zoo
Acai bowls have really become the face of the smoothie bowl movement, which makes this Quick and Easy Acai Bowl pretty appealing. The popularity of acai bowls seems to be mostly because the acai berry tends to be considered a major superfood right now. This particular smoothie bowl includes a few powerful ingredients, including the acai berry puree and frozen berries. It's a great smoothie option if you're a fan of berries.
Berry Banana Smoothie Bowl
Image from Two Peas & Their Pod
While we're on the topic of smoothie bowls, this Berry Banana Smoothie Bowl is another example of the flavors you can put in a smoothie bowl. Visually, the bowl looks quite similar to the acai bowl above, but that's because both bowls rely on berries. In fact, frozen berries and frozen bananas are common ingredients in smoothie bowls in general, as they help to create an ideal texture. Personally, I think this particular recipe would be a good one, especially if you don't like the taste of acai berries.
Morning Pizza
Pizza certainly isn’t a healthy food in its own right, but there are lots of variations that can be healthy alternatives – even first thing in the morning. To make things better, there are even options for pizza (or pizza-like food) that are quick and easy to make. That’s perfect first thing in the morning, especially if you are running out of the door.
Here are a few examples that you might want to try:
English Muffin Breakfast Pizza
Image from The Comfort of Cooking
As you might imagine, this English Muffin Breakfast Pizza uses an English muffin as the base for the pizza. I've seen this approach in different recipes as well and it is a clever way to make pizzas that are the perfect size for one person. In this case, the recipe keeps well with the breakfast theme and I especially love the way that there is scrambled eggs on the pizza.
Egg and Avocado Breakfast Pizza
Image from Dine & Dish
Here's another idea for a breakfast pizza. This time, it's an Egg and Avocado Breakfast Pizza. As you can see, flatbread is used for the base this time. Flatbread works exceptionally well as a pizza base and is a fun option if you don't want something that is too thick or bready. I do love the combination of flavors on this pizza and the poached egg on top seems to be just perfect for the recipe.
Spinach and Egg Breakfast Pizza
Image from Oh My Veggies
This Spinach and Egg Breakfast Pizza is another example of a pizza that uses egg. In general, egg is fairly uncommon as an ingredient when it comes to pizza. However, it does seem to be a natural fit if you're trying to make a breakfast-style pizza. In this case, the pizza uses naan bread for a base, which is another fast way of making pizza if you're in a hurry. The end result looks pretty cool too.
Breakfast Burrito
Here’s another breakfast type that is a twist on something you normally find at other times of the day. Personally, I love breakfast burritos. They tend to be a good source of protein and often are also are a great way to have eggs in the morning.
I’ve seen many variations on breakfast burritos and without a doubt some are healthier than others. But, here are a few recipes to get you started. These are all fantastic as they are, but you could also tweak them to meet your own taste preferences.
Frozen Breakfast Burritos with Sweet Potato Hash
Image from Cookie + Kate
There are a few interesting things about these Frozen Breakfast Burritos. The first thing is that the burritos can be frozen. This makes them fantastic as a backup option for breakfast or as something you can grab on the go. The recipe also uses some more unusual ingredients, including the sweet potato hash. Overall though, the burritos would be a great choice for breakfast, especially if you want a healthier alternative.
Easy Vegan Mexican Burritos
Image from The Vegan 8
As you can probably imagine this recipe for Vegan Mexican Breakfast Burritos takes inspiration from Mexican food. The vegan approach makes a lot of sense, even if you're not actually vegan. In particular, I know many people who find meat a little bit too heavy first thing in the morning. These burritos would be a great way of having a hearty breakfast without the need to eat meat.
Breakfast Burritos
Image from Natasha's Kitchen
Here's one more recipe for Breakfast Burritos. The flavors in this recipe are probably what most people have in mind when I talk about breakfast burritos. I love the way these ones turn out, especially the way they are crisp on the outside. This would be a fun way of making burritos for breakfast and a nice break from routine overall.
More Traditional Options
Even if you’re getting a bit sick of breakfast, some of the traditional breakfast options can still be really appealing. Sometimes all it takes is a little twist or a new recipe to make these recipes interesting again. In this final section of easy healthy breakfast ideas for weight loss, I’m going to highlight a number of recipes that are variations on traditional breakfasts. Sometimes the recipe might be a variation you’ve never thought of but other times the recipe may just be a slightly different way of doing things.
Foolproof Eggs Benedict
Image from Serious Eats
I love eggs benedict and the dish is a great filling option for breakfast. But, it can be a bit tricky to make, especially if you aren't a pro. This Foolproof Eggs Benedict recipe doesn't really change anything about eggs benedict itself. Instead, the recipe focuses on how to make eggs benedict so that it is consistently perfect. Sounds like a plan to me.
Almond Butter and Jelly Oatmeal Bowl
Image from Inspiralized
To be honest, I had no idea what section to put this Almond Butter and Jelly Oatmeal Bowl in because the recipe falls into so many different categories. However, at its heart, the recipe is a twist on the traditional combination of peanut butter and jelly, which is always a great option for breakfast. At the same time, the addition of oatmeal means that you have a filling breakfast that would also taste really good.
Clean Eating Red Pepper Egg Scramble
Image from The Gracious Pantry
Scrambled eggs is a fairly common choice for breakfast, especially among egg lovers. But, there are all sorts of variations that you can make to scrambled eggs, including this Clean Eating Red Pepper Egg Scramble recipe. This is a lovely variation if you want scrambled eggs for breakfast but you're sick of the same old thing every day.
Almond Butter Toast
Image from The Modern Proper
While we're on the topic of variations on traditional breakfast here is one simple option: Almond Butter Toast. In general, nut butters can be pretty healthy and I love the idea of swapping out peanut butter for something a bit more interesting and potentially healthier. This particular recipe is very easy to follow and it would certainly liven up your breakfast table.
Spinach Omelet
Image from Oh Snap! Let's Eat
Omelets are a pretty common choice for breakfast but you don't have to stick to the classic options of ham and cheese. This Spinach Omelet is one healthy variation especially if you want to eat some more greens. In this case, the spinach is an ingredient in the omelet mixture itself and you could really fill the omelet with pretty much anything you wanted.
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Thank you so much for featuring my Mexican Vegan Breakfast Burritos, so kind of you! Pinning!
You’re welcome and thanks for being a part of the roundup.I loved your recipe and it’s a great option for people looking for a healthy breakfast.
Yum! These look like fantastic breakfast options — my mouth is watering at those breakfast burritos! Thanks for including my mini-quiches in the round up!
Glad to have you a part of it. For people that do eat breakfast, picking a healthy option really is important. I loved your mini-quiches for that reason.