25 Fast, Healthy (and Delicious!) Breakfast Ideas

If you DIY your breakfast bars or energy bites, you can make sure you’re getting ingredients you know and like. You can also customize the recipe to fit your tastes. These make-ahead energy bars are filled with nuts and seeds, which provide fiber and lasting protein. They also have several types of berries, great sources of vitamin C and other antioxidants. When you make these, go ahead and split them into individual portion sizes so it’s easier to grab and go.

Get the recipe: Nutty Superfood Breakfast Bites

A quick breakfast doesn’t have to come in the form of a muffin or fast food breakfast sandwich to count as a healthy breakfast option. Trail mixes, which often feature nuts, fruit, and granola, are a great option for busy mornings. If you tend to avoid sugary starts to your day, this trail mix hits savory notes thanks to ingredients like cashews, peanuts, and pistachios. A hint of sweetness is still there with golden raisins.

Get the recipe: Sesame Crunch Trail Mix

With a bit of prep work, smoothies make for great quick and healthy breakfasts every morning. Wash, chop, and freeze all ingredients in “smoothie packs,” or baggies pre-measured for just one smoothie. Put anything that doesn’t go into a freezer (like the milk or leafy greens) into a glass jar or baggie in the fridge. Then, dump everything into your blender, and let it go to work. You can sip while you dress, or take it with you in a lidded container.

Get the recipe: Tropical Creamsicle Smoothie

Almost any quick bread recipe makes for a fast and healthy breakfast. Bonus points go to ones that have fruit, nuts, or whole grains. This bread has two of the three—with frozen or fresh cranberries and whole hazelnuts. Keep the bread tightly wrapped during the week to maintain freshness. You can also store it in the fridge. Just microwave it for a few seconds if cold bread isn’t your thing.

Get the recipe: Cranberry-Hazelnut Bread

If cutting up fresh herbs and marinating fruit in the morning seems a bit of a reach, just get to the basics of this recipe: protein-rich cottage cheese and a serving of juicy, sweet fruit. You can even go ahead and make a few of these easy breakfasts by layering the fruit and dairy snack in mini glass jars. The juices from the fruit will slightly sweeten the cottage cheese. If you do like the marinated fruit idea, make it the night before to speed up your morning.

Get the recipe: Cottage Cheese With Minted Pineapple

A heaping bowl of comfort food is a healthy way to start your day, especially if the idea of quick sugar fixes like cereal just isn’t your thing. To make things speedier, make the oatmeal the night before or on the weekend in a big batch. Then portion out enough for your day. When you’re ready to eat, you need only focus on poaching your egg, which makes this incredibly hearty and healthy breakfast easy enough for a weekday.

Get the recipe: Savory Oatmeal With Spinach and Poached Eggs

If eating a popsicle at breakfast seems out of the ordinary, know that this one hides several healthy breakfast ingredients: yogurt, fruit, and granola. Make a batch on the weekend, and pop one out each day for a tasty healthy snack to eat as you’re getting dressed. Make a “cup” at the base of the pop with a piece of aluminum foil large enough to catch up wayward drips.

Get the recipe: Breakfast Popsicles

Everything's better with avocado on top—including a warm and toasty whole-wheat English muffin. Some whole-grain mustard and a pinch of dill lend the dish an extra pop of flavor and fragrance. Round it out with a creamy soft-boiled egg, and you've got a real breakfast champion.

Get the recipe: Mustard, Avocado, and Dill on a Whole-Wheat Muffin With Boiled Egg

This whole-wheat banana bread is so moist and delicious, you'd never know it's guilt-free. Unsweetened applesauce replaces oil or butter and, instead of refined sugar, the loaf is sweetened with honey. Bake it over the weekend, then take slices with you on busy weekdays. For a boost of protein, spread with a tablespoon of peanut butter.

Get the recipe: Healthy Banana Bread

Eggs, which are protein superstars, are the foundation of this tasty, fiber-rich meal. Enjoy a healthy dose of vitamin C, lycopene, potassium, and folate, courtesy of the sweet grape tomatoes. A swirl of pesto adds a fresh, garlicky kick and vibrant color. Serve atop slices of whole-grain toast.

Get the recipe: Scrambled Eggs With Beans, Tomatoes, and Pesto

Prefer a savory start to your day? This one's for you. Though more often seen at the dinner table, crunchy, nutty quinoa can be an unexpected but appealing addition to the breakfast table, too. For a one-dish morning meal, pair it with tender smoked salmon and a sunny, runny fried egg.

Get the recipe: Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

There's a benefit to starting your day with creamy avocado toast: The fruit is loaded with fiber and cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats. Plus, the whole thing is ready in just three simple steps: Mash the avocado onto toasted bread, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and then sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes.

Get the recipe: Avocado Toast

Bake oats, pistachios, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds until the mixture is golden brown, then serve with milk, almond milk, or plain yogurt. Top with sliced apples and figs for an instant upgrade. It's such a beautiful (and tasty) start to your day, you'll be recreating it week after week.

Get the recipe: Toasted Pistachio Muesli With Apple and Fig

Sautéed tomatoes and golden brown mushrooms amp up delicately poached eggs in this comforting breakfast. To help the egg whites set, add a splash of vinegar to the poaching water. To serve, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and fresh chives. It's hearty enough to make for dinner, too.

Get the recipe: Poached Eggs With Mushrooms and Tomatoes

This layered parfait is the perfect on-the-run treat. Chopped roasted almonds add a delightful crunch, and each bite is filled with sweet, juicy fruit. If you're not an almond butter fan, swap in peanut butter or sunflower seed butter. You can also use agave nectar in place of the honey.

Get the recipe: Almond Butter, Yogurt, and Fruit Parfaits

You’ll have time for this three-ingredient breakfast on even your busiest mornings. To take this parfait to go, pack it in an insulated coffee cup or thermos. In need of a granola recipe? Try our toss-and-bake granola, which is endlessly customizable. Prefer sunflower seeds to pepitas? They'll work. Crazy for dried cranberries? Just have fun with it.

Get the recipe: Yogurt With Grapes and Granola

Made with plump blueberries, whole-wheat flour, oats, flaxseed meal, and low-fat yogurt, these healthy muffins deliver lots of fiber—so you'll stay full throughout those morning meetings. They'll keep at room temperature for three days or in the freezer for one month. Warm briefly in the microwave before serving.

Get the recipe: Whole-Grain Blueberry Muffins

A balanced, easy-to-assemble make-ahead morning meal: Grab an apple, wrap 1 to 2 ounces of cheddar in plastic, and toss ¼ cup of fiber- and protein-rich walnuts into a resealable plastic bag.

Instead of dousing a whole-grain or bran toaster waffle in syrup, cut the sugar and boost the protein and fiber by spreading it with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. You can also sprinkle it with 1 tablespoon of raisins, sesame seeds, or extra peanuts for even more fiber, which helps deliver nutrients slowly and steadily.

In a cocktail shaker, combine a packet of vanilla or strawberry instant-breakfast powder (look for the no-sugar-added kind, such as Carnation) and 1 cup of low-fat strawberry cow's milk or soy milk. (You can also mix this the night before.) If you have time, use a blender to add strawberries or a frozen banana, for extra fiber, and a scoop of protein powder, such as GeniSoy Natural.

You could have a slice of last night's pizza (it's preferable to filling up on sugar or skipping breakfast). Or you could try a more sophisticated spin: Take a slice of crusty bread, spread it with 3 tablespoons of low-fat ricotta, and add tomatoes. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil (about 1 teaspoon) and a little salt and pepper. Broiling is optional.

To substitute for a meal, an energy bar should have at least 3 to 5 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein. Odwalla, Kashi GoLean, and TruSoy are all good options. Because cereal bars rarely have more than 2 grams of protein, kids might be better off adding a stick of Go-Gurt! and a sleeve of peanuts.

Yes, you read that right. If you must eat fast food in the morning, get an Egg McMuffin at McDonald's. At 300 calories, it's not an outrageous meal. Plus it has a good amount of lean protein from the egg and the Canadian bacon. To trim empty calories, remove the top half of the muffin. For additional fiber, add a fresh orange.

A bowl of fiber-rich bran flakes (about 1½ cups) with 8 ounces of low-fat milk is nearly the perfect breakfast. Make it portable by replacing the milk with lemon or vanilla yogurt and mixing it in a to-go container. Increase the fiber and vitamins by adding ¼ cup of nuts or fresh or dried fruit, such as chopped pecans or blueberries.

One of the most portable proteins is a hard-cooked egg, but it has no fiber or carbohydrates. So slice it, then roll it in an 8-inch whole-wheat tortilla with a piece of Canadian bacon or lean ham and, if you like, a ½-ounce slice of cheese. Add a tablespoon of salsa for a shot of flavor and a smidgen of vitamin C.