--- title: 10 Ideas for Portable Breakfast Recipes description: These healthy, homemade treats (many make-ahead) are ready to fuel your commute canonical: https://time.com/3486502/10-ideas-for-portable-breakfast-recipes/ author: Real Simple article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-10-17T11:24:17.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:45:23.382Z og:title: 10 Ideas for Portable Breakfast Recipes og:description: These healthy, homemade treats are ready to fuel your commute og:url: https://time.com/3486502/10-ideas-for-portable-breakfast-recipes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5378a99650ad3b1/69875fca8e0601fff9457997/peanut-butter-granola.jpg?branch=production&width=737&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 737 og:image:height: 415 og:image:alt: Ten Ideas for Breakfast og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 10 Ideas for Portable Breakfast Recipes twitter:description: These healthy, homemade treats are ready to fuel your commute twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5378a99650ad3b1/69875fca8e0601fff9457997/peanut-butter-granola.jpg?branch=production&width=737&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 10 Ideas for Portable Breakfast Recipes > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=6cfb0be2-eaf1-400b-a06b-40b7dd0551a7&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Why Does Bacon Smell So Good? [Watch (HLS stream): Why Does Bacon Smell So Good?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dpqJEuZU.m3u8) (1:47)  _Published 2014-05-27. Turns out there are about 150 volatile organic compounds that contribute to bacon's meaty aroma, many of them hydrocarbons and aldehydes, with some nitrogen-containing compounds thrown in for good measure._ by [Real Simple](https://time.com/author/real-simple/) ## Real Simple Oct 17, 2014 11:24 AM UTC  Peanut Butter Ganola and Blueberries Peanut Butter Ganola and Blueberries Danny Kim—Real Simple by [Real Simple](https://time.com/author/real-simple/) ## Real Simple Oct 17, 2014 11:24 AM UTC _This_ [_article_](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/portable-breakfast-recipes) _originally appeared on_ [_RealSimple.com_](http://www.realsimple.com)_._ **1\. Peanut Butter Granola**: Maple sugar sweetens old-fashioned rolled oats and roasted peanuts. [Get the recipe.](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/peanut-butter-granola-00100000128950/index.html) **2\. Whole-Grain Banana Muffins**: Grab-and-go muffins are made healthier with Greek yogurt and flax meal. [Get the recipe.](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/whole-grain-banana-muffins-00100000128953/index.html) ([MORE: 11 Recipes That Prove Bacon Makes Everything Better](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/bacon-recipes-00100000130398/index.html?xid=time-rs-100314)) **3\. Creamy Mango Smoothie**: Could breakfast get any easier? This tropical-flavored drink is ready in just five minutes. [Get the recipe.](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/creamy-mango-smoothie-00100000128956/index.html) **4\. Avocado Toast**: Here’s a benefit to starting your day with toast topped by creamy avocado: The fruit is loaded with fiber plus cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats. [Get the recipe.](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/avocado-toast-00100000128958/index.html) ([MORE: 9 Healthy Predinner Snacks](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/9-healthy-predinner-snacks?xid=rs-time-090914)) **5\. Bacon-Cheddar Grits**: When there’s no time to eat at home, grits (and the parfait on the next slide) can be transported easily: Pack them in a spillproof jelly jar or a reusable container with a tight-fitting lid. [Get the recipe.](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/bacon-cheddar-grits-00100000128972/index.html) **6\. Almond Butter, Yogurt and Fruit Parfait**: Not an almond butter fan? Swap in peanut butter. You can also use agave nectar in place of the honey. [Get the recipe.](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/almond-butter-yogurt-fruit-parfait-00100000128974/index.html) ([MORE: Easy Halloween Cupcakes](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/desserts/halloween-cupcakes-00100000087547/index.html?xid=time-rs-100314)) **7\. Single-Serving Sausage Stratas**: You can vary the taste of these delicious little all-in-one breakfasts with the sausages you use. [Get the recipe.](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/sausage-stratas-00100000128976/index.html) **8\. Open-Faced Egg and Tomato Baguette**: Think of this as a whole new (and healthy) take on the breakfast sandwich. [Get the recipe.](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/open-faced-egg-tomato-baguette-sandwich-00100000128980/index.html) ([MORE: 12 Easy Snacks for Kids](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/quick-easy/easy-snacks-for-kids-00100000087898/index.html?xid=time-rs-100314)) **9\. Breakfast Burrito**: Just wrap the egg-filled tortilla in foil straight from the pan and head out the door. So much better than hitting the fast-food drive-up. [Get the recipe.](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/breakfast-burrito-00100000128982/index.html) **10\. Spiced Oat and Pear Scones**: Nutmeg gives golden scones a slightly spicy, slightly nutty flavor. [Get the recipe.](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/spiced-oat-pear-scones-00100000128984/index.html) ([MORE: Which Halloween Candy is Healthier?](http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/halloween/healthier-halloween-candy-00000000045321/index.html?xid=time-rs-100314)) ## Transcript [00:00] We all know bacon [00:04] is delicious. It's so delicious, other foods are actually [00:08] made better by adding bacon to it. You can even wash [00:11] your body in bacon. But, there's something else that [00:14] makes bacon the best breakfast food out there: the [00:17] smell. Throw some bacon on the pan, and as soon as [00:20] the sizzle starts, people are flocking to the kitchen. [00:23] But, why? Our friend over at Compound Interest, a [00:26] chemistry blog, broke down the aroma science for us. [00:30] It turns out there's about 150 organic compounds that [00:33] contribute to the sweet smell of bacon. See, when you [00:36] throw it in the pan, sugars react with the amino acids [00:38] in the bacon. It's called Maillard reaction and it's [00:42] basically what causes anything you cook, like steaks, [00:44] breads, dumplings and so on to turn brown. For bacon [00:48] the Millard reaction combines with the melting fats to [00:51] produce the aroma compounds. What are they, you [00:53] say as you get hungrier and hungrier? About two thirds [00:57] of the compounds are hydrocarbons and aldehydes. [01:00] Hydrocarbons are just hydrogen and carbon atoms [01:03] chained together in thousands of different ways. Some [01:06] of those chains just happen to produce a pleasant [01:08] odor. Aldehydes are equally simple. They still have [01:11] carbon, but they bond with oxygen as well as hydrogen [01:15] and some produce a lovely smell. But it just may be [01:19] nitrogen containing compounds that makes bacon [01:20] smell like nothing else in the universe. These [01:23] compounds are called pyridines and pyrazines, which [01:26] put off a smell of their own. Pyridines in bacon [01:29] contribute to its meaty aroma. But combine them with [01:31] hydrocarbons. Aldehydes and other odor compounds, [01:34] and they become the major contributor to bacony [01:37] goodness. So there you have it, 150 compounds all [01:40] mixed in together in a pan to make bacon smell [01:44] delicious. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3486502/10-ideas-for-portable-breakfast-recipes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3486502/10-ideas-for-portable-breakfast-recipes/"},"headline":"10 Ideas for Portable Breakfast Recipes","datePublished":"2014-10-17T11:24:17.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:45:23.382Z","description":"These healthy, homemade treats are ready to fuel your commute","url":"https://time.com/3486502/10-ideas-for-portable-breakfast-recipes/","keywords":["Living","Food & Drink","breakfast","health","Diet & Nutrition","Healthy Eating"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5378a99650ad3b1/69875fca8e0601fff9457997/peanut-butter-granola.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Real Simple","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/real-simple/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5378a99650ad3b1/69875fca8e0601fff9457997/peanut-butter-granola.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Ten Ideas for Breakfast","caption":"Ten Ideas for Breakfast","creditText":"Danny Kim—Real Simple","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/time-section-living/","name":"Living"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3486502/10-ideas-for-portable-breakfast-recipes/","name":"10 Ideas for Portable Breakfast Recipes"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Why Does Bacon Smell So Good?","description":"Turns out there are about 150 volatile organic compounds that contribute to bacon's meaty aroma, many of them hydrocarbons and aldehydes, with some nitrogen-containing compounds thrown in for good measure.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/dpqJEuZU/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-05-27T14:54:11.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dpqJEuZU.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3486502/10-ideas-for-portable-breakfast-recipes/","duration":"PT1M47S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3486502/10-ideas-for-portable-breakfast-recipes/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```