--- title: Easy Breakfast Recipes: 5 Ways to Prep Healthy Breakfasts In Advance description: Smoothies, eggs and more canonical: https://time.com/3635036/prep-healthy-breakfasts/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-12-18T14:12:22.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T02:53:04.255Z article:section: Health og:title: 5 Ways to Prep Healthy Breakfasts Ahead of Time og:description: Smoothies, eggs and more og:url: https://time.com/3635036/prep-healthy-breakfasts/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d515c7c13e699f9/69876f0035ba6f3081c05fec/six-eggs-in-carton.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: six-eggs-in-carton og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Ways to Prep Healthy Breakfasts Ahead of Time twitter:description: Smoothies, eggs and more twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d515c7c13e699f9/69876f0035ba6f3081c05fec/six-eggs-in-carton.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 5 Ways to Prep Healthy Breakfasts Ahead of Time by [Health.com](/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Dec 18, 2014 2:12 PM CUT  Six white eggs in egg box (overhead view) Six white eggs in egg box (overhead view)Getty Images by [Health.com](/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Dec 18, 2014 2:12 PM CUT Do your weekday mornings feel like a mad rush? Yeah, us too. Wake up, work out (sometimes), shower, dress, get the kids ready…oh, and have a balanced, healthy breakfast, too. Sound crazy? It is possible, but to me, the only way to have even a shot at it is to do some advance prep. Don’t worry, we’re not going to crowd up your nights: a bit of easy work either on Sunday or during the week can set you up with nourishing breakfasts for days. Try these 5 make-ahead tricks. **Hard-boiled eggs** Sure, eggs can make a quick breakfast—but sometimes even the 5 minutes it takes to make a scramble is too long. Instead, cook up a dozen eggs on Sunday and keep them in the fridge all week. Be careful to avoid overcooking the eggs; that leads to rubbery whites and that icky ring around the overcooked yolk. Luckily, [perfect hard-boiled eggs are easy to make](http://www.allyou.com/food/family-meals/cooked-eggs/cooked-eggs "undefined"). **HEALTH.COM:** [How to Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs With a Spoon](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20820937,00.html?xid=time-breakfast-121514 "undefined") **Mini frittatas** If you’re looking for something jazzier than plain eggs, try [baking up mini frittatas in a muffin tin](http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/zucchini-ricotta-mini-frittatas "undefined"). You can mix in chopped, cooked vegetables, cheese, herbs—anything you like. You can even make a variety within the same batch to please different family members. Take them out of the pan and store in a covered container in the fridge, then heat up one or two each morning. **Quality grains** Oatmeal is the king of breakfast grains, but [other whole grains can make delicious hot cereals, too](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20860338,00.html "undefined"). Make it super-easy by prepping a big batch of a grain on Sunday. Store it covered in the fridge all week, and take out ½ cup to 1 cup at a time to whip up something quick. (Quinoa, brown rice, and millet work especially well.) Warm it on the stove mixed with some milk (dairy, almond or coconut), cinnamon, and a little maple syrup, then top with a chopped apple or sliced banana. Heartier and lower in sugar than instant oatmeal, and way more interesting. Bonus: Those pre-made grains can help you put together a quick dinner, too. Can’t imagine anything other than oatmeal in the a.m.? [Overnight oats](http://news.health.com/2014/07/29/an-easy-healthy-breakfast-you-make-the-night-before/ "undefined") and [baked oatmeal](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20845992,00.html "undefined") are great options. **HEALTH.COM** **:** [Oatmeal Recipes for Every Day of the Week](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20834643,00.html?xid=time-breakfast-121514 "undefined") **Pre-measured smoothies** Smoothies are a fantastic quick breakfast, and all you have to do is toss everything in a blender, right? Well, even that can take up precious time in the morning. Make them lightning-fast by pre-prepping. Measure out your frozen fruits and vegetables and store in a plastic bag—just make a different one for each day. I tend to make my own mix of add-ins instead of using pre-made protein powder, so I prep that in advance, too (I use 2 Tbsp. [hemp seeds](http://news.health.com/2014/10/23/8-reasons-to-love-hemp-hint-its-not-about-getting-high/ "undefined"), a small scoop of [maca powder](http://www.amazon.com/Navitas-Naturals-Organic-Powder-Pouches/dp/B000FFLHU2/ "undefined"), a tsp. of [cinnamon](http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Organic-Certified-2-45-Ounce-Container/dp/B000WS1KHM/ "undefined") and sometimes 1 to 2 Tbsp. [raw cacao](http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Cacao-Powder-Chocolate-Taste/dp/B00H5DTAXS/ "undefined"), if I need a chocolate fix). In the morning, toss one fruit-vegetable mix, one powder mix, and some water or milk in the blender, blend and go. **Leftovers** Breakfast doesn’t have to mean traditional breakfast food. Make a few extra portions of dinner, keep it in the fridge, and warm it up in the morning. I’ve done this with my [spaghetti squash and turkey meatballs](http://instagram.com/p/wAkBedn19i/?modal=true "undefined"), salads (store the salad and dressing separately so it doesn’t get soggy), soups and stews, and casseroles. Even [a fruit crumble](http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,10000001063328,00.html "undefined")—have it with a dollop of plain yogurt instead of ice cream, and suddenly it’s breakfast. **HEALTH.COM** **:** [The 20 Best Foods to Eat for Breakfast](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20676415,00.html?xid=time-breakfast-121514 "undefined") [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://news.health.com/2014/12/09/5-ways-to-prep-healthy-breakfasts-ahead-of-time/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3635036/prep-healthy-breakfasts/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3635036/prep-healthy-breakfasts/"},"headline":"5 Ways to Prep Healthy Breakfasts Ahead of Time","datePublished":"2014-12-18T14:12:22.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T02:53:04.255Z","description":"Smoothies, eggs and more","url":"https://time.com/3635036/prep-healthy-breakfasts/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","breakfast","Recipes"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d515c7c13e699f9/69876f0035ba6f3081c05fec/six-eggs-in-carton.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Health.com","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/health-com/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d515c7c13e699f9/69876f0035ba6f3081c05fec/six-eggs-in-carton.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"six-eggs-in-carton","caption":"six-eggs-in-carton","creditText":"Getty Images","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":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3635036/prep-healthy-breakfasts/","name":"5 Ways to Prep Healthy Breakfasts Ahead of Time"}}]}] ```