I run chronically late.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been hours late, but I’m always running a few minutes behind and usually find myself ever so slightly frazzled trying to get anywhere on time.
So as I’m sure you can imagine, trying to get out the door for a 9 AM is no easy feat. Worst of all is the question of what to have for breakfast. My issue is this: I’m a breakfast girlie and I truly buy into the idea that it is the most important meal of the day, but when I’m trying to get out of the door, it can cost precious minutes and make the difference between being on time or sneaking into the back of the lecture theatre.
Personally, skipping breakfast just isn’t an option. By 11 am my stomach is already louder than a fog horn and I’m already reaching for a snack to tie me over until lunch. I shudder to think what a morning without breakfast might look like.
So, what’s the solution?
It’s actually quite obvious – meal prepping. Dedicating a little time at the start of the week, usually a Sunday evening so it’s fresh for Monday morning, I prepare or bake something that will last throughout the week and is ready and waiting each morning. The beauty of this method is its versatility; you get the breakfast you want and need without compromising your morning routine. Sure, it might seem a tad repetitive, but the key is in the variety you bring week to week.
Here are 4 of my go-to meal prep breakfasts
Cinnamon Courgette Loaf
This is a great, dense loaf and is a nice seasonal option in the Autumn and Winter. It keeps nicely for up to a week, and I like to slice and toast it on a frying pan in the morning to slightly toast it and top with some almond butter or Nutella. The recipe I use is adapted from this one.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1 medium courgette (grated)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup oats
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C and grease a loaf pan
- Mix flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon
- Whisk eggs in a large bowl and add the grated courgette, sugar, butter and vanilla
- Add to the flour mixture and mix until incorporated, but be conscious not to over-mix
- Sit in oats
- Pour into prepared loaf pan and sprinkle some extra oats over the top
- Bake until golden brown and slightly cracking on top for 55 minutes – 1 hour
Berry Breakfast Bars
This is a great versatile option that I find filling and serves nicely with some plain yoghurt on the side.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups oats
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups frozen mixed berries (I like either straight raspberry bars, or a mix with raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
- ½ a lemon
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C
- In a bowl, mix frozen berries with the juice of the lemon and a sprinkle of flour. Usually, I like to just toss the bowl a couple of times to keep the fruit mostly intact
- Separately, combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking powder.
- Add in the melted butter and vanilla. Continue to mix until you get a rough and crumbly mix
- In a square baking dish press out the mixture until it forms an even layer across the bottom, keeping about ⅓ to one side
- Cover evenly with the berry mix and sprinkle over the remaining oat mixture
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Once out of the oven, leave to cool before cutting and then store in the fridge. When you cut it will usually still be crumbly but will hardly quickly in the fridge.
Lemon Poppyseed Loaf
I started making this loaf after a couple of last-minute Starbucks trips and realised I could easily make it for myself if I just thought a few more steps ahead. It’s a great option for a sweet breakfast and something slightly lighter. I love making two at the same time and freezing one for later on. I’ve adapted it from this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- ⅔ cups brown sugar
- ½ cup butter (melted)
- ½ cup plain Greek yoghurt
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
Method
- Preheat oven to 190C, and grease your loaf pan
- Combine the flour, poppyseeds, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, butter, yoghurt, milk, vanilla, lemon juice and zest and whisk together
- Add the wet mix into the flour mixture and slowly stir until just incorporated, conscious not to over-mix
- Pour the mix into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour. You should be able to insert a toothpick and it comes out clean
- After the loaf has cooled, I like to make a quick lemon icing to drizzle on top
- For the icing, juice a second lemon and mix with icing sugar until you like the consistency and drizzle over top.
Pre-Portioned Smoothies
This is perhaps an obvious option and you might be questioning how difficult it is to throw some fruit in a blender each morning and what is the point of pre-portioning your smoothies. Personally, however, this method just takes the guesswork and questioning out of my morning routine and helps me save even a couple of seconds each morning.
Now there’s not one standard recipe to follow here, and can be adapted/personalised to no end. In terms of preparing, I like to portion out everything except for the liquid ingredients and freezer in Tupperware. Usually, I go for a mix of fruits with either a banana or avocado (depending on my bank account each week), and always include chia seeds, hemp hearts and usually some spinach. Then each morning I’ll add some maple syrup to sweeten, plain yoghurt and milk to blend.