Breakfast can be a tricky meal to make time for, as you’re often short on time in the AM and your appetite might also be diminished if you tend to wake up super early and groggy. Yet, breakfast can be helpful for nourishing the body and waking up your brain so you feel more alert and ready to start the day with a productive mindset.
If you have kids or are not working from home and do need to commute to an office (especially if it’s a long commute!), it can be even more challenging to set aside a few moments to assemble breakfast—one that you sit down to eat at a table or even something that’s portable to be enjoyed on the go.
That’s why making breakfast the night before so that it’s ready right when you need it in the morning can be a great hack for saving time and energy, as well as money. You won’t be running out to your local coffee shop once that belly begins to rumble! Here are a few breakfast ideas to meal prep overnight for a smooth and nutritious morning.
Overnight Oats
Oats are high in fiber since the carbs are complex, rather than refined, so oats will keep you fuller longer and take more time to digest. Plus, fiber also keeps you regular and improves gut health for better immunity.
You can make a big batch of overnight oats and let it chill in the fridge while you sleep. Convenient! Come morning just add in toppings, like fresh fruit, nuts and seeds. It’s ready within a few minutes max and it’s a substantial breakfast that will help energize you for the long day ahead.
Overnight Chia Pudding
Another awesome chilled breakfast option is an overnight chia pudding, which is sticky, hearty and rich in texture to fill you up. Chia seeds have healthy fats, like omega 3 fats, to lower inflammation in the body in order to decrease the risk of various diseases (such as heart disease and dementia) as well as to improve satiety further.
Play around with the toppings again—almonds, pistachios, berries, sliced banana, mango, and more. You can even chop up a Quest Protein Bar or the PB Cups to sprinkle on top when you’ve got a sweet tooth.
Mason Jar Breakfast Salad
Yes, you can totally have a salad for breakfast, as long as it feels “breakfast inspired.” For example, create a base of greens, like arugula, spinach or kale, and then layer in toppings inside a mason jar to store in the fridge overnight. You can layer foods high in protein and fiber, like beans and chickpeas, sliced chicken, diced tofu or canned fish, as well as other sliced, brightly colored veggies and fruit. Just don’t add the dressing until the morning—you don’t want the salad to sit in the fridge and get soggy overnight.
High Protein Smoothie
Assemble a smoothie freezer pack the night before a busy morning. Portion out your favorite frozen fruits and veggies into a Ziploc bag so they’re ready to go. Portion out any nuts and seeds you want into another Ziploc bag and keep right next to the blender, ready to go.
Then in the morning all you need to do is throw the contents into the blender, add in a liquid as a base (think non-dairy milk or coconut water, for example), as well as a protein powder, like Quest’s protein powder. It’s ready within minutes and you can sip it on the go!