These Healthy Meal Prep Breakfast Ideas make it possible to start the day off with a nutritional boost, no matter how busy your mornings are.
When people think about meal prep, breakfast tends to be at the bottom of the list. But when you think about it, mornings are often the most hectic time of the day. You're trying to get to work or get the kids to school on time and there's simply not time to cook a homemade breakfast.
Prep-ahead breakfasts can really turn your whole day around. Not only will you feel better physically if you eat a healthy, satisfying breakfast, you'll also feel so much better mentally and emotionally if your day doesn't begin with a mad rush out the door!
And with a little bit of meal prep, it's totally doable! That's why we always include a prep-ahead breakfast on our Gluten Free and Paleo meal plans.
I'm excited to reveal ten of my all-time favorite meal prep breakfast recipes today. But first, I want to share some tips on how to successfully meal prep breakfast. No one wants a freezer burned muffin or weird rubbery textured eggs!
Prep Ahead Breakfast Tips
There are a few different ways to approach prep ahead breakfasts.
First, you may want to choose one breakfast recipe to prep each week. This is the main approach we use for our Prep Dish meal plans, but I do mix in some freezer breakfasts as well in my house for extra busy weeks or times we need additional servings.
Second, you can stock your freezer with freezer breakfasts. Many of the recipes below work well for freezing ahead.
Finally, you may just want to prep a few components. Even chopping some fruits and veggies so you can easily grab some fruit and nuts or throw together an egg scramble is better than nothing!
Can you meal prep eggs?
Yes! There are actually a couple of ways to meal prep eggs.
Meal prep breakfasts don't necessarily imply freezer breakfasts but sometimes it's nice to simply pull something from the freezer on a particularly hectic day.
If that sounds amazing to you, you'll be happy to hear that you can actually freeze cooked eggs. Scrambled egg dishes, as well as frittatas, hold up well in the freezer. Just make sure to reheat to 160F and use within 2-3 months of freezing.
Alternatively, prep all of the ingredients for a quick egg scramble. Chop and cook any veggies you want to add to your scrambled eggs (except for greens – wait to cook those with the eggs). Eggs cook so quickly that you can easily scramble a couple along with your prepped veggies in the morning.
Can you meal prep potatoes?
Potatoes can be tricky to meal prep because if you chop them ahead of time, they become discolored. I usually just wash and dry my potatoes ahead of time so I can quickly chop when I need them.
Cooked potatoes are fine in the freezer as well. Feel free to include them if you're making freezer breakfast burritos or scrambles to freeze for later.
How do you “flash freeze”?
You'll notice below that, for some recipes, I advise you to flash freeze. This simply means that before adding something to a freezer container, you freeze it in a single layer on a baking sheet for an hour or two first.
For example, if you want to flash freeze muffins, you place the muffins on a baking sheet in the freezer for a couple of hours. After flash freezing, you can store the muffins in a freezer bag or freezer container. Flash freezing helps prevent freezer burn and helps the items not to stick to each other, allowing you to easily pull just one muffin from the container.
How long do prep ahead breakfasts last?
Exactly how far ahead you can prep your breakfasts will depend on what you're making. You'll find that most meal prep breakfasts will last well for 3-6 days in the fridge though. Check out our meal prep fresh guide for details on how long different items will last!
Freezer breakfasts will, of course, last longer. They generally keep well in the freezer for 2-3 months, which is why I love incorporating a few freezer breakfast recipes in my meal prep!
10 Healthy Meal Prep Breakfast Ideas
On to the recipes! Here are 10 of my favorite prep-ahead breakfast recipes. I've included a mix of sweet and savory and each of these breakfasts is well balanced with carbs, protein and healthy fat to keep you satisfied through your busy morning.
1. Orange Carrot Smoothies
Smoothies may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you're looking for healthy meal prep breakfast ideas but they work really well!
All you have to do is make a few “smoothie bags.” Combine your ingredients (minus the liquid) in a freezer bag or container. In the morning, all you have to do is combine your smoothie bag with your liquid of choice and blend!
My Mixed Berry Green Smoothie works well for prep-ahead smoothie bags too!
2. Cranberry Almond Energy Bites
Energy bites are so versatile when it comes to meal prep! They work as a quick portable breakfast, a filling snack or even a healthy dessert.
Store in the fridge if you're going to enjoy within the week or flash freeze and store in the freezer to enjoy later.
My Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bites and Paleo Chocolate Bliss Energy Bites freeze well too!
3. Chai Spiced Zucchini Muffins
Not only are these muffins great for meal prep, they're gluten free and paleo as well! With substantial healthy fats and protein, they make a satisfying breakfast on their own. Or, if you prefer, pair with some simple scrambled eggs.
You can store in the fridge or flash freeze for later!
My Very Berry Muffins and Butternut Squash Muffins are also great prep ahead breakfast options!
4. Paleo Oatmeal w/ Coconut & Flax
If you don't eat grains or if oats hurt your stomach, my paleo “oatmeal” is the perfect alternative! Coconut flour, flax, shredded coconut and nuts combine for the perfect oat-like texture.
Want to see how it all comes together? I made a short video so you can see me make this cozy breakfast here!
To prep ahead, simply combine dry ingredients for individual servings in meal prep containers for however many days you're prepping. In the morning, you'll just need to heat the liquid and combine with your prepped dry ingredients.
5. Paleo Cherry Vanilla Granola
My grain-free granola was an instant hit when we added it to our meal plans. It's lightly sweet, nice and crunchy and full of protein and healthy fats.
When it comes to healthy meal prep breakfast ideas, homemade granola is great because you can either store it in a container to enjoy that week or flash freeze it in a single layer and grab some from the freezer whenever you need a quick breakfast.
6. Gluten Free Banana Pancakes
While pancakes evoke the feeling of a lazy morning with everyone in pajamas around the breakfast table, they actually make a great quick meal prep breakfast as well.
Make a big batch and store in the fridge (or flash freeze and store in a freezer container). Simply pop a pancake in the toaster to reheat when you need one!
7. Asparagus, Bacon & Feta Frittata
Many people are surprised to see that we include frittatas on our meal prep meal plans but they actually hold up quite well!
To prep ahead, make the whole frittata ahead of time. Whenever you want a slice, simply reheat. The toaster oven works best if you have one, but you can also reheat in the microwave. Microwave for just 30 seconds at a time until warm to preserve the texture.
To freeze a frittata, first cook it completely. After it has cooled, cut it into slices and flash freeze on a baking sheet before adding the sliced frittata to a freezer container. You can also wrap each slice with plastic wrap if you like. Reheat in the oven for best results when you're ready to eat.
I also have a sweet potato frittata recipe that's great for breakfast meal prep.
8. Gluten Free Blueberry Ginger Scones
Scones may sound too fancy for a weekday breakfast but, with a little bit of meal prep, they become a quick, grab-and-go option.
My gluten free blueberry ginger scones come together quickly. They're also highly customizable – feel free to experiment with add-ins and spices!
These scones freeze really well and it's super easy to make a double batch. I recommend doubling the recipe and freezing so you always have a prepped breakfast ready to grab! Flash freeze before adding to a freezer container for best results.
9. Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowls
Have you tried sweet potato breakfast bowls? We love all things sweet potato in our family and this has become one of my go-tos when I want a sweet, rather than savory, breakfast.
Make the sweet potato mash ahead of time and all you have to do the morning-of is reheat and add your favorite toppings!
10. Gluten Free Breakfast Sandwiches
I've got another savory one for you to round out the list!
Make the Gluten Free English Muffins ahead of time and all you have to do in the morning is fry an egg and add any toppings you like! For such a beautiful breakfast, these come together super quickly.
Want a new healthy meal prep breakfast idea every week?
At Prep Dish, we provide our subscribers with meal prep meal plans each and every week.
What does this look like?
Every Friday, subscribers receive 4 meal prep meal plans (Gluten Free, Paleo, Low Carb Keto & Super Fast) for the week ahead. These meal plans are not just a set of recipes. They include detailed “prep day” instructions to make healthy eating throughout the week super easy.
Our Gluten Free and Paleo meal plans always include a prep-ahead breakfast. And don't worry, if you don't follow a specific “diet,” we have plenty of subscribers who are not gluten free, paleo or keto. They simply love good healthy food and meal prep!
Don't think you have time for meal prep?
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If you'd like to try our meal plans for yourself, click below for a free trial! I'd love to help you prep stress-free healthy meals for your family.
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