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23 Easy & Healthy Breakfast Recipes

23 Easy & Healthy Breakfast recipes, including drinks & smoothies, savory egg-based meals, and finishing with a list of sweet (but still healthy!) dishes to round out the list.

I’m a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but when I’m rushing to get to work, I don’t usually have heaps of time to mess around in the kitchen whipping up a healthy and hearty breakfast. My go-to in the morning is almost always something I can throw in my bag and eat once I get to work, or something that I’ve prepped in advance that I can heat up and eat while I’m getting ready. Yes, I’m a fan of multi-tasking, especially in the morning…!

Don’t get me wrong – I’m a big fan of a Full English on the weekend, but that’s when I have time to take it easy and make breakfast more of a chill and relaxing experience, than a necessary step to fuel me for my busy day. Since I moved to London, one of my absolute favorite things is that you can get a savory breakfast pretty much anywhere. During my ten years in Paris, a good savory breakfast was probably one of the things I missed the most. I know, I know – I realize that probably sounds blasphemous, given that Paris is home to some of (if not the?) best pastries in the world. But croissants and pains au chocolat have never been my thing. Before the mob starts gathering their pitchforks, there are lots and lots of other French delicacies that I adore – just not the sweet and bready varieties. Now that I’m in London, I can pop into an EAT or Birley’s to grab a quick breakfast, but that gets old fast, and it certainly isn’t ideal for my budget!

One of my resolutions for 2018 is to eat less prepared food, and focus on homemade and healthy breakfasts and lunches, and I’m always on the lookout for recipe inspiration. So I’ve pulled together a list of 23 easy & healthy breakfast recipes that I’ll be adding into my morning meal rotation. Whether you’re looking to eat healthier during the week, save money on breakfast, or just looking to spice up your morning breakfast recipe catalog, the recipes below should provide some inspiration. I hope you’ll enjoy this Recipe Roundup, and please do check out the blogs linked from each photo in the galleries below for the full recipes!

Drinks & Smoothies [metaslider id=”1329″]

Savory Recipes [metaslider id=”1415″]

If you’re like me and you prefer savory to sweet breakfast recipes, then I suggest taking a look at these ideas! They’re not over-the-top sugary, and pack lots of vitamins and protein and other good stuff, and are a great way to change it up without overloading on sugar.

Sweet Recipes [metaslider id=”1432″]

I hope you’ll enjoy these recipes as much as I do! A big thank you to all of the bloggers who allowed me to include their recipes in this list – definitely check them out for these recipes, and more!

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April 8, 2018
Blueberry & Cashew Greek yogurt bowl
With the weather a bit dark and gloomy, and cold and rainy if you have London-like January weather, it’s very tempting to reach for a heavy and hearty breakfast. I’ve definitely been chowing down on full English breakfasts over the past few months (maybe a few too many…), but after all of the Christmas parties and holiday eating, I’m finding myself longing more and more for simple, fresh and light breakfast options: like fruit and yogurt!

I’ve always preferred savory over sweet food in the morning (and in general tbh), so those smoothie bowls and fruit muffins just don’t do it for me. Poached eggs and avocado toast are my typical go-to for a weekday brekkie, but sometimes that gets old and sometimes it’s hard to get avocados with any flavor (first world problems…).

When I got back to London after Christmas, I a) couldn’t fathom the idea of another full English breakfast and b) didn’t have any food in my fridge anyway, even if did want one. I am cursed blessed with a pretty big Asda grocery store right downstairs my apartment, so I grabbed my reusable Monoprix shopping bag (because who uses plastic bags anymore?) and headed downstairs to stock up my fridge. Instead of heading straight for the turkey bacon (okay, I did buy some, but for a different recipe) I grabbed some Greek yogurt pots and blueberries.

In about five minutes, I whipped up this light, fresh and healthy breakfast snack, that didn’t send my taste buds into a sugary sweet tailspin. If you’re like me, looking for a quick and easy breakfast without all the sugar, then give this a try – hopefully you’ll like it as much as I did! Greek yogurt is a great option because it is higher in protein than regular yogurt, and has less lactose. It’s also thicker and creamier, which I definitely prefer.

Anyone else see a bird’s face on my spoon in this shot…?

Ingredients:
1. Small pot of Greek yogurt (my store sells 200g pots)
2. 5-6 blueberries
3. 10 cashews, roughly chopped
4. Honey to drizzle on top
Add your blueberries and cashews to the yogurt, and drizzle a bit of honey on top. I had a small piece of cheddar on the side, and this made for a very filling and slightly sweet breakfast that kept me going until lunch.

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January 5, 2018
Banana bread
For the past few weeks I have been loving watching the leaves change into gorgeous reds and yellows. Not to mention, I can finally break out my comfy scarf collection, now that there’s a nice chill to the air. Last week I happened upon the Spitalfield Market in London and kind of went scarf crazy! They have the biggest, comfiest, prettiest scarves to choose from… I couldn’t resist.

As the days are getting shorter (as in, really short: it’s dark by 3.45pm in London!) and the air is getting cooler, I need my scarves, my sweaters, my cup of tea, and nice warm cinnamon-y banana bread. Okay… banana bread isn’t a make or break for my autumn mornings, but it is oh-so-good and tastes great for breakfast or for a snack, and just feels like autumn with the nutmeg and spices the recipe calls for.

I have mentioned it before, but I feel compelled to reiterate that I am not a fantastic baker. I struggle with exact measurements, which it turns out, is fairly important when making cakes or any baked goods. I also don’t really like sweet things, so I’m not fighting back the urge to make cakes all the time anyway. Although, I do have a weak spot for my chocolate cake recipe but even still that’s usually for birthday celebrations or when I have guests over.

Sometimes though I get major cravings for banana bread, because that stuff is the perfect answer to people like me. It’s super easy to make (read: hard to mess up) and you can tweak it to be as sweet (or not) as you like. It keeps for several days, and makes the perfect addition to breakfast, or for an afternoon snack. If you’re like me and appreciate all of the above and have a few over-ripe bananas that you’re trying to salvage, then look no further: this recipe is for you.

Wet ingredients
- 3 bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium eggs
Dry ingredients
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- A dash of nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups flour
Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. Prepare your baking dish (I use a bread mold) by buttering the edges or placing parchment paper.

3. Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

4. Next, fold your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring well to get a uniform mixture.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
Note: if your oven is crazy like mine, then the top might start to brown way too soon. In this case, just cover it with a piece of aluminium foil.
December 7, 2015
Microwave scrambled eggs
This past month has been busier than busy, and my priorities have been less on food and more on…well, just getting things done. Now I’m the first person to not mind spending two hours on an elaborate morning breakfast on the weekend, whipping up pancakes, quiches, hash browns and whatever else my starving Saturday self is in the mood for. But sometimes… folks just don’t have time for that, and this past weekend was one of those moments when I needed food, fast, and had no time to mess around with pots, pans or complicated recipes.

Even after living in France for ten years (argh… saying that makes me feel old…!), I never really got down with sweet breakfasts. No croissants or pains au chocolat for me! I’m a savory kind of girl, all the way. I’m getting into oatmeal in the morning now, but that has taken me about 25 years to get to that point. I need hearty. I need filling. I need much more than a pastry… ! So fast forward to this past Saturday when I’ve got tons of things to do, am starving, and my grocery delivery hasn’t yet arrived.

Now I have tried (many, many times) to make eggs in the microwave, ever since one of my lovely colleagues mentioned the idea to me a few months ago. Sadly, microwave eggs have been a massive failure in my kitchen since I started trying to make them, most likely because my microwave doesn’t have a temperature/level setting…! We went ages without having a microwave when I finally decided we could sacrifice some counter space for it (yes, that’s why I forced Jonathan to reheat everything on the stove for months… because I didn’t want to give up precious space on our tiny kitchen counters for a big clunky microwave). Needless to say, I didn’t buy a top of the line model, and apparently the one I chose is so not top of the line that it only has one temperature setting: really high.

So, sunny-side up eggs don’t come out magically perfect in my microwave, but I didn’t give up…and I’m glad I didn’t! I have stumbled on quite a few other microwave egg recipes, and today I’ll be sharing one of my favorites: microwave veggie scrambled eggs (in a mug).

Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon shredded cheese
- 2 tablespoons diced veggies (I used mushrooms, scallions, and cherry tomatoes)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Crack your egg into your mug, then stir in in the milk, cheese and veggies.
2. Cover your mug with a saucer or lid, then microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then for 20-30 more seconds.
3. Serve over toast, or directly out of the mug (if you’re a Greedy McGreedy like me, and can’t wait to gobble these down).
Note: cooking time will depend on your microwave. My microwave seems super powered on its unique one-size-fits-all temperature setting, so you might need to adjust cooking times accordingly.
October 21, 2015
Copycat Starbucks Frappuccino
Since I moved to London a few months ago, I’ve been both blessed and cursed with the luxury of having a Starbucks right downstairs from my office. When I lived in Paris, the occasional treat of a grande white chocolate with whipped cream was just that… an occasional treat. If I was on my scooter, then it was a dangerous balancing act trying not to spill the drink precariously tucked at my feet. If I was driving, then I had to illegally — er, creatively — park and race in and out before blocking traffic, getting a ticket… or both. Now, all I have to do is head down two flights of stairs and find myself conveniently waiting in line to order my favorite drink du jour.

I know Starbucks has a lot of haters, but I can’t help it: I love the stuff. What I don’t love, though, would definitely be the hefty price tag and the tons of sugar and calories. When I realized that I’d developed a pretty much every-day habit of indulging in the stuff, I decided it was time to shake the addiction. And by that, I mean: I decided to start making it at home.

Because I like to buy lots of cool stuff ~~I don’t need~~ on Amazon, I just so happened to already have the perfect bottles to store my homemade version of these delicious drinks in. So now, I make them in advance (they keep for up to a week in the fridge) and enjoy them whenever I want, and for a fraction of the price. Fellow Starbucks addicts around the world: you’re welcome – this recipe is for you ☕️

Ingredients:
- 150 ml coffee (brewed & chilled)
- 25 ml whole milk
- 1 tablespoon simple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whipped cream (optional)
Instructions: this one’s pretty simple, you just place all of the ingredients in your mug (or bottle if you’re making this ahead of time), add a little whipped cream when serving and enjoy!

Note: This recipe is a copycat of the bottled version of the Starbucks Frappucino, not the one they sell in their cafés (ie, made with ice!).
July 25, 2015
My birthday…and chocolate cake
This Saturday was my (31st….) birthday, and it was fabutastic. Yes, new word, that’s just how awesome it was. I had a few annoyances throughout and somehow managed to actually cry at one point, but all in all, it was one of my best birthdays yet! All of the credit goes to my husband, though, and he really hit a home run this year. Thanks to him, I have a few new London travel tips for you to check out — well worth it! Also — keep reading for another amazingly easy cake recipe!

Jonathan planned out my day, from start to finish, and I am still impressed by how perfect everything turned out to be. My Type-A self had a hard time not knowing what we were going to be doing at all times, but I quickly let go and am so glad I did.

When Jonathan said we had to be up and out of the flat by 6.30am I thought he was joking (again, this was Saturday…), but when we were up and out by 6.45 (getting out of the house always takes us ages) I knew he meant business with the “Day of Birthday Surprises” 🙂

Our first stop was for breakfast at E Pellicci, a tiny little hole-in-the-wall cafe serving up full English breakfasts (including a vegetarian option). Their cappuccino’s were everything you might possibly need that early on a Saturday morning, and the food was delish. Okay, Jonathan…. I see you.

Next we popped down to Oxford street to wander around a bit and to do some shopping. London is pretty awesome first thing in the morning, before all the tourists are milling about; there’s something really special about a big city like London with no cars or people around. When we travel, we try to make it a point to get up before the sun comes up to go out and explore: it’s a magical sleepy point in the day when everything is just a little bit more beautiful — I highly recommend giving it a try! So I guess we were tourists in London for the morning 🙂

After our Big Adventure visiting London, we headed back East to get some real shopping in: I needed new shoes (I’m using the term “need” quite loosely, here), so off to the mall to pick those out we went. I ended up getting an amaaaazing pair of Nine West black pumps for 75% off (um, hello? I’ll take that deal any day), so that alone made my day a sucess. But it wasn’t over yet…!

We had just enough time to come home to change and get ready for our night on the town, and this is where things got even more special.

Jonathan must have spent countless hours researching (and apparently my love of Tripadvisor rubbed off on him) until he found the perfect spot for dinner: The Sixtyone. Our food was exquisite, from the beginning to the end! We both love our grub, so I don’t take it lightly to say that this is one of the best meals I have had in a restaurant in a long time. We got fish and lamb, and both were cooked to perfection, and even our cocktails were out-of-this-world amazing. Check out the addresses below!

E Pellicci
Full English breakfast & Italian classics
332 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 0AG, England
+44 20 7739 487

Westfield Shopping Center (Stratford)
uk.westfield.com/stratfordcity
Montfichet Rd, London E20 1EJ
020 8221 7300

Sixtyone Restaurant
sixtyonerestaurant.co.uk
61 Upper Berkeley St, London W1H 7PP
020 7958 3222

Now onto that cake recipe I promised you. Okay so first of all, I need to confess: I originally wanted to take a bunch of photos during the day to add them to this post, but as usual, I’m terrible at snapping shots so only had one sad little photo of my Birthday Dessert graciously offered to me by the Sixtyone staff:

Then I started thinking — I should post a picture of my own cake that I’ve baked (because I’m so good at baking…). I’ve been playing around a bit with my Easiest Chocolate cake recipe for a while, trying different variations, mostly for when I’m in the mood for something fluffier. You guys… trust me when I tell you: this cakey cake recipe is so easy, so fast, and so perfect for a birthday cake celebration for two…! It came out so good I couldn’t believe that I made it, totally from scratch, in less than 30 minutes all together.

Baking isn’t easy for me, so I need my recipes to be fool-proof (times ten). Given that, I’ve kept the quantities as uniform as possible — nothing is worse than when a recipe calls for 1.5 cups of this, 3/4 cups of that, 2 tbps of another thing, sprinkled with 1.5 tsps of that one ingredient you already forgot you needed…! So, here’s my take on the classic chocolate cake — whether you’re a super-star when it comes to baking, or (like me) need to keep it simple — this recipe will not let you down.

Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1/2 heaping cup flour
- 1/2 heaping cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions:
1. Combine the egg, sugar, milk, and oil whisking for about 1 minute
2. Next, whisk in the flour, sugar, baking powder and cocoa powder
3. Whisk for another minute or two until everything is nice and smooth
4. Pour your mixture into a small buttered baking pan (this fills two 5 inch spring form pans, which are what I use)
5. Bake on 190degrees (celsius) for about 20-25 minutes
6. Once cooled, finish it off with your favorite icing, and enjoy your teensy weensy perfect-for-couples birthday cake!
*Note: this cake mix fills two of my pans, but would also work quite well in cupcake tins – I think it would fill about 5 cupcake molds.

**Note: I had two molds, so I made the cutest little two-layer cake ever, but you could just serve this as a single layer cake for one person, too!
July 20, 2015
Avocado & soft-boiled egg toasts
In my quest to eat bigger breakfasts that are not pasta, I’ve stumbled upon the best thing ever: avocado for breakfast. Even after ten years of living in Paris, I never really got into the whole croissant with jam or pain au chocolat in the morning. Sweets just aren’t my thing — ever, really, but especially not in the morning. I’ve been surviving on big bowls of pasta to get me through the morning until lunch time, sometimes followed by…more pasta in the afternoon…then sometimes more pasta for dinner. I think you get the point: I eat way too much pasta!

I don’t usually have time for much in the mornings, and have been desperately trying to find a few morning recipes that work for me: easy, fast, and filling.

So I’m alllll about avocado toasts these days, because the combinations are endless, they still feel like breakfast and come together in under ten minutes. Here’s the latest addition to my avocado toast arsenal – enjoy 🙂

Ingredients:
- ½ of an avocado
- 1 tablespoon of heavy cream (or greek yogurt to cut out a few calories)
- 1 soft-boiled egg*
- 1 big slice of bread, toasted**
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Chives (optional)
Servings: this makes breakfast for 1, but can easily be doubled/tripled for more 🙂

Instructions:
1. Combine the avocado and cream in a small bowl until smooth (or keep it chunky – that’s good too!)
2. Spread your avocado and cream mixture evenly on the toast – don’t forget to go all the way to the edge.
3. Place your soft-boiled egg on top, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve with a few cherry tomatoes and top with some chives.
*You guys, this Cook’s Illustrated-inspired technique for perfect soft-boiled eggs is the bomb. Really. If you love soft-boiled eggs, but don’t love struggling to get them perfectly cooked with a beautiful golden runny yolk, then look no further: http://www.macheesmo.com/soft-boiled-eggs-a-giveaway/

**I toast my bread in our oven (the same one that exploded) and spray on a bit of olive oil cooking spray: comes out soooo good. Here’s the spray I use, if you want to get an idea:
Fry Light extra virgin olive oil spray

***If you still haven’t made these avocado egg toasts, then please stop reading and eat these now — so good!
June 3, 2015
McMuffin copycat make-ahead breakfast sandwiches
Updated: July 12th 2015

I like to think of myself as an organized, structured and generally speaking a planner. Of course, the downside to that is that I also tend to take on way too much and then stress myself out about actually being able to finish everything on time. So I’ve had to come up with a few shortcuts to maximize my time and one tiny change has made a big difference in my daily routine: make-ahead breakfasts.

I always tell myself that I’m going to get up extra-early to make myself a big, healthy (and filling) breakfast that’ll get me through the morning, but that happens once a week (okay…once a month?) I’m not really a light breakfast kinda girl, so I definitely need something substantial first thing in the morning to get me going. These are perfect because I can make a bunch of them over the weekend, then have a healthy and filling breakfast ready to go every morning in under ten minutes.

Ingredients:
- English muffins, not toasted*
- Eggs, cooked**
- Cheddar cheese
- Turkey bacon
- Mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup, combined
Instructions:
- Place your toasted muffins face-up, then slather on the mustard-mayo-ketchup mixture.
- Next, add the egg and bacon and finish with the cheese.
- Wrap in aluminium foil until served
To reheat: warm oven to around 200degrees, then reheat for around 10 minutes or until warm.

*In my original recipe, I recommended toasting the English muffins, but this came out a bit too hard/rubbery a few times since, so I’ve been using un-toasted muffins and the result is much better and these taste a lot like real McMuffins!

**Eggs: In order to get perfectly round eggs, I bake mine for about 10 minutes at 200degrees in a muffin tin. Just spray a bit of cooking oil in them to make sure they don’t stick, and they’ll slide right out and be perfectly cooked every time.

Notes: I make these McMuffin copycat breakfast sandwiches for a Monday-Friday work week, so five at a time. If you want to make more, I would store them in the freezer if you need to keep them longer than 4-5 days!
May 26, 2015
Avocado & poached egg toasts
Since we’ve moved to London, our weekends have been a flurry of shopping excursions (hello, Ikea) and decorating and more shopping and well… not much else. So when I woke up this past Sunday knowing that my day would be full of more of the same, I knew I’d better have a good breakfast to get me through it all! As I was making this, I was half awake (because I hadn’t yet had my spinach apple smoothie) and was kind of just faffing around the kitchen trying to think of something quick but filling to have for breakfast.

It was the end of the week, so the fridge was pretty..well..empty. We try to stick to once-a-week shopping, living on leftover ingredients until the next shop – it’s a self-imposed rule that I’ve implemented because I’ve been known to shop 4-5x per week, picking up all sorts of ingredients for whatever Pinterest has inspired me to make that day for dinner, only to have the leftover ingredients go to waste. It’s only been a few weeks, but so far so good! There have been a few moments of “there’s nothing to eat…” but all in all, I’d say we’ve been pretty creative (like this weekend’s Greek pasta) and have been wasting significantly less food. Anyway, I digress.

As it tends to go on weekends, I woke up early (around 7am) and found my way to the kitchen. I’m always (always) hungry, so I try to start the day off with a big meal. This is usually some sort of pasta (if I don’t want to pass out by 10:30am), but I’ve been trying to find more “traditional” breakfast fare that is filling enough, savory, and easy to make.

I had a bunch of English muffins that were on their last leg, a few avocados that were finally ripe enough to eat, and some eggs that had to get eaten. Avocado toast is this big thing nowadays, but I really needed something super filling… more than just some toast with avocados on them. Then I was momentarily transported back to this past February on our Honeymoon in San Francisco where we had the most devine of brunches: it was avocado toast meets huevos rancheros, and it was exactly what I needed. This weekend’s California-inspired breakfast stopped me right in my tracks once I took my first bite: it was just that good! I usually surf the internet catching up on Facebook and the News while I have my brekkie, but this delight kept my attention for the whole 30 seconds while I wolfed it down. If you’re like me and need something light, yet filling, savory but not too intense, in the morning, then this recipe might just be for you. Bon appétit !

What are some of your favorite morning foods? I’d love to hear about them (and see recipes/links) in the comments! Let me know if this transports you to California, like it did for me 🙂 – bon appétit !
Avocado & poached egg toasts

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Author: Veronica | seefoodplay.com

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 1 serving

Need a savory and filling breakfast or snack in a hurry? Then check out this avocado & poached egg English muffin recipe! | seefoodplay.com
Ingredients

1 egg

1 English muffin (cut in half)

1 avocado

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Salt

Pepper
Instructions

In a medium saucepan or pot, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil.

In a separate pan (or microwave), cook your bacon.

Crack your egg into a small bowl, and make sure no shells snuck in there!

Once the water is boiling, turn the heat to the lowest setting and slowlypour your egg into the water. The bowl should be touching the water, but not submerged! Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid for around 3 minutes, or until all of the egg whites are cooked through.

While your egg is poaching, toast your English muffin until nice and crisp (I toast mine in the oven, because I’m old-school like that. And by that, I mean I’m not willing to sacrifice my precious counter space for a toaster).

Next, scoop out the avocadointo a bowl and mix in the heavy cream and salt & pepper. Mix with a fork until it’s as smooth or as chunky as desired.

Once everything is ready, spread your avocado & cream mixture evenly onto your toasted muffins, then layer on a strip of bacon on each side, followed by your poached egg. Add a few spoonful’s of salsa and enjoy.
3.3.3077
Notes: There are lots of tips out there on how to poach eggs, but I have to admit they never really worked for me. Some suggest using vinegar, others say you should constantly swirl the pot… the best way that I’ve actually been able to master is by pouring the egg into the water then turning down the heat and covering with a lid. It guarantees a non-broken egg yolk, and you still get the runny yellow bits without having to fry your egg in butter or olive oil. Once you get the hang of it, you can keep the temperature high and the water boiling – this makes a prettier egg, but is also easier to break! If you have another preferred poaching method, then by all means… go for! Then send me a link to instructions on how you did it 😉
May 20, 2015