Thursday Three: Make-Ahead Breakfasts

Good morning!

Have you had your breakfast this morning??

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times. EAT YOUR BREAKFAST!  No, it’s not me yelling at you, it’s them. You know the ones. The ones we refer to when saying “They say you should eat your breakfast!”  Whoever “they” are. The really smart people who do all those studies who say it’s all important and all. (They probably wear white jackets.)

Well, they say breakfast is good and I believe them. Because a) it’s brain food. You can’t think on an empty stomach, and I’m pretty sure we all need to think at some point. (Not all of us do, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.) b) If you don’t eat breakfast, you’ll literally want to eat your arm off and since that’s not really available for consumption, you’ll turn to whatever is. In the form of a Big Mac, donut, or something Ala Vending Machine-Du Jour. And that’s no good. Finally, there’s c) Studies show that people who eat breakfast are able to keep weight off. (“They” did that study. I read about it.)

But one thing I keep hearing all about and I know it’s true for myself is that it is just so hard to get a good breakfast in. A good breakfast and a healthy breakfast. We all do it. We skip breakfast. But we don’t have to!  So I’m bringing breakfast back with three recipes for yummy breakfasts you can make well in advance and just heat up the day of and these are my absolute favorites because actually I’m a breakfast-a-holic and if there is any  meal I do not want to skip, ever, it’s breakfast. I could eat breakfast for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I just like saying and writing the word. Breakfast breakfast breakfast. Oh and plus I’m all about the convenience. So here they are:

1. The Low-Fat Version of the Egg, Sausage & Cheese Frittata

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups of egg substitute (Egg Beaters)
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• butter spray
• 1 (12 oz) pkg reduced fat ground pork sausage, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese

Whisk together first 4 ingredients until well-blended. Spray oven-proof skillet with butter spray. Pour half of egg mixture into skillet. Sprinkle evenly with cooked sausage and cheese. Top with remaining egg mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until set. Serves 6-8! Calories: 140, Fat: or 6 Weight Watchers Points.

*Helpful yummy hint: you can actually mix all the ingredients (and if you don’t want sausage you can put spinach or broccoli or ham or any of the above) spray a muffin or mini-muffin pan and bake those and make tiny mini frittatas instead of one giant one. And then you have little individual guys that you can stick in a baggie and bring to work, like I used to. When I worked. I miss work. I’m going off tangent.

2. Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins (OK, I have published this one before but I’m such a huge believer in it that I can’t help myself and plus there are new people here and they must know about these muffins.)

• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 egg whites (I’ve used EggBeaters)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sugar
• raisins or nuts (optional but I haven’t used either yet)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Soak the oats in milk for an hour. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. Combine the oat mixture with the applesauce and egg whites, and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined. Add nuts or raisins if desired. Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough. Spoon muffin mixture into muffin pan. Combine the cinnamon and sugar and top each muffin with some of the mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. These can be frozen and reheated in the microwave for a quick breakfast.

**Yummy Helpful Hint: I spread a little light cream cheese on the muffins and they’re amazing!! These are my family’s favorite. I have to make these in double batches.**

Number of Servings: 12
Calories: 92
Fat: .5
Protein: 2.9 g
WW Points: 1

3.  Wheat pancakes with yogurt and fruit and nuts

This one I found in Runner’s World Magazine and it was mostly about how awesome it is as a post-morning-run recovery meal because it has healthy whole grains and also gobs of protein! But it is just healthy overall and I don’t run in the morning, so I’m eating it anyway! And, ok, so the recipe is sort of cheating, but still. The magazine says to find some frozen whole wheat pancakes and I would, except that I couldn’t! So instead, I found whole wheat pancake mix (I found a supereasy one that is an easy add-water-only-mix). Make those pancakes according to directions. And make lots of them! And refrigerate them. Put them in a gallon baggie and label it and take 2 or 3 each morning. And then take them out and nuke ‘em for a minute to 1:30 when you want ‘em, and put lots of stuff on them. Like, for instance, a 5 oz. dollop of non-fat Vanilla Greek Yogurt and strawberries or blueberries or bananas and top that with a tablespoon of crushed almonds.  Deeelish!!

So those are my favorite make-ahead breakfasts. What are yours??? Link em up and share!!

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Category: Breakfast, Calorie Counting, Christie O., EAT IT, Food Victory, LOSE IT, Sisterhood Spring Fling, Thursday Three, Weight Watchers