5 Healthy Breakfasts On A Budget
We all know the saying already – breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But finding ways to make yourself a healthy breakfast when you haven’t even your daily cup of coffee yet can be difficult. Here are a few healthy breakfasts to help you start your day off on the right foot!
1. PBB&J – Peanut Butter Banana and Jelly
This one is a combination of the classic PB&J and the protein-packed peanut butter and banana toast. It takes a quick five minutes and requires only four ingredients: whole wheat toast, strawberry or raspberry jam, peanut butter and a ripe banana. In one meal you’ll get a serving of whole grains from the bread, healthy unsaturated fats and protein from the peanut butter, potassium, fiber and protein from the banana.
The jelly is the only drawback, as it often contains larger-than-needed amounts of sugar, so a killer substitute would be actual sliced strawberries or raspberries. For lower quantities of saturated fat, you can swipe peanut butter for almond or SunButter – whatever floats your boat.
2. Berry Cashew Smoothie
I find that there are two keys to drinking smoothies. Number one, to have the smoothie AS your meal, not in addition to your meal, and number two, to remember that a smoothie is not supposed to be, and should not be, all fruit. Fruits and berries are extremely beneficial in many ways, but are also high in sugar and lack certain vital nutrients. This smoothie packs the benefits of fruits, veggies and healthy fats all in one glass, making this one of the best healthy breakfasts!
Recipe:
- ¼ cup cashews (almonds or peanuts work as well)
- ½ cup Non-Fat Plain Yogurt (Greek or plain)
- 1 ½ cups frozen blueberries, strawberries and raspberries
- 1 cup Spinach leaves
- 1 cup water
3. DIY Breakfast Sandwich
This is my go-to breakfast when I’m in need of something a bit more filling than normal. The sandwich can be constructed in a variety of ways with a variety of ingredients, but I find that whole wheat toast, sliced tomatoes, sharp cheddar cheese – and, of course, two fried eggs, make for the best version of this simple sandwich.
After the first egg flip, I add once slice of cheddar per egg, begin to toast the whole wheat bread and slice the tomatoes. Once the eggs are done, I add a swab of butter to the toast, layer the sandwich and sprinkle some pepper on top. This guy tends to get a little bit messy so I’d recommend a sit-down breakfast unless you want egg yoke dripping down your shirt on the way to class. This is one of the healthy breakfasts that tastes great and feels great for you!
4. Peach + Unsalted Cottage Cheese
In the breakfast world and world of dairy-based protein, cottage cheese is extremely underrated. Heavily overshadowed by yogurt, cottage cheese looks and tastes a bit strange, but is SO good for you. When on a health kick, “cheese” is usually a food that someone would want to avoid, but a cup of unsalted cottage cheese tallies in at only 180 calories and ha 32 grams of protein! It can take some getting used to, so eating it with fresh fruit–peaches, strawberries and papaya being my favorite, can ease the transition and add some variety to your breakfast menu each week. This is one of the best healthy breakfasts!
5. Spinach and Tomato Scramble
I usually whip this guy up on the day that I want to avoid having a salad for lunch…why? Because I cram 2-3 cups of sautéed spinach in my morning eggs for this breakfast. I start by putting some olive oil and a teaspoon of garlic on the stove, gradually adding the fresh spinach leaves as the burner heats up.
As the spinach wilts, I crack two eggs into a bowl, mix them, and then add them to the spinach, continuing to sautée and then scramble the spinach and eggs. As the eggs are looking nearly done, I’ll add six to eight cherry tomatoes into the mix and sprinkle some pepper on top. It takes 10 minutes tops and has more than enough veggies to excuse you from any healthy eating later that day!
