Need Help - Non-sugary, easy breakfast ideas

[Emba]

I have realized that my DD thinks better when she doesn't have any sugary foods at breakfast.  I used to serve breakfasts with sugar (cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, muffins, etc) about half the time in the morning, so now, besides eggs and toast, I'm having a hard time coming up with things to serve. But they must not only be non-sugary (for DD), they must be fairly quick and easy (for me, because we have to get up around 6:00 a.m. and my brain isn't firing on all cylinders yet),  The exception to the quick and easy rule is things that I can prep ahead.  I don't mind putting in the time the night before for something that I can get on the table quickly in the a.m.  For example, I spent about 45 minutes last night prepping hard-boiled eggs and bacon for the Pioneer Woman's english muffin melts this morning.

 

Help me think outside my box here, please.

 

Breakfasts already in my repertoire that would work:

 

• eggs and toast (or bagels, english muffins, etc)
• aforementioned muffin melts
• sausage biscuits
• biscuits/gravy (but it's not as fast as I like, even with made-ahead biscuits)
• grits and cheese, or cornmeal mush and cheese
• breakfast burritos (made ahead)
• Peanut butter and banana sandwiches (but DH doesn't exactly approve of this one)

Obviously, my box is very Southern. :)

Edited August 22, 2016 by emba56

[regentrude]

So when you say yoghurt, do you mean the naturally occurring sugar in plain yoghurt is already a problem???

Otherwise, my go-to breakfast is yoghurt with whole grain and fresh fruit. No added sugar, but of course there are natural sugars.

[Garga]

We had the same problem. This is what the boys eat. They needed a lot of protein for their brains to work and for them not to be famished an hour after breakfast:

 

1 scrambled egg, with 1/4 cup cheese (optional)

PLUS

1 slice of ham

OR

2 slices of turkey bacon

OR

2 frozen sausages, microwaved hot

 

For me, sometimes I have cottage cheese with walnuts at breakfast, but my kids don't like that

[gardenmom5]

if you make oatmeal from rolled oats - it doesn't have sugar.  (it's very easy, just takes longer than instant oatmeal.) you can chop up apple and add cinnamon.

 

I've also used butter, minced nuts, and cinnamon.

 

eggs, bacon, etc.

 

it takes time to cook breakfast -but there's a big difference with not eating processed cereals.  (even ones without a ton of added sugar.)

 

 

eta: for yogurt - I do greek yogurt from Costco, I add fruit (usually frozen berries with NO sugar added) and some rolled oats.  stir it up and let it set for a bit before eating.  I've also added some pureed pineapple and coconut . .

commercial yogurt has tons of added sugar.

 

 

Edited August 22, 2016 by gardenmom5

[JessieC]

Greek yogurt and fruit might work!

[madteaparty]

I've been exploring these egg stratas you make ahead (smitten kitchen had one recently). I'm also going to be super ambitious this fall and make a goal of soup (like a bone broth ramen type thing) for breakfast once a week, but no promises there ;)

Smoothies--lots of things you can pile on there

Crumpets with peanut butter and fruit preserves.

[SamanthaCarter]

My husbands go-to breakfast is a hard boiled egg or two and a banana, split lengthwise and spread with peanut butter and stuck back together (AKA peanut butter banana). I'm not sure how he functions on just this, but it would be enough to get you to a mid morning snack.

[SamanthaCarter]

I've been exploring these egg stratas you make ahead (smitten kitchen had one recently). I'm also going to be super ambitious this fall and make a goal of soup (like a bone broth ramen type thing) for breakfast once a week, but no promises there ;)

 

 

I love soup for breakfast! Sadly, it's hard to convince others that it can be breakfast. 

 

ETA: I put our soup into pint size wide mouth canning jars. Filled about 2/3 full is one serving, and they store very nicely in the fridge to pop in the microwave. You can eat it directly from the jar (or dump it in a thermos to take with you somewhere). 

Edited August 22, 2016 by SamanthaCarter

[AndyJoy]

This low-carb egg bake is a big hit here. I bake it on Sunday, and then we reheat for quick breakfast during the week. We don't like the kind that include bread anyway. This is what I make when my diabetic family members visit too.

 

Basic Ingredients

1 lb. ground sausage, browned

12 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 t pepper

1 tsp. powdered mustard

(Add other items if you would like. We usually add green onions, sometimes bacon and tomato instead of sausage. DH likes olives too.)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Mix all ingredients together.

Pour into a greased casserole dish.

OR

Spray a 12 cup muffin pan and fill each muffin cup evenly.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Edited August 22, 2016 by AndyJoy

[ScoutTN]

Eggs a million different ways! Fast, easy and good. 

 

We do fried once or twice a week, scrambled the rest. Once in a while soft-boiled. 

With scrambled eggs, the options for add-ins are almost unlimited. We use lots of veggies and sometimes cheese.

 

 

 

 

[Matryoshka]

I like plain Greek yogurt with blueberries and nuts. I add a bit of stevia to sweeten, but I think it could be eaten without.

 

When I'd like something warm, I make rolled oats and add raisins, nuts, and cinnamon. I find the raisins and cinnamon add enough sweetness that it doesn't need any additional sweetness.

[MEmama]

We need lots of protein here too, and few carbs in the morning.

 

Frittatas are easy and can be made ahead. You can put any amount of veggies in them.

 

Same with omelettes. We eat lots of omelettes with greens (chard, kale, whatever I have) and other veggies. Really loaded. DS can eat a 3 egg kale, mushroom and sweet potato omelette, some veggie sausage and toast. He'll still need a mid morning snack but it's a good start for him.

 

Whole wheat bagel and smoked salmon? I like both smoked salmon AND a fried egg on mine.

 

Breakfast quesadillas? They are so fast--scrambled eggs and beans, salsa, lots of avocado, veggies.

 

We aren't stuck on just breakfast foods. I love leftovers in the morning, especially something like salmon and quinoa and veggies.

[Sarah CB]

Great thread! I've been looking for more ideas, too. I'm great about my own breakfast, but am having a hard time getting the kids off sugary breakfasts. 

 

The Pioneer woman english muffins look awesome! 

 

My boys like bagel BLT's. I either make extra bacon and keep it in a zip-lock bag, or sometimes I buy the pre-cooked bacon. Warm up the bacon in the microwave, toast the bagel, spread cream cheese on it, add tomato slices and bacon.

 

One of my kids likes toad-in-the-hold - butter a piece of bread and put it in the frying pan, turn it over and cut a hole in the middle, add an egg, fry until fully cooked.

 

I would love to wean my kids off sugary yogurt. They like vanilla yogurt, I like plain Greek yogurt. So they end up having vanilla yogurt with fruit and then granola (which I'm sure has too much sugar in it.)

 

Does anyone make their own granola?

[monstermama]

DH loves these scrambled egg muffins - they're grab-and-go and they freeze ok.  They're basically mini frittatas.  I always sub broccoli for the ham since he's vegetarian, but I've also mixed up the veggies to use up whatever we have.  Spinach, tomato, mushroom and adding a little feta in with the cheddar was a humongous hit.

[Bluegoat]

I like to mix half a chopped babana, tril mix, and plain youghurt.  If the trail mix is unsalted, a tiny pinch of salt too.  It's better if there is a good amount of dried fruit in the trail mix.

 

 

[ktgrok]

Make up a quiche the night before, and serve for a few days. 

[Calizzy]

Here in England it's common to eat beans and sausages for breakfast. The beans are like baked beans. You could put the beans and sausages in the slow cooker at night.

[Chris in VA]

Like a burrito, but we enjoy a corn tortilla with a scrambled egg and a little salsa in it, like a breakfast taco. It is a bit messy bc the corn tortilla is the soft kind.

[mmasc]

Does she like avocado? One of my favorite breakfasts is a slice of Ezekiel flax bread toasted, with half of an avocado mushed and spread on top. I also like a little garlic salt on top.

 

ETA: One DS and I also like cold oats. The night before, mix 1/2 cup plain oats, 1/2 cup milk of choice. I also add a couple of teaspoons of chia seeds and a spoonful of oat bran. After those basics, you can add whatever you like. I prefer a bit of unsweetened coconut shreds and a touch of brown sugar, sometimes walnuts. DS just likes a touch of brown sugar. (Obviously you can leave out sugar since that's what you're trying to avoid. The coconut adds some yummy sweetness.) Stir it up, eat cold from the fridge in the morning.

Edited August 22, 2016 by mmasc

[GoodGrief]

If fruit sugar is okay, I like apple slices and peanut butter for breakfast. Also homemade granola, which could be topped with low sugar yogurt, or fruit, or milk.

[displace]

Maybe muffins made with almond flour instead of wheat? It has more protein and they can be made ahead. I'd research paleo recipes which can give ideas for lower carb choices.

[Hilda]

Totally out of the box . . .

 

I needed an easy, super fast, hearty breakfast for me and stumbled upon the humble liver sausage sandwich, made with a high fiber multigrain bread. It is fast, savory, and full of protein/iron. Perfect (if unusual) breakfast.

 

 

Unrelated to OP, Hubby thinks liver sausage is gross, and is not shy on sharing his opinion. This worked well on two counts -

 

1. He absolutely will not eat *my* breakfast for his late night snack (which would totally happen it were a ham or turkey sandwich!)

 

2. I have incentive for to wake up earlier and jump start my day. Being awake up before hubby means avoiding the "that is so gross I hate liver sausage" comments!

[AMJ]

Leftovers.  Seriously, when I was in college (full-time student also working 30-hour weeks) I had NO time to cook breakfast in the mornings.  I needed protein, however, so I ate "supper" foods that were left over from other meals.  Just to give myself a break and a treat I sometimes then made breakfast for supper when I would have a day or two to amass more leftovers before I was up before the sun again.

[IfIOnly]

HM and frozed breakfast burritos and muffin quiches were my go-to when I could do eggs.

[IfIOnly]

Like a burrito, but we enjoy a corn tortilla with a scrambled egg and a little salsa in it, like a breakfast taco. It is a bit messy bc the corn tortilla is the soft kind.

Yes, that's so good!

[City Mouse]

My son's favorite breakfast is left over pizza.

[Emba]

So when you say yoghurt, do you mean the naturally occurring sugar in plain yoghurt is already a problem???

Otherwise, my go-to breakfast is yoghurt with whole grain and fresh fruit. No added sugar, but of course there are natural sugars.

No,sorry I wasn't clear on that. I mean the sugared kind. I eat plain yogurt but its a hard sell for mhy kids because they are used to the other kind.

[RKWAcademy]

Nuts.  Nuts and overnight oats (cold, yum).  Smoothie with no sugar yogurt, some fruit, protein powder, flax, spinach - natural sugars and a bit of protein and fiber.   Ham with cream cheese in the middle, rolled up.  I've seen people make eggs with assorted additions baked in muffin tins and reheated in the morning.  How about some sort of coconut flour muffin?  They require a lot of eggs and don't have to be too sweet. 

[Emba]

We need lots of protein here too, and few carbs in the morning.

 

Frittatas are easy and can be made ahead. You can put any amount of veggies in them.

 

Same with omelettes. We eat lots of omelettes with greens (chard, kale, whatever I have) and other veggies. Really loaded. DS can eat a 3 egg kale, mushroom and sweet potato omelette, some veggie sausage and toast. He'll still need a mid morning snack but it's a good start for him.

 

Whole wheat bagel and smoked salmon? I like both smoked salmon AND a fried egg on mine.

 

Breakfast quesadillas? They are so fast--scrambled eggs and beans, salsa, lots of avocado, veggies.

 

We aren't stuck on just breakfast foods. I love leftovers in the morning, especially something like salmon and quinoa and veggies.

Ooh, lots of good ideas here. Breakfast quesadillas! Why have i not thought of that? But I am not a fish lover, and salmon leftovers are NOT happening at my house.

[J-rap]

One of my favorites is raw oatmeal with some chopped fruit or berries sprinkled in.  Sliced almonds are great in it too.  Pour a little hot water over it and let it soak for a minute or two.

 

The fruit/berries usually sweeten it enough so that you don't need to add any sweetener at all, but you could add a little honey if you want.

[Emba]

Wow, lots to think about! Except liver sausage. I don't even want to think about that. Sorry Hilda. 😊

 

Just for clarification, I have nothing against wheat flour, though I have a preference for whole wheat.

[KarenNC]

I enjoy plain Greek yogurt with fresh or frozen plain berries or unsweetened applesauce, some chopped walnuts, and cinnamon. I find that in order to eat plain Greek yogurt, I can't do nonfat. It tastes very chalky to me. The whole milk version is much more palatable. My husband, otoh, likes the non-fat version. You could try weaning the kids off the high sugar kind by mixing the plain in with some vanilla yogurt and adding the extras. 

 

Other than that, it's usually a sandwich of some kind---egg and frozen turkey sausage, ham and cheese, turkey, roast beef -- or some kind of toast--peanut butter toast, cheese toast. Leftovers, especially cold pizza, are in rotation as well. Sometimes we make extra pizza just to have some for breakfast the next day.

 

You could try premaking and freezing homemade French toast where you control the sugar, letting things like vanilla and cinnamon add sweetness.

 

I grew up with Neese's livermush (http://www.neesesausage.com/products/) for breakfast---sliced thin, dredged in a bit of flour, and pan-fried, on white bread with mayo or served with grits and eggs. :) I tried making it once in college and my roommates about kicked me out over the smell!

Edited August 23, 2016 by KarenNC

[Roadrunner]

We are very basic here. If it isn't eggs, it's a slice of wheat bread, olive oil, feta cheese, and maybe some tomato slices. And of course a hot cup of tea.

[kiana]

I haven't seen anyone suggest it yet, but you might consider non-breakfast food for breakfast if she'll stomach it. With all the modern conveniences, it's not really necessary to stick to cereal/eggs/fruit simply because those are the quickest things for a sleepy housewife to cook over a fire. 

 

My mother has a grilled cheese and fried egg sandwich every morning because she can make it in her sleep. 

[ktgrok]

I often have a half a regular deli meat sandwich for breakfast. 

[ScoutTN]

Leftovers. Seriously, when I was in college (full-time student also working 30-hour weeks) I had NO time to cook breakfast in the mornings. I needed protein, however, so I ate "supper" foods that were left over from other meals. Just to give myself a break and a treat I sometimes then made breakfast for supper when I would have a day or two to amass more leftovers before I was up before the sun again.

This was me too! I ate cheese burgers with fried egg, tomato and avocado for breakfast for two summers. I worked 5am-6pm, mostly outside and it was too hot to really eat.

 

We eat anything Mexican for breakfast, often mixed into scrambled eggs.

 

My kids love bagels, though they are high in carbs if you are watching natural sugars too.

[alisoncooks]

Cottage cheese pancakes?

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/187567/cottage-cheese-pancakes/

[ScoutTN]

We do whole milk yogurt with just a touch of local wildflower honey and some cinnamon and tiasted nuts.

[Emba]

I enjoy plain Greek yogurt with fresh or frozen plain berries or unsweetened applesauce, some chopped walnuts, and cinnamon. I find that in order to eat plain Greek yogurt, I can't do nonfat. It tastes very chalky to me. The whole milk version is much more palatable. My husband, otoh, likes the non-fat version. You could try weaning the kids off the high sugar kind by mixing the plain in with some vanilla yogurt and adding the extras.

 

Other than that, it's usually a sandwich of some kind---egg and frozen turkey sausage, ham and cheese, turkey, roast beef -- or some kind of toast--peanut butter toast, cheese toast. Leftovers, especially cold pizza, are in rotation as well. Sometimes we make extra pizza just to have some for breakfast the next day.

 

You could try premaking and freezing homemade French toast where you control the sugar, letting things like vanilla and cinnamon add sweetness.

 

I grew up with Neese's livermush (http://www.neesesausage.com/products/) for breakfast---sliced thin, dredged in a bit of flour, and pan-fried, on white bread with mayo or served with grits and eggs. :) I tried making it once in college and my roommates about kicked me out over the smell!

I should make extra pizza. I make pizza pretty often anyway.

 

But livermush. Just the name says a great big NO to me.

[meena]

Blender roll-up pancakes--http://www.melskitchencafe.com/rollup-blender-pancakes/ These have a good amount of protein and are super easy to make if you have a high speed blender. They do contain sugar (2 T) but I think you could greatly reduce that and/or sub a different sweetener like honey. The recipe suggests serving with sweet fillings, but you could do nut butter, fruits. Or if you omitted the sugar you might try savory fillings like thinly sliced ham and cheese.

 

Polenta--I haven't tried this recipe but it sounds good http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-breakfast-polenta-squares-with-spinach-bacon-breakfast-recipes-from-the-kitchn-200887

 

Cream of wheat--DD loves this with just a touch of honey drizzled on top, dried fruit, and a sprinkle of grape nuts for crunch. I like it just plain with a pat of butter.

Edited August 23, 2016 by meena

[Baseball mom]

My bunch does better with pizza, burger, cubed steak sandwich etc. for breakfast. 

 

If we aren't leaving the house they may not eat breakfast.  Yes I am the bad mom that doesn't make them eat if we aren't leaving.  When they were little I made sure they had breakfast every morning.  After they got bigger they made the decision.  I have never been able to eat when I first get up (was so hard on me when I was going to school) and the thought of eggs in the morning makes me gag.

 

One has never liked eggs and the other use to like eggs, then would only eat them at certain times.  So yeah supper foods work better for us.

 

 

ETA:  If we are leaving the house I make sure to have something portable that they like.  So they can eat at home or on the road.

Edited August 23, 2016 by Baseball mom

[SereneHome]

It wasn't until I came to US that I discovered that there are "breakfast" food and "dinner" food.  Where I am from we ate whatever whenever.

 

My husband wouldn't touch eggs in the evening or steak for breakfast.  Soooo weird to me.  I remember my Dad eating plenty of steak and mashed potatoes before he left for work.  :)

 

Reading this thread reminded me that I need to re-program my children.  I am not a morning person and would LOVE to give them leftovers for breakfast.

[displace]

Protein shakes?

[Sarah CB]

 

 

My mother has a grilled cheese and fried egg sandwich every morning because she can make it in her sleep. 

 

I make a lot of grilled cheese (or grilled ham and cheese) sandwiches for breakfast when we're camping. 

[BlsdMama]

We were big breakfast people....

 

We choose to make a switch for a couple reasons- My husband needed to start eating breakfast and he leaves early and my daughter seems very sensitive to sugar and/or a lack of protein. So, most mornings, we cook eggs, just eggs. You get used to the monotony and just do it, and we make them the same way almost all of the time. I thought it wolf get old but it hasn't andit has very much simplified our morning routine.

[mom31257]

We like peanut butter and flax seed added to oatmeal. Adding those helps it stay with us much longer. 

Edited August 23, 2016 by mom31257

[Emba]

I like these breakfast egg rolls. You can make a big batch and freeze them. They microwave well straight from the freezer.

 

I have to be sure to make them when my 10 year old is not around, though, or few if any will make it to the freezer.

Oh wow,those look amazing!

[Emba]

It wasn't until I came to US that I discovered that there are "breakfast" food and "dinner" food. Where I am from we ate whatever whenever.

 

My husband wouldn't touch eggs in the evening or steak for breakfast. Soooo weird to me. I remember my Dad eating plenty of steak and mashed potatoes before he left for work. :)

 

Reading this thread reminded me that I need to re-program my children. I am not a morning person and would LOVE to give them leftovers for breakfast.

I was in the Peace Corps in Ecuador, and they don't do breakfast like I was used to. It was all good, though, till the morning I woke up and there was a big mess of crabs boiled up for breakfast. I just can't do seafood that early. The smell makes me nauseous.

[Emba]

We were big breakfast people....

 

We choose to make a switch for a couple reasons- My husband needed to start eating breakfast and he leaves early and my daughter seems very sensitive to sugar and/or a lack of protein. So, most mornings, we cook eggs, just eggs. You get used to the monotony and just do it, and we make them the same way almost all of the time. I thought it wolf get old but it hasn't andit has very much simplified our morning routine.

Actually, just eggs and toast would be easiest for me, but I don't eat plain eggs myself, and so I like other options. Plus, (JAWM) my dad had a heart attack pretty young, after eating an egg for breakfast nearly every day as long as I can remember, so I try not to have eggs more than every other day.