The Wooden Tangerine

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easy prep ahead breakfasts

Breakfast is one of the most neglected meals. Mornings can get hectic and we often choose getting to work in time, getting the kids off to school, or sleeping in ahead of sitting down to a healthy breakfast. Think about it, when was the last time on a work day that you sat down at your home and ate breakfast? If it’s been a while, this blog is for you!

Now, you may have heard the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That may or may not be true, depending on the person. Some find that if they don’t eat breakfast, they are less productive, more irritable and often have worse cravings than if they were to eat breakfast. This is where I fit. Others find that they do not notice a difference, or food appalls them that early in the day. The research on this subject is really mixed. So my dietitian advice is, do what works for you!  The important part is that whenever you do decide to break your fast (the origin of the word breakfast) is that your meal is balanced. Meaning that it as protein, fat and some carbohydrates. The next most important thing is that you will actually eat it! Here are some prep ahead work day friendly breakfasts.

I prep all of my breakfasts on Mondays for the whole week(I work 10 hour days and have Mondays off). I also start work at 6am most days, so I bring my breakfasts to work and eat them there. Because of this, these are all pretty office friendly. To make it even more fool proof (or morning fog proof), I pack all of my breakfasts (and lunches!) up in a larger cooler bag and take them all with to work on the first day of the week. This way they are there and ready for me.

Keep reading for 6 high protein breakfasts you can make ahead!

protein oatmeal

Ingredients:

  • 2 egg whites (Trust me!-it adds little to no flavor, just some awesome protein)
  • ¼ cup oatmeal
  • ¼ cup protein pancake mix (I use FlapJacked)
  • 1-2 tbsp water
  • Vanilla extract (almond extract and butter extract are also yummy) and cinnamon to taste
  • If desired: liquid stevia to taste.

Instructions:

Night Before (up to 5 days before):

    1. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate in a microwave safe dish.

Morning:

    1. The oatmeal will have soaked up most of the water and egg white, add a little more water until at desired consistency.
    2. Microwave for 1:30-2:30 depending on the strength of your microwave. My preference is that it is solid so that I know the egg white is cooked through.
    3. For a little fat, top with peanut butter or almond butter

berries and cream

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup 2% Fage Plain greek yogurt (or your favorite brand of PLAIN greek yogurt)
  • ½ cup frozen berries of choice… or any frozen fruit really!
  • Vanilla extract to taste (⅛ tsp is my usual)
  • If desired: 1-2 drops of liquid stevia or sweetener of choice (I don’t usually include this unless the berries I get are super tart)

Instructions:

Night before (up to 5 days before):

  1. Combine ingredients in tight sealing container
  2. Place in refrigerator.

Morning:

  1. Take out of refrigerator and enjoy! You will notice the berries have melted and the juice gives flavor to all the yogurt and making it taste even better.

dark chocolate and peanut butter greek yogurt

I have a slight obsession with peanut butter, just ask any one that knows me… Words of advice, do not ever use the peanut butter at my house, chances are I have double dipped my spoon a time or two!

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup 2% Fage Plain greek yogurt (or your favorite brand of PLAIN greek yogurt)
  • 2 tbsp PB2 or your favorite powdered peanut butter.
  • 1-2 tbsp dark chocolate chips.
  • If desired: 1-2 drops of liquid stevia or sweetener of choice -usually not needed

Instructions

Night before (up to 5 days before):

  1. Combine ingredients in tight sealing container
  2. Place in refrigerator.

Morning:

  1. Take out of refrigerator and enjoy!

microwaved egg scramble

Ingredients:

  • Peppers, onions, mushrooms or any other vegetable of your choice
  • ½ cup egg whites
  • 1 egg
  • Salt and pepper to taste (or other seasonings)

Instructions

Night Before (up to 5 days before)

  1. Sautee vegetables slightly in nonstick pan coated with non stick spray. Let cool
  2. Combine egg whites and egg, whisk together
  3. Add vegetables.
  4. Store in tight sealing, microwave safe container.

Morning:

  1. Take out of refrigerator, microwave for 1-2 minutes, let cool slightly and enjoy.
  2. For a treat, sprinkle with your favorite cheese (⅛ cup at most!)

microwaved egg sandwich

Ingredients:

  • Peppers, onions, mushrooms or any other vegetable of your choice
  • ½ cup egg whites
  • 1 egg
  • Salt and pepper to taste (or other seasonings)
  • 1 sandwich thin
  • 1 thin slice pepper jack cheese (or your favorite cheese)

Instructions:

Night Before (up to 5 days before)

  1. Saute vegetables slightly in nonstick pan coated with non stick spray. Let cool
  2. Combine egg whites and egg, whisk together
  3. Add vegetables.
  4. Store in tight sealing, microwave safe container.
  5. Put sandwich thin and cheese in bag so it’s ready to take to work (if you don’t eat at home like me).

Morning:

  1. Take eggs out of refrigerator, microwave for 1-2 minutes. let cool slightly.
  2. Place one half of sandwich thin on top of egg mixture in bowl and flip (so the cooked egg comes out onto the sandwich thin).
  3. Top with slice of cheese and 2nd half of sandwich thin and enjoy.

breakfast burritos

These are probably, hands down, my favorite breakfast. Being a dietitian, getting a McDonald’s breakfast burrito for breakfast every day is frowned upon, so I came up with this prep ahead (and in bulk) breakfast burrito recipe. Even my husband likes them (admittedly I make his a little bigger and add more cheese, because the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right?).

Full disclosure, these will take about an hour to prep (or more when it’s your first time through). But you get 20+ breakfasts from it so, totally worth it!

This recipe makes about 20-25 burritos depending on how much filling you add.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. lean ground turkey
  • Breakfast seasonings to taste-I use sage, rosemary, pepper, and cilantro
  • 3 bell peppers, diced-for a kick you can add diced jalapeños
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1-2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 20 eggs
  • Oil for sauteing
  • 4 cups of cheese (I use part skim mozzarella)
  • 2-3 packs (8 per pack) of light Flat Out Wraps
  • Parchment paper

Instructions:

Cook:

  1. Combine Turkey and breakfast seasonings in a non stick pot.
  2. Heat and mix until thoroughly cooked.
  3. Place turkey in a heat proof bowl and set aside.
  4. In the same pot add small amount of oil, peppers, onions and garlic. Saute slightly. Pour into same bowl with turkey.
  5. Add eggs to pot. Heat and stir until thoroughly cooked.
    • I like to use a heat proof rubber scraper, because it is a lot of egg and it’s easier to scrape the sides.
  6. Once eggs are done, add turkey and peppers back into the pot and mix. No heat required at this point.

Scroll below nutrition facts for assembly instructions.

Set Up Assembly Line:

  1. Cut 12-14 inch pieces of parchment paper. Then cut in half so you are left with long narrow strips of parchment paper.
  2. Get your flat out wraps on a plate.
  3. Pour your cheese in a bowl (to save dishes, use the same bowl the cooked turkey and peppers were in!)
  4. Pull out your measuring cups (¼ c [or 1/8 cup if you have it] and ½ cup).

Burritos, Assemble!

  1. Place ½ cup egg mixture and ⅛ c cheese (use the ¼ c measure and fill it half full) onto the flat out.
  2. Wrap up. There are many different theories on how to do this, pick you favorite and go with it!

Storage:

  1. Then place on on strip of parchment and wrap. This takes some practice. I find it is easiest to start with the wrapped burrito at a slight angle and wrap it and tuck one end in, then continue wrapping and tuck the other end in.
  2. Place in a  gallon freezer bag and freeze. I usually fit about 6-8 burritos in a gallon bag.

Enjoy!

  1. When you need to eat one, take out of the freezer and microwave for 1:30-2 minutes.—I have had these up to a month later and they are still perfect. They usually don’t last that long in our house, though!
  2. Be prepared for jealous coworkers.
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