Breakfast isn’t just the most important meal of the day in terms of “breaking your fast.” It’s also the meal that tends to define your food choices for the remainder of the day. If you eat chocolate-covered cereal for breakfast, what’s stopping you from stopping for fast food for lunch? The key to having a healthy breakfast might be choosing healthy foods that aren’t complicated to make. Unlike other breakfast items, breakfast bowls allow you to easily combine many different ingredients into the same dish. Healthy, easy, and delicious — what’s stopping you now?
One of the most dangerous things you can do when choosing what you’re going to eat for breakfast is to settle for “repetitive” breakfasts. If you eat a bowl of cereal every morning for six months, it’s probably not going to kill you or anything. But you’re definitely missing out on the benefits of varying your food options.
Boredom is a major problem, of course — eating the same thing day in and day out can make you crave that novelty breakfast food you used to eat all the time. And chances are, it probably wasn’t healthy then, and still wouldn’t be now.
More importantly, though, most of us aren’t eating enough of the right things for breakfast, and that sets us up for inevitable cravings and overindulging later on in the day. If you aren’t filling up first thing in the morning, you’re setting yourself up for a morning full of lots of rumbling and cravings for vending machine snacks — not good.
Can breakfast bowls solve all your nutritional woes? Possibly. But if you’re sick of oatmeal and “healthy” breakfast cereals, there are much better options out there. Or, right here.
Here are a few breakfast bowl recipes that can help you incorporate more protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals into your mornings. Enjoy foods you never thought you could eat for breakfast while you’re at it, like sweet potatoes, quinoa, and cauliflower.
1. Sweet Potato Bowl
You probably never thought of sweet potatoes as a breakfast food, but these vitamin A-packed veggies are suitable for any meal.
Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl (serves 2)
Prep time: 1 hour (5 minutes if potatoes are already baked and mashed)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, baked and mashed
- Banana, mashed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground flax and chia seeds
- Raisins
- Almond milk
In a medium bowl, combine mashed sweet potatoes, mashed banana, cinnamon, flax and/or chia seeds, raisins, and almond milk.
Reheat in small pan or microwave. Serve hot.
The almond milk is technically optional. You might not need it if your sweet potato bowl’s texture is satisfactory. However, if it seems a little too thick after mixing in all other ingredients, almond milk can help thin it out a little.
You can add almond butter or unsweetened shredded coconut into your bowl as well for a healthy topping to enhance flavor and texture. Add any extra toppings of your choice after you reheat the contents of your breakfast bowls.
What’s so great about sweet potatoes?
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamins A and C. Learn more about this tasty vegetable.
2. Banana Nut Bowl
These breakfast bowls draw inspiration from banana nut bread — with a little bit of coconut sprinkled in for added flavor.
Banana Coconut Breakfast Bowl (serves 2)
Prep time: 5 minutes per bowl (makes 2 bowls)
- 4 ripe bananas, sliced
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup pecans (or any nut of your choice)
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Mix together banana, milk, pecans, coconut, and cinnamon. Heat in microwave or on the stove and serve warm.
What are the health benefits of nuts?
Nuts are an important source of healthy fats. They are also high in protein and fiber.
3. Yogurt and Granola Bowl
As long as your yogurt is Greek and your granola is homemade, you can pretty much guarantee yogurt-based breakfast bowls will always suit your nutritional needs.
Mixed Berry Yogurt Bowl (serves 1)
Prep time: 5 minutes
- 2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup blueberries and strawberries
- Homemade granola
- 1 teaspoon honey
Combine yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, granola, and honey. Enjoy!
Why Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt?
Yogurt has many health benefits, but Greek yogurt is especially beneficial for its higher protein content.
4. Veggie Bowl
Vegetables are some of the hardest foods to incorporate into breakfast — without making an omelette, that is. These cauliflower bowls will help you boost your veggie servings starting first thing in the morning.
Avocado Cauliflower Breakfast Bowl (serves 1)
Prep time: 20 minutes
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- Olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups cauliflower
- 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- Baby spinach
- 1 green onion (optional)
In a small bowl, combine avocado, lime juice, and garlic powder and mash together with a fork. Set aside.
In another small bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, and pepper. Also set aside.
Over medium heat in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil. Sauté mushrooms in oil and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking mushrooms until golden brown, then scoop into a third bowl and set aside.
Raising to medium-high heat, drizzle more olive oil and cook cauliflower and cook until crisp, about 4-5 minutes. You can season the cauliflower with garlic powder, salt, and pepper if you choose. Add cooked cauliflower to serving bowl.
Turning skillet back down to medium heat, return mushrooms to heat and add baby spinach (required) and minced green onions (if desired). Sauté spinach and onions for 30 seconds, then add whisked eggs and scramble.
Add egg mixture to cauliflower. Serve warm.
Is avocado as healthy as its hype?
Absolutely. Granted, healthy fat is still fat — you can’t just start eating 50 avocados a day and assume you’re fine. But they’re a pretty good butter replacement.
5. Quinoa Bowl
Quinoa and oats fall into the same grain category, but they don’t taste the same. If you want a grain with a slightly different texture and taste, give quinoa a try.
Spiced Quinoa Breakfast Bowl (serves 3)
Prep time: 25 minutes
- 2 cups almond milk
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
In a medium saucepan, add almond milk, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to water and bring to a boil. Stir in quinoa and reduce to low heat.
Cover saucepan with lid and let quinoa mixture simmer about 20 minutes, until quinoa is tender and has absorbed the almond milk.
Stir in honey (required) and vanilla extract (if desired) and serve warm.
Why you need more quinoa in your life
Quinoa is a whole grain, which is the healthiest form of any grain. Cereals and breads don’t always contain whole grains, but if you’re starting with raw quinoa, you’re already doing your body a huge favor.
6. Mexican Breakfast Bowl
If tacos are your favorite food group, you will absolutely love this Mexican cuisine-inspired breakfast bowl. Thankfully, if cilantro isn’t your thing, you can just leave it out.
Black Bean and Queso Breakfast Bowl (serves 1)
Prep time: 15 minutes
- 1/2 cup black beans, canned
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- Cilantro
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
- 1 cup spinach leaves, torn into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Large egg
- Queso
- Salsa (optional)
In a small saucepan, combine black beans, garlic clove, cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the mixture before bringing to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer 5 minutes partially covered.
As bean mixture simmers, slice avocado and set it aside.
After bean mixture finishes simmering, add cooked quinoa and spinach leaves. If desired, add salt. Mix ingredients together to combine. Let cook 5 minutes, partially covered, while frying your egg (next step).
In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Crack an egg into the skillet, season with pepper, and cook until cooked to your desired texture.
Remove garlic clove and cilantro stems from bean and quinoa mixture. Transfer what’s left of the mixture to a serving bowl. Top with sliced avocado and fried egg. You can garnish with additional cilantro if you so desire.
Add queso and salsa and serve warm.
Is cheese healthy?
Yes. A little saturated fat from animal sources (e.g., cheese) isn’t a bad thing. Any way you can add more protein to your breakfast bowls is worth it.
7. Eggs and Sausage Bowl
Eggs and breakfast meat are a classic staple in early morning kitchens. Take a unique spin on a classic recipe and make it into a protein-packed bowl you won’t be able to resist.
Eggs, Sausage, and Mozzarella Breakfast Bowl (serves 1)
Prep time: 5 minutes
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat milk
- 1 cooked sausage patty, chopped
- 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese, shredded
Whisk together egg and milk together in a bowl and add sausage.
Transfer egg mixture to skillet and scramble. Put back into new bowl, add mozzarella cheese, and serve.
If microwaving, cook egg mixture, covered, about 45 seconds. Push cooked egg to middle and cook another 45 seconds.
How often can you eat eggs to stay healthy?
You can eat eggs as often as you want to — unless you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol. For those with normal cholesterol levels, eating eggs isn’t a sin. Dietary cholesterol doesn’t affect blood cholesterol the way scientists used to think — enjoy your protein.
8. Muesli Bowl
Muesli, another member of the grain family, also provides a unique texture and taste compared to other grains.
Toasted Muesli Breakfast Bowl (serves 1)
Prep time: 45 minutes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 cup muesli
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 3 teaspoons sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon coconut flakes
- Cinnamon
On a medium skillet, add oil and honey. Bring to medium-high heat and stir oil and honey as both ingredients melt.
In a bowl, combine muesli, chia seeds, sliced almonds, coconut flakes, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add this to melted honey mixture. Mix together on medium-low heat.
As mixture continues to cook, stir to cook muesli evenly. Muesli should be golden brown on all sides by the time cooking is complete.
Cook muesli mixture 15 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes.
You can combine muesli with fruit, yogurt, or milk to add more protein, fiber, and flavor to your breakfast bowl.
Is muesli healthier than oatmeal?
Compared to most breakfast cereals, muesli is fairly low in calories and sugar.
9. Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie bowls look beautiful, but they also taste amazing — and they can be extremely healthy, too. Just make them a breakfast treat, and don’t have them every day.
Blueberry Oat Smoothie Bowl (serves 2)
Prep time: 10 minutes
- 2 frozen bananas
- 2 non-frozen bananas
- 4 dates
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- Toppings of your choice
Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Add additional toppings, if desired. Possible smoothie bowl toppings include additional banana slices, fresh strawberries, unsalted almonds, and coconut flakes.
Explore more healthy and delicious smoothie bowl recipes.
Don’t smoothie bowls have a LOT of sugar?
Smoothie bowls are usually a blend of fruit, seeds, nuts, and sometimes grains. As long as you’re limiting your portions — and you’re eating more than just smoothies every day — fruit and nuts won’t hurt you.
1o. Spinach Bowl
There’s a reason spinach shows up as a primary ingredient in so many recipes. You can find it at almost every meal — which is great, since it’s an extremely healthy dark leafy green veggie.
Spinach and Rice Breakfast Bowl (serves 1)
Prep time: 15 minutes
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, seasoned
- 1/2 cup spinach, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- Hot sauce (optional)
Fill a sauce pan with 1 inch of water. Boil water over high heat, covered.
Once boiling, add large egg, re-cover, and let steam 6 minutes. Rinse egg with cold water and peel.
In a bowl, as the egg steams, add 1/2 cup of seasoned brown rice and spinach. Microwave on high 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Season with salt, pepper, and butter.
Add cooked and peeled egg to bowl, drizzle on hot sauce (if desired), and serve.
Why is spinach one of the best vegetables you can eat?
Spinach is healthy — but it’s also extremely versatile. You’ve probably seen spinach added to almost everything, which is great for breakfast lovers. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your spinach in the kitchen.
A bowl of oatmeal for breakfast — with the right toppings — can provide great nutrition and something tasty before your day officially kicks off. But you can enjoy a healthy mix of fruits, vegetables, and other grains and protein sources in place of those same old oats. Whether you blend yourself a smoothie bowl or put a classic spin on bacon and eggs, create breakfast bowls you love so much you’re going to want to have each one again for lunch … and dinner … and a midnight snack (guilty).