Weekday breakfast guidance

[madcityacct]

I’d like your help re-tooling my weekday breakfast, which I eat at work.  I currently eat this Cascadian Farm granola bar which averages less than .50 per serving (using rebates and sales) and this Trader Joe's yogurt cup which averages .50 per 4oz cup.

The qualities I look for in a weekday breakfast are:
1)   Ease of preparation. (There is a microwave, fridge and toaster at work)
2)   Size and portability (I bike to work, and also pack my lunch, so weight and size are important).
3)   Nutritional value (I’d prefer to do something homemade and get away from the prepackaged stuff while making sure I get enough protein, fiber, etc.)
4)   Cost, of course.  Current breakfast is usually less than $1.

I feel I have room for improvement with my current set-up, but have gotten used to tossing this in the back-pack and heading out the door.  Need a change and need your ideas.

Thanks!

[Weedy Acres]

I've got a great egg casserole recipe that ports well and reheats well.  Are you interested in something along those lines?

[madcityacct]

@Weedy Acres
Of course - I'm open to any new ideas.  Is it something you can make a big batch of and freeze?

[bonjourliz]

You can buy a box of cascadian farm granola (or any granola, really) for way less than fifty cents a serving. CF goes on sale for $2.50/box here and they often have coupons floating around (or stuck on the boxes themselves). Their dark chocolate almond is amazing in plain greek yogurt.  Keep the granola at work and stir it into your yogurt just before you eat it.

Yogurt in a big tub is less expensive than in individual portions. I decant it into small mason jars (plastic Ball jars for the kids) as soon as I get home from the store.  We buy plain Greek yogurt and add fruit and/or honey but you could do this with any kind of yogurt.

Steel cut oatmeal soaked in yogurt overnight is a delicious meal.  Again, use a small mason jar and a big tub of yogurt.

[Hotstreak]

My go-to easy breakfast is oatmeal with a fried egg or two.  You can bring a tub of premade oatmeal to work (for the whole week), and cook eggs by microwaving them in a mug for a minute or so.  There's some protein, fiber, carbs, fat.  Should be able to do all the prep in under 3 minutes.

[rocklebock]

+1 to oatmeal and eggs. Oatmeal is pretty boring, but you can put fruit and nuts and spices and stuff in it. Mostly that's what I eat for breakfast. You can also make a bunch of hard-boiled eggs at once and keep them in the fridge.

If refined sugar is at all a concern for you, read the nutritional labels on the granola and yogurt, especially if it's marketed as "low fat". Prepared granola is so sweet that it tastes like a dessert to me, so I mix it 1:1 with raw oats. And some of those little yogurts have so much sugar, you might as well drink a soda. I buy a big tub of plain yogurt and mix in honey/fruit/maple syrup. I was making my own granola for a while - it's fun and easy, but I couldn't consistently carve out time to do it on the weekend.

[jpo]

Granola with milk, just like cereal.

[jennifers]

I've been making home-made blueberry or raspberry oatmeal muffins lately and freezing them.  Every night before bed I take out 2 muffins to thaw for the morning.  I know muffins don't sound healthy, but I think they can be okay.  Plus they're very filling and I'm hardly hungry at lunch time.

[Beric01]

I've been making home-made blueberry or raspberry oatmeal muffins lately and freezing them.  Every night before bed I take out 2 muffins to thaw for the morning.  I know muffins don't sound healthy, but I think they can be okay.  Plus they're very filling and I'm hardly hungry at lunch time.

That sounds awesome! From a mix or from scratch?

[chicagomeg]

Instead of granola I like baked oatmeal. There are great recipes at the website Budget Bytes.

[Beric01]

+1 to oatmeal and eggs. Oatmeal is pretty boring, but you can put fruit and nuts and spices and stuff in it.

Here's my Dad's secret recipe for the best oatmeal:

Put oats in pot in water - let soak for 5 minutes first.
Then add:

• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Salt
• Applesauce or chopped apple (if applesauce add near the end)

After finishing cooking (oatmeal should be creamy), add raisins at the end. Pour on the milk and top with a little brown sugar.

It's really simple, and yet I've never tasted as good as oatmeal as I make myself. It's no wonder many people don't like it - they don't add the good stuff!

[purplepear]

Instead of granola I like baked oatmeal. There are great recipes at the website Budget Bytes.

+1 to baked oatmeal

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/08/blueberry-banana-baked-oatmeal/

I make variations of this recipe depending on what fruit I have on hand and need to get rid of. Filling, delicious, and easy. I make it on sundays, and it takes 15min of prep time and 45min in the oven. Then you have breakfast for 6 days. And it's baked, so it's easily portable.

I also hear it freezes well, though i haven't tried it.

[Goldielocks]

You may like meuseli in yogurt, given your current choices.

Dried fruits, nuts, large flake oats, other cereal grains .. Mix and store dry as a big batch.

Dump yogurt into a resueable container, top with generous serving of meuseli, cover, put in backback.  Eat within 3 hrs for best results.

This is like the steel cut oats &yogurt  suggestion, just even tastier in my opinion.

Try making yogurt yourself too, especially if you like it tangy, which is easiest style to make.  It costs the same as milk that way.  Way less than $2 per quart.

Google both for basic recipes.

[chucklesmcgee]

oats+ water---nuke. Add raisins, fruit, nuts, whatever

Add some scrambled, fried or poached eggs and you're good to go.

[milesdividendmd]

Sliced apple or banana and chunky peanutbutter.

I am a foodie and I've eaten almost nothing else since January for breakfast. It Checks all the boxes. It is delicious, nutritious, cheap, and filling.

Tastes great with a cup of coffee.

Try it for a week! It'll be even better than you think.

[Eric]

My go-to easy breakfast is oatmeal with a fried egg or two. 

+1 to oatmeal and eggs.

oats+ water---nuke. Add raisins, fruit, nuts, whatever

Add some scrambled, fried or poached eggs and you're good to go.

You guys really eat oatmeal with eggs on/in it?  I mean, I'm a fan of putting fried eggs on lots of things, but oatmeal never crossed my mind.  Seems kind of strange, but I might have to try it if it's so popular.  But, oatmeal covered in egg yolk?  Really?

[Astatine]

Our current breakfast, which you might be able to adapt and take with you in a sealed container, is a variation on bircher muesli.

Ingredients - serves two

Rolled oats (about 20g per person)
1 granny smith apple (actually, any apple is fine but the tartness of granny smith's is especially nice)
Milk OR Greek yoghurt (I have milk, hubby has yoghurt)
A few dried cranberries (optional)
Crushed flax seeds (optional)
4 or 5 strawberries (or frozen blueberries - if using these, add to the mix the night before)
1 banana (optional but so yummy)

Night before:
Grate the apple. Put the oats, cranberries and crushed flax seeds in bowls. Divide the apple between the two bowls. Add enough milk (or yoghurt) so that when you stir it the oats and apple are covered. Otherwise the apple goes brown. Put in the fridge (uncovered is fine).

In the morning:
Remove bowls from fridge. Cut the strawberries into smallish pieces and divide between the bowls. Cut the banana into slices (again, divide between the bowls). Mix and eat. Yum!

[fallstoclimb]

You guys really eat oatmeal with eggs on/in it?  I mean, I'm a fan of putting fried eggs on lots of things, but oatmeal never crossed my mind.  Seems kind of strange, but I might have to try it if it's so popular.  But, oatmeal covered in egg yolk?  Really?

Think savory oatmeal.  I prefer a rice bowl with sauteed greens, fried egg, and some soy sauce & sriracha but that obviously takes longer, so I'll do eggs & oatmeal in a pinch.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

If you're wiling to go nontraditional, celery sticks and peanut butter are easy to pack and very nutritious!

[dude]

My go-to easy breakfast is oatmeal with a fried egg or two. 

+1 to oatmeal and eggs.

oats+ water---nuke. Add raisins, fruit, nuts, whatever

Add some scrambled, fried or poached eggs and you're good to go.

You guys really eat oatmeal with eggs on/in it?  I mean, I'm a fan of putting fried eggs on lots of things, but oatmeal never crossed my mind.  Seems kind of strange, but I might have to try it if it's so popular.  But, oatmeal covered in egg yolk?  Really?

YES.  Steel-cut oats have the consistency of grits, and are amazing with butter, salt and pepper.  Toss a couple fried eggs on top, and voila!  Of course, it's even better with bacon, because well, EVERYTHING is better with bacon!!!!

[ruthiegirl]

Two hard boiled eggs and a banana is my take-with-me breakfast of choice. 

[justajane]

I want to second (or third or fourth....) the refrigerator oatmeal idea. The consistency is definitely different than regular oatmeal, but it is highly portable and I find since it is cold it gets me less hot in the morning, which would be good for someone who is biking.

Here are some good recipes:
http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal

[marblejane]

Adding to the muesli chorus. My daily breakfast right now is cold oats with raisins mixed with plain yogurt or almond milk. I have two little 9oz tupperwares that I alternate between. I dump oats in the tupperware, then dump raisins & yogurt on top. I put this tupperware on top of my lunch tupperware container in my lunch bag, which then gets bungeed to the top of my rear bike rack. Everything thus stays upright on the back of my bike, no need to worry about spills in my main bag. It's a super filling breakfast.

[rocksinmyhead]

I can't believe savory oatmeal NEVER occurred to me. I love steel cut oats, I love putting a fried egg on everything, I love savory breakfasts... I just... never even thought of this! you guys are geniuses, thanks!!

[rocklebock]

YES.  Steel-cut oats have the consistency of grits, and are amazing with butter, salt and pepper.  Toss a couple fried eggs on top, and voila!  Of course, it's even better with bacon, because well, EVERYTHING is better with bacon!!!!

I meant eating oatmeal OR eggs. Or eating them separately. But this sounds amazing and I wish that's what I had for breakfast this morning.

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

+1 on the oatmeal. We buy it in bulk from Costco (just raw oats) and we calculated out that it's exactly 10 cents per serving!! Hard to get cheaper than that. I cook mine at work every AM using the microwave. I also add in some Costco cinnamon 'cause I'm fancy like that.

[Thegoblinchief]

I eat fried eggs on top of toast almost every day, but I'll have to try them on top of oatmeal. Huh.

To the OP, homemade granola is easy and can be very quick to make. For example:

http://thegoblinchief.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/master-recipes-15-minute-stovetop-granola/

[apfroggy0408]

My past 2 go to easy breakfast ideas are -

3 boiled eggs prepared the night before

Non fat greek yogurt + sliced apple + cream pb, mix and enjoy (can use any fruit)