40+ Best Healthy Breakfast Ideas

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Start your day right with these easy and healthy breakfast ideas! With more than 40 delicious breakfast recipes, you’ll never get bored. Choose from quick grab-and-go options, to brunch classics, to big batch meal preps, and everything in between!

Huevos rancheros on a white plate topped with slices of avocado.

Create A Well-Rounded, Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast is such an important part of a your morning ritual – it sets the mood for the rest of your day! So take a little time to plan out well-rounded breakfasts packed with tasty, nutritious ingredients (aka. meals that will get you excited to wake up in the morning). Here’s a few things to keep in mind while planning your list of breakfast ideas:

  • Create protein-packed meals to fuel you for the day. While eggs are the most common protein option, don’t forget about the power of chia seeds, hemp seeds, oatmeal, nuts, and nut butters.
  • Sneak in greens where you can – it’s easy! I always say, the more greens the better! Meals such as scrambles, hashes, egg muffins, or casseroles make it easy to add leafy greens and *all* the veggies.
  • Mix up sweet and savory options throughout the week. For those mornings when you don’t want something savory, it is possible to have better-for-you sweet options that don’t come in a cereal box. Make a batch of chia pudding, creamy overnight oats, or yogurt to enjoy throughout the week!
Breakfast doesn't get much better than garlic sautéed asparagus topped with prosciutto, a perfectly poached egg and a few shavings of parmesan.

Eggs For Breakfast, But Better

A fried or poached egg is truly a blank canvas. Dress it up with colorful proteins and veggies such as spiralized sweet potato or sautéed greens.

Best breakfast ideas with baked eggs and eggs benedict.
  • Asparagus With Poached Egg And Prosciutto: This one looks extra fancy, but all you really need to do is sauté asparagus, add a slice of prosciutto, and top it with a poached egg and shaved parmesan.
  • Breakfast Tacos: Elevate your scrambled eggs by placing them in a warm tortilla with bacon, onion, cheese, and diced avocado.
  • Spiralized Sweet Potato Egg Nests: If you have a spiralizer, this easy, nutrient-packed recipe is a fun way to enjoy sweet potatoes for breakfast!
3 omelettes on plates with forks

Staple Breakfast Recipes – Easy Eggs, Bacon and Potatoes!

Sometimes, a simple plate of eggs, bacon, and home fries is just what you need. Here’s a few basics you should know how to master.

  • Perfect Soft Boiled And Hard Boiled Eggs: If boiled eggs are your jam, I’ll walk you through how to create soft, jammy, and hard boiled eggs…perfectly.
  • Poached Eggs: These taste great on just about anything, from breakfast salads to leftover roasted veggies.
  • How To Make an Omelette: Create the perfect, pillowy omelette and fill it with your favorite savory fillings. Aka – the best fridge clean-out recipe.
  • How To Cook Bacon In Oven: If you haven’t tried cooking bacon in the oven, it’s time to hop on the trend. The results are ultra crispy!
Best breakfast ideas with bacon and poached eggs.
  • Sweet Potato Toast: This is the perfect gluten-free alternative and a great way to sneak more veggies into your morning routine.
  • Sweet Potato Hash Browns: A spin on classic hash browns with nutrient-dense sweet potato. Always a winner.
  • Skillet Breakfast Potatoes: Classic, crispy diner style home fries will always make us feel comfy cozy.
  • Garlic Sautéed Spinach: This is not as common, but I personally love sautéed spinach with a side of fried eggs and bacon for extra easy greens!
Bowls of oatmeal on a table.

Breakfast Ideas with Nuts, Oats & Chia Seeds

Need a break from eggs? Pantry staples like oats and chia seeds make for some of the easiest healthy breakfast ideas. And this is where you can have extra fun with sweet and savory flavors and toppings!

  • Easy Oatmeal Recipe: Nothing’s more cozy than a bowl of creamy, fluffy oatmeal. It’s easy, healthy, and the toppings are endless.
  • Berry Baked Oatmeal: If you’re not crazy about creamy oatmeal, you’ll love this hearty baked version!
  • Chia Seed Pudding: These little seeds are packed with antioxidants and nutrients that gel up beautifully into a deliciously creamy pudding.
  • Peanut Butter And Jelly Chia Pudding: One way to dress up chia pudding is layering almond butter, blueberry puree, blackberries, and crushed pistachios for added crunch. My personal fave!
Best breakfast ideas with chia pudding and overnight oats.
Spring vegetable frittata in a skillet on a table.

Breakfast Skillet Recipes For The Brunch Crowd

Skip the long lines and enjoy brunch with friends and family right at home! These hashes and frittatas will have your guests swooning. And the best part? They’re easy to make and look extra fancy on the table.

Best breakfast ideas with frittata and hash.
  • Kale And Butternut Squash Frittata: Come butternut squash season, this hearty frittata will steal the hearts of all brunch lovers.
  • Smoked Salmon Frittata: Amp up your frittata game with fresh smoked salmon! Mix in goat cheese, scallions, shallots and herbs for a meal that is sure to impress.
Shakshuka is an easy, healthy breakfast recipe in Israel and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. It's a simple combination of simmering tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices and gently poached eggs.

Shakshuka For Breakfast? Yes Please!

Nothing beats a hot pan of shakshuka for breakfast. But if you can’t eat tomatoes, I’ve got some veggie-heavy options to add to your list of breakfast ideas. Besides, variety is fun!

  • Shakshuka: This simple combo of simmering tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices and poached eggs is always a win. Especially since it only takes 30 minutes to make.
  • Green Shakshuka: For the ultimate greens spin, fill your shakshuka base with shaved Brussels sprouts, spinach, zucchini, and spices.
  • Orange Shakshuka: Once fall hits, turn roasted butternut squash into the most delicious and vibrant shakshuka!

A plate of potato pancakes with a fork.

Feel-Good Breakfast Pancakes & Waffles

While these might be considered weekend brunch favorites, you can also freeze them to easily reheat on weekday mornings! Just pop them into a toaster or microwave, drizzle a little syrup or jam, and breakfast is done.

  • Potato Pancakes: If you’ve got leftover mashed potatoes, this is a deliciously savory pancake variation you’ll love!
  • Superseed Buckwheat Waffles: Amp up your waffles with superfoods such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds and layers of fresh fruit on top.
  • Paleo Pancakes: My signature paleo pancakes are unbelievably pillowy, and will surely put a smile on your face.
Best breakfast ideas with pancakes and waffles.
Best breakfast ideas with muffins and banana bread.

Healthy Breakfast Baked Goodies

For those days where you’re craving warm, fluffy bread, these recipes are incredibly easy to make. And whether you’re a single person or four person household, whip up a second batch anyways. It’ll help cover a few days worth of breakfast.

  • Paleo Blueberry Muffins: These moist and fluffy muffins dotted with fresh blueberries are a sweet and juicy way to start your morning.
  • Paleo Zucchini Bread: With how good and moist this bread is, you won’t even know there’s sneaky zucchini in there.
  • Best Paleo Banana Bread: You can never go wrong with a slice of banana bread, especially with a spread of homemade almond butter!
  • Paleo Banana Nut Muffins: Soft, warm muffins with crunchy walnuts and fresh banana flavor? Count me in!
  • Paleo Pumpkin Bread: This is made quick and easy in one bowl. Plus, it will satisfy all your cold-weather pumpkin cravings.
A variety of egg muffins on a table.

Breakfast Casserole Recipes and All The Baked Eggs

You really can’t beat all-in-one meals filled with hearty, healthy ingredients that make mornings a breeze. And pro tip…these are perfect for meal prep and grab-and-go!

Best breakfast ideas with yogurt and acai bowl.

Refreshing, Fruity, & Creamy Breakfast Ideas

Looking to kickstart your morning with something sweet, fruity, and refreshing? Say hello to yogurts, smoothies, and my all-time favorite acai bowls.

  • Homemade Yogurt: If you love yogurt, it may be time to pick up a yogurt maker. It’s incredibly easy to make at home and the results are so creamy and delicious!
  • Coconut Yogurt With Blood Oranges And Cacao Nibs: Citrus and chocolate always work together so well together.
  • Acai Bowl: Oh yes, this sweet and refreshing smoothie bowl is packed with antioxidants and topped with fruity goodness.
  • Clean Green Smoothie Bowl: Instead of drinking a green smoothie, turn it into a smoothie bowl. It’s extra refreshing and topped with fresh fruits.
  • Peach Breakfast Smoothie: Blended with fresh peaches, yogurt, chia seeds and a few spices – it’s like a healthy sweet treat for breakfast.

If you make any of these breakfast ideas, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below. And for more meal inspiration, check out the best easy dinner ideas!

Best healthy breakfast ideas with chia pudding and huevos rancheros

40+ Best Healthy Breakfast Ideas

5 from 8 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Chill Time: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Start your day right with easy, healthy, and flavorful breakfast ideas! You'll love this peanut butter and jelly chia pudding!

Ingredients  

  • 1/2 cup chia seeds
  • 2 cups milk , or non-dairy milk
  • 4 tablespoon almond butter or peanut butter
  • 1 pint blueberries, plus more for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoon chopped pistachios, for garnish

Instructions 

  • Stir together chia seeds and milk in a bowl. Let the chia seeds sit for 10-15 minutes, then give them another stir.
  • Place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight to chill and gel up.
  • Make the blueberry puree by adding one pint of blueberries and one tablespoon of honey to a small pot on medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently and use the back of a spoon to mash the blueberries up and break them down. 
  • Transfer the puree into a storage container and let it chill in the fridge.
  • To assemble, add half of the chia pudding to a bowl. Top with about 2 tablespoons of blueberry puree and 2 tablespoons of almond butter. Then garnish with fresh berries and pistachios.

Nutrition

Calories: 658kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 710mg | Fiber: 25g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 174IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 405mg | Iron: 5mg
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Breakfast Ideas, Breakfast recipes, Healthy Breakfast Ideas
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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18 Comments

  1. Great ideas, thank u for ur overnight oats. I made it sometimes, the different fruits that goes well together with the oat, was very informative. Keep me posted.5 stars

  2. Sorry, I’m a little behind the times. This is the best site I’ve seen for healthy meals. Is there a way to “follow it”, so ideas come into my inbox?5 stars

    1. You can subscribe to my email list (which is free)! I always send out one email a week with new recipes + videos. You can subscribe on my homepage :)

  3. Thanks for such yummy breakfast collection. Everything looks super delicious and best meal for the start of an amazing day.

  4. Every Sunday since covid hit we’ve been doing a family brunch on Sunday’s. It won’t last when life returns to normal but I’m so happy to find all these breakfast recipes to carry us through a little longer!5 stars

  5. OMG! What a beautiful and delicious collection of breakfast recipes. I feel that I do not need to look for anything more! I am so happy I have found your post. :)5 stars