Healthy Budget Breakfasts For The New Year!

Guess what? It’s 2015!! Which is weird. This is the year of my 10-year high school reunion. I won't be there, cause, ya know, that's far away. But still. It's happening, and most people I know from high school will be going. I assume it will be fun! But also maybe weird? I don't know.

Also, RESOLUTIONS. People do them. I was actually planning a whole budget month of really frugal meals and meal plans. And then plans changed and…I'm leaving for Japan on January 22nd! That's 2 months earlier than I planned! So, that's happening. I'll be sure to keep you guys in the loop…and to write some real food budget traveler's tips that I pick up along the way!

Anyway, now it's time to talk about other people's resolutions. They're very often about healthy eating and saving money. SO, here I am with a list of Budget-Friendly Real Food Breakfast ideas! And, yes, that means there will be follow-up posts covering lunch and dinner as well. I promise.

Without further ado :

Healthy Budget Breakfasts for The New Year!

1. Paleo Egg Muffins 

• $0.83 Per Serving
• Make Ahead, Paleo, Vegetarian

The picture is old so it isn't the prettiest - but you get it! They're little frittatas, baked in muffin cups for early morning convenience. Two egg muffins = one serving.

2. Hard-Boiled Egg + Banana w/ Peanut Butter

• $0.60 Per Serving
• Make Ahead, Vegetarian, (Paleo if you sub the PB for almond butter)

This is another fast go-to breakfast for early mornings. Make the hard-boiled eggs in advance, peel them, and store them in a container or plastic bag. Slice in half and add a little salt & pepper. For the banana, you can spoon the peanut butter right on the banana, or slice it in half to make it a little fancier. This is chunky PB, and yeah, it looks strange. But it is delicious.

3. Toast - Avocado, Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Kerrygold Butter

• Per Serving: $0.71 
• Vegetarian, Vegan

TOAST IS MY FAVORITE FOOD GROUP. I try not to eat it alllll the time, but it is certainly fantastic. And I recently discovered Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Sourdough at $2.99 a bag with the following ingredients: whole wheat flour, water, sourdough starter (whole wheat flour, water), extra virgin olive oil, vital wheat gluten, salt.

I'm happy with this purchase, especially when I can slather it with things like fresh California Avocados (at 50 cents each!) and sliced tomatoes, or just my favorite Kerrygold butter. I would love a fancy toast party with things like goat cheese & honey & roasted grapes. But...that's not breakfast. Anyway, toast is good.

4. Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Biscuits & Sauteed Greens

• Per Serving: $0.70
• Vegetarian, Egg-Free, Make-Ahead

This one definitely takes a little more work, but it is an egg-free breakfast with plenty of vegetables! Make these Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Biscuits, then cut 'em open and toast 'em up while you sauté onions and greens (kale, spinach, swiss chard, collards) in olive oil. Season with salt, a little cayenne, and maybe some parmesan cheese or feta! If you find asparagus on sale, toss it on the plate! Got a little extra time for eggs, poach 'em! This is basically an inverted scramble, with vegetables being the base.

For the make-ahead version, sauté the vegetables the night before and nuke 'em in the morning while you toast your biscuit.

5. Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes (100 Days of Real Food)

• Per Serving: $1.00
• Make Ahead, Vegetarian

You guys, banana pancakes. The Best. Also, whole wheat pancakes are like a thousand times better than white flour pancakes. I couldn't tell you why, but they are. Make these banana pancakes by 100 Days of Real Food, OR make my other favorite recipe found at Pinch of Yum, and omit the brown sugar (you can replace it with honey if you want). Whole Wheat Pancakes for Two! Don't forget the REAL maple syrup. 1 Tablespoon per person is generally enough!

6. Overnight Oats (Clean Food Dirty City)

• Per Serving: $0.95
• Vegetarian, Make Ahead

2 Tablespoons chia seeds + ¼ cup rolled oats + ¼ cup plain yogurt + ½ cup milk + 2 Tablespoons almond butter + 1 Tablespoon honey. Mix it together in a jar and leave it overnight. I know, I know, overnight oats are TRENDY. But with the right ingredients, they're actually really good. I generally dislike oatmeal, but THIS is an oat-y breakfast I can get behind. If you want to get fancy, stir in a little of 100 Days of Real Food's Berry Sauce.

7. Homemade Granola and Whole Milk Yogurt

• Per Serving: $0.70
• Vegetarian, Make Ahead, Vegan (with coconut oil)

Homemade granola is delicious. If you've never made it, you're in for a treat! It's off the hook! You're probably going to want to make it Sunday night after you've already brushed your teeth. Otherwise you might eat it all in one sitting. Paired with slightly tart full-fat plain yogurt it is fantastic. Got some berries? Throw 'em on top! This Homemade Honey Vanilla Granola recipe makes somewhere between 12-16 servings, and a 32-ounce container of whole milk organic yogurt from Trader Joe's costs $3.69 and contains about 8-12 servings of yogurt.

8. Mango, Coconut, and Spinach Green Smoothie

• Per Serving: $0.75
• Paleo, Vegetarian, Vegan

This is basically the best green smoothie. Blend 2 cups of spinach with 1 cup of water until pureed. Add ½ cup coconut milk, 1 cup chopped mango, 1 banana, and blend until smooth! You can pour this into a traveler's cup, then just wash the blender by adding water and soap, blending again, and rinsing it well. Voila! Easy & fresh budget-friendly breakfast.

9. Tomato & Black Bean Scramble

• Per Serving: $0.75
• Vegetarian

It's really quite simple. You sauté a tomato, you add eggs, and scramble. Stir in the black beans and that's it. If you've got feta and salsa, they're delicious additions, but if not, no worries, the tomatoes add a lot of flavor to plain ol' scrambled eggs. (1 roma tomato, 2 eggs, half a can of black beans) If you want to make this ahead of time, you can actually just bake it together instead of making it in the morning.

10. Whole Wheat Banana Muffin + Apple

• Per Serving: $0.50
• Vegetarian, Make Ahead

Muffins are the easiest way to have a breakfast on the go. If you pair one of these 25-cent Whole Wheat Banana Muffins with an apple, you've got a light but super easy breakfast for about 50 cents! This one will get you through those morning meetings, but is also a great supplement to the smoothie if you like a more filling breakfast. There are SO MANY easy muffin options out there that don't require sugar! If you're not into banana muffins, check out these Whole Wheat Lemon Raspberry Muffins by 100 Days of Real Food, or this recipe for "anything" muffins.