Make-Ahead Breakfasts

I learned an interesting thing about myself when I transitioned from working in an office every day to working from home: I do not make breakfast. When my mornings were a rush to get out the door, looking reasonably like a functional adult human being, I assumed this was because of lack of time. Sleep an extra 10 minutes, or eat a healthy breakfast? I always chose the sleep.

But now that I work from home, those 10 minutes aren't a black and white choice between sleep and eat. I could, theoretically, make myself a real, balanced meal in the morning and still get to my desk in plenty of time to dive into the workday. But I don't. I sit at the counter and drink coffee on an empty stomach, making myself sick and leaving me cranky and shaky by 10:30am. Anything to avoid actually cooking something before 9am.

To the rescue: make-ahead breakfasts that require nothing more than finding a clean spoon.

Overnight Oats

There are tons of "recipes" for overnight oats, but the premise is simple: one part oats, one part liquid, add flavorings to taste. I prefer Bob's Red Mill Muesli soaked in coconut milk*, topped with chia seeds and frozen fruit (which thaws in the overnight process).

For a creamsicle-like version, half coconut milk & half orange juice is great (though the berries can overwhelm the creamsicle flavor if you're also adding fruit on top).

*Coconut milk tends to keep me fuller longer than regular milk, and is easier on my stomach pre-workout than dairy. I buy the canned lite coconut milk (in my grocery store, it's with the Asian foodstuffs) as it's cheaper than the refrigerated box variety, lasts longer, and doesn't have stabilizers added into it. I've also done this with skim milk when I'm out of coconut milk and it works just fine.

Banana Chia Pudding

I first stumbled into this dish when I tried a Whole 30, and have kept making it long since re-introducing gluten and sugar to my diet (hello, cupcakes). Blend a banana and a 1/4-1/2 cup of coconut milk until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup of chia seeds and let sit at least overnight. Serve with fruit or other toppings to taste! (Recipe adapted from Stupid Easy Paleo.)

I make both of these in leftover jars (salsa, jelly, mustard, pickles), and eat them straight out of the jars they overnight in. They're also conveniently portable that way for mornings when I do have to put on pants and leave the house.

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