Boy, life is busy. Between rushing out of the door to work, quickly getting your kids to their practices/lessons and running errands on top of errands, healthy meals and snacks can fall to the wayside. Being on the go doesn’t limit you to fast food drive-thru or gas station snacks. With a small (like, really small) amount of preparation, you can eat healthy while still tackling all the tasks that consume your day.
We have collected some great breakfast, snack and lunch recipes to fuel your through your busiest days.
Breakfast on the Go
I am sure you are no stranger to rushed or hectic mornings. Drop that prepackaged breakfast bar, stop hitting up the drive-thru first thing in the morning and opt for some of these extremely simple, nutritious, grab + go breakfast ideas.
Baked Breakfast Oatmeal Cups
You can eat these cups on their own or dollop Greek yogurt on top and top with berries!
Ingredients
2 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup Cashew Nuts
2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
1/2 cup Dates , without pecks (14 pcs)
1 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt / Sea Salt
1 tbsp Honey
2 Ripe Bananas
Greek Yogurt (optional)
Raspberries (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl mash bananas with fork, add oats, sesame seeds, honey, salt and mix well.
- Finely chop dates and nuts. Add them to the mixture and mix until well combined.
- Line a muffin tin with cupcake cases and fill each case with the mixture.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/350F for 20 minutes.
- Once ready, take them out and let them cool completely.
- Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a raspberry on top (optional).
Recipe Courtesy of Happy Foods Tube
Serving Size: 1 oatmeal cup Yield: 8 cups Total Time: 30 min.
Nutrition Facts per serving
Calories: 238 Fat: 9g Carbs: 34g Sugar: 12g Protein: 6g
Kale + Egg Breakfast Cups
These breakfast cups are full of flavor and easy to bring along on your busy mornings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
8 ounces mushrooms thinly sliced
½ pound chicken sausage (or protein of choice)
3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped
2 cups chopped kale
8 ounces feta cheese crumbled
6 eggs – or 12 egg whites (1 ½ cup liquid egg whites)
Cooking spray
12- cup muffin pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add olive oil, then saute onion for 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute one additional minute.
- Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Then add chicken sausage, and cook 6 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Break the sausage up into small pieces. Add sun-dried tomatoes and incorporate fully.
- Add kale and cook about 2 minutes, until it wilts slightly.
- Turn off heat then stir in feta
- Spray muffin pan, then add ingredients evenly to each muffin cup.
- Pour equal amount of egg into each cup, filling to just below the rim.
- Bake until the eggs have set, about 25-30 minutes.
Recipe Courtesy of Taste and See
Serving Size: 1 egg cup Yield: 12 cups Total Time: 45 min.
Nutrition Facts per serving
Calories: 146 Fat: 8g Carbs: 8g Sugar: 5g Protein: 10g
Breakfast Burrito Bites
These easy burrito bites are great to make ahead, they freeze well and you can get creative with the toppings.
Ingredients
8 eggs or 16 egg whites ( 2 cups of liquid egg whites)
¼ cup milk of choice
Grated cheddar cheese (optional)
3 flour tortillas
Toppings – you can use whatever topping you’d like. Examples – spinach, red peppers, bacon, ham, tomatoes, mushroom, zucchini (if you are using meats, make sure you pre-cook them)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cut tortillas into quarters
- Grease muffin pan and press tortillas into each tin – creating a nice cup
- In a large bowl, add eggs
- Add milk and whisk well, add salt and pepper to taste
- Finely chop toppings and add toppings to each tortilla cup
- Pour egg mixture evenly into each cup. Sprinkle with cheese (optional)
- Bake, covered with foil for 25 minutes or until egg is cooked through
Recipe Courtesy of Ella Claire & Co
Serving Size: 2 egg cups Yield: 12 cups Total Time: 45 min.
Nutrition Facts per serving (with egg whites and no toppings included):
Calories: 106 Fat: 2g Carbs: 8g Sugar: 7g Protein: 11g
Looking for more portable breakfast ideas? We have you covered here (link portable breakfast blog)
Grab+ Go Snacks
Snacking is a great way to keep you fueled through your busy day, especially if meals times are inconsistent throughout the day. Having healthy, portion-controlled snacks will help you stay on track with healthy eating as the day goes on.
Homemade Trail Mix
Ingredients
1/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp. mini dark chocolate chips
Instructions
Combine ingredients in a bowl and store in an air-tight container
Serving Size: ¼ cup of mixture Yield: 6 servings Total Time: 5 min
Nutrition Facts per serving:
Calories: 200 Fat: 15g Carbs: 14g Sugar: 8g Protein: 10g
Greek Yogurt Peanut Butter Dip + Apples
This dip is a fun twist on traditional peanut butter and it will give you sustainable energy
Ingredients
½ cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
1 medium apple
Instructions
Mix Greek Yogurt, peanut butter and honey or maple syrup into bowl. Store in fridge until ready to use. Pair with a a medium apple or other fruit
Recipe Courtesy of Haute and Healthy
Serving Size: ½ cup Yield: 1 servings Total Time: 5 min
Nutrition Facts per serving:
Calories: 253 Fat: 8g Carbs: 36g Sugar: 28g Protein: 15g
Energy Bites
These energy bites are convenient and oh so tasty. It’s the perfect snack to satisfy that sweet tooth.
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup ground flaxseed
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup almond butter or natural peanut butter
¼ cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in medium-sized bowl
- Form into 24 one-inch balls
- Store in fridge up to one week or in the freezer up to three months
Serving Size: 2 energy bites Yield: 12 servings (24 bites) Total Time: 15 min
Nutrition Facts per serving:
Calories: 253 Fat: 8g Carbs: 36g Sugar: 28g Protein: 15g
Fast and Nutritious Lunches
Portable lunches are perfect for those who don’t have consistent lunch breaks during their day and find themselves holding out until dinner on those super busy days.
Wraps
Wraps are a great way to put nutritious and filling foods in the palm of your hand (literally). Check out some of these simple and nutritious wrap recipes.
California Turkey Club
Ingredients
1 Spinach Tortilla Wrap (or wrap of choice)
2 oz Deli-cut Turkey
2 sliced cooked turkey bacon
2 oz avocado sliced
2 slices tomato
Handful of spinach
Instructions
Add ingredients to middle of wrap. Wrap ingredients tightly. Store in airtight container and wrapper in saran wrap.
Serving Size: 1 wrap Yield: 1 wrap Total Time: 10 min
Nutrition Facts per serving:
Calories: 311 Fat: 16g Carbs: 25g Sugar: 3g Protein: 21g
Veggie Mediterranean Wrap
Ingredients
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 medium tomato, diced
¼ red onion, diced
¼ green pepper, diced
4 Tbsp chopped kalamata olives
1 can of chickpeas, mashed
7 Tbsp of Tzatziki Sauce (homemade or bought)
Spinach
4 large tortillas
Instructions
- Combine cucumber, tomato, red onion, green pepper and black olives in bowl
- Drain and rinse chickpeas and mash with hands or a fork
- Add 3 tbsp tzatziki sauce to mashed chickpeas and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well
- Construct wraps with a handful of spinach, chickpeas, mixed chopped vegetables and a dollop (~1 tbsp) of tzatziki.
- **You can toast finished wraps in a dry pan over medium heat if you are eating immediately.
Serving Size: 1 wrap Yield: 4 wraps Total Time: 10 min
Nutrition Facts per serving:
Calories: 227 Fat: 6g Carbs: 33g Sugar: 4g Protein: 14g
Bento Boxes
Okay, these are basically the grown-up, healthy version of lunchables. Bento boxes are a great way to have a healthy lunch at hand without a major added effort. Get creative with the combination of foods you choose for these on-the-go lunches.
Here are 5 ideas for a nutritious Bento Box
Turkey + Hummus (Makes 2 boxes)
16 deli-cut turkey slices
2 Cups Mixed Veggies (cucumber ,carrots, cherry tomatoes)
½ cup hummus
4 Cheese sticks
Meat + Cheese (Makes 2 boxes)
1 cup sliced kielbasa, ham or salami
1 cup sliced cheddar cheese
2 cups crackers
2 cups raspberries & blackberries
Egg and Cheese (Makes 2 Boxes)
8 hard boiled eggs, sliced in half
2 apples, cored and sliced
1 cup sliced white cheddar cheese
1 cup grapes
1/2 cup raw almonds
Chickpea Salad (Makes 2 boxes)
Chickpea Salad
1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and mashed
1/3 cup light mayo or hummus
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
1/2 tsp dried dill
1 tsp garlic powder
Extra Veggies (carrots, celery) and Crackers to serve chickpea salad
Pizza (Makes 2 boxes)
3 Pitas, cut into small circles
½ cup pizza sauce
½ cup mozzarella cheese
½ cup mini pepperoni or turkey pepperettes, sliced
Check out The Girl on Bloor for tips on constructing your bento box
Being busy and on-the-go does not mean you have to sacrifice nutritious meals and snacks. Try out these recipes and let us know.
Have any of these recipes worked for your busy life? Let us know in our Facebook Community (link FB page)
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