Easy grab-and-go breakfasts for busy mornings

Now that it’s back-to-school time we’re all busier, but that doesn’t mean we can skip feeding the kids (or ourselves) before we head out the door. I never leave the house without eating a healthy breakfast. In fact, I don’t do anything before breakfast. I head straight from bed to the kitchen for coffee and whole-grain cereal with fruit and skim milk. Unfortunately, since I’m half asleep I tend to eat the same thing every day. Breakfast rut!

I need to mix it up a little, even throw in a “hot item” on occasion. These four healthy EatingWell breakfast recipes make it easy to eat something delicious and different than cereal and still get out the door fast. For more quick, busy-morning breakfast recipes visit our Back-to-School guide.

Quick Breakfast Taco – To me there’s nothing quite as satisfying for breakfast as eggs. When I have eggs, I stay full and satisfied much longer than if I just have cereal. This taco includes salsa and cheese—really yummy!

Citrus Berry Smoothie – Nicci, our deputy editor of nutrition and features, and I have an ongoing debate about smoothies. She is wary of recommending them because she worries that people don’t think of them as food, and then end up eating a lot of extra stuff and having way too many calories. I understand her point, but I find smoothies totally satisfying. This one packs over 400 calories so you should think of it as your whole breakfast. The good news is it also delivers 20 grams of protein (a lot for a breakfast), 7 grams of fiber and plenty of antioxidants. Plus you can blend it, throw it in a to-go cup and take it in the car or on the bus.

Apricot-Walnut Cereal Bars – These are a great healthy make-ahead option. Bake up a batch over the weekend and then you can have them on hand to grab on your way to school or work.

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins (recipe below) – This easy recipe is a great make-ahead option and only calls for 15 minutes of active time. The muffins freeze and reheat wonderfully. Check out the make-ahead instructions below.

The secret to the sparkling flavor of these delicately crumbed muffins is the strips of lemon zest finely ground into the sugar. Enjoy the muffins warm right from the oven. Shopping tip: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole wheat. Whole-wheat pastry flour can be used as a substitute here. Both can be found in the natural-foods section of the supermarket or online from King Arthur Flour at bakerscatalogue.com.

To make ahead: Wrap each in plastic and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic, wrap muffin in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds.

1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup nonfat buttermilk (see Tip, below)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour (see Shopping Tip)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 large (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in long strips. Combine the zest and sugar in a food processor; pulse until the zest is very finely chopped into the sugar. Add buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla and pulse until blended.
3. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in raspberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups.
4. Bake the muffins until the edges and tops are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Per muffin: 185 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 245 mg sodium; 42 mg potassium.

Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.