Healthy Breakfast for Dinner

You know, it’s great to have a healthy, delicious meal in the Crockpot when dinner time rolls around.  And it’s great to have five or six healthy meals in the freezer, ready to ease your dinner dilemma on a crazy busy day.  And it’s really wonderful to have a pantry full of ingredients that allow you to throw together a healthy family dinner in minutes.

But you know what?  Some nights, not a single one of those things is going to happen at your house. Or mine. It’s just not going to happen.

Maybe you forgot to put something in the Crockpot.  Maybe you’re out of groceries.  Maybe your day fell apart and nothing went as planned.

Or maybe it’s one of those days when you feel ill-equipped for the responsibility of feeding a family. (Or is that just me?!?!)  Whatever the reason, sometimes dinner time rolls around and you just don’t have a plan.

But don’t despair. For all of those evenings when a trip through the drive-thru for burgers and fries is looking like your only option, here’s a better one – breakfast for dinner.

It makes sense, doesn’t it?  You’re tired, and people are hungry.  Breakfast for dinner is easy, and almost everyone loves it.  And most breakfast foods require just a few staples, so you can probably make a healthy breakfast for dinner with things you already have on hand.

And, as a bonus, many breakfasts can be make with real, healthy food ingredients. They tend to rely on simple, basic foods, like eggs, cheese, grains and fruit.

If you find yourself needing an emergency dinner, here are 6 healthy breakfasts for dinner that can get you out of a jam:

• Scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast with butter and jam, fresh fruit – This is the simplest breakfast for dinner of all. (Well, maybe a bowl of cereal is simpler!) Scramble some eggs, toast and butter whole wheat bread, and serve with any fresh fruit you have on hand.

• French toast made with whole wheat bread, uncured bacon, fresh fruit – (See my easy bacon cooking tip below.) Make French toast with eggs, milk, whole wheat bread and cinnamon and vanilla (optional, but delicious). Serve with uncured bacon (or not, if you don’t have it on hand) and fresh fruit.

• Make-your-own oatmeal bar – Cook a big pot of oatmeal.  Put add-in ingredients, like raisins, other dried fruit, nuts, coconut, maple syrup, and peanut butter, in small bowls.  Let each family member create his or her own bowl of oatmeal.  Serve with fresh fruit.

• Baked oatmeal – I like this recipe from Juggling Real Food and Real Life.  Serve with whole wheat toast and fresh fruit.

• Whole wheat pancakes – I love this recipe from Eat at Home Cooks.  I make it with 1/2 white whole wheat flour and 1/2 unbleached regular flour.  Serve with uncured bacon and fresh fruit.

• Omelet or fritatta – You can cook a fritatta (an open omelet) on the stove or in the oven (like this Oven Fritatta with Vegetables).  If you have time, add a few sauteed veggies.  If not, just add grated cheese.  Serve with whole wheat toast and fresh fruit.

• Breakfast burritos – Saute chopped vegetables (frozen are fine) and/or warm some black beans. Scramble eggs and divide them among whole wheat tortillas or wraps, add vegetables and/or beans, cheese and salsa and roll them into burritos. Serve with fresh fruit.

• Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches – Cook uncured bacon (see easy bacon cooking tip below) and drain well. Toast whole wheat bread, spread lightly with mayonnaise, and add bacon, lettuce or spinach, and sliced tomatoes. Serve with fresh fruit.

(Need more quick and healthy meal ideas? Download my free ebook – 24 Quick and Healthy Family Meals.)

So, the next time your dinner plan – or your entire day – falls apart, don’t think “Drive-thru, here we come.”  Instead think, “Wouldn’t breakfast taste good tonight?” Then whip up one of these easy healthy breakfast for dinner ideas.

Do you ever make breakfast for dinner?  What are your favorite healthy breakfast foods that can become dinner on a hectic day?  Please share your ideas in the Comments – I would love to hear from you.

Easy way to cook bacon – I love to cook bacon in the oven. It saves hands-on cooking time and clean-up time (it’s easier and cleaner than cooking it in a pan). I preheat the oven to 400, line a large baking sheet with extra wide aluminum foil (for easier clean-up), and lay out the bacon on the foil. I cook it for 10 minutes, then remove the baking sheet (carefully – it’s hot and has hot bacon grease on it!) and turn all of the slices. Then I continue cooking it for 5 to 10 more minutes, depending on how crisp I want it to be. I love this method of cooking bacon – just be sure to be very careful with the hot baking sheet and grease.