Home Wellness Diet & Nutrition 10 Healthiest Breakfast Ideas for Busy Nurses

April 18, 2015

29560 Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Save healthy breakfast for nurses A healthy breakfast for nurses is important in fueling up on energy to start the day right. Most nurses skip breakfast at home hoping to have time for it at work. But in reality, having the chance to sit down for a meal is rare in the middle of a busy shift.

For this reason, it is best to have your breakfast before you head off to work. Even if your daily routine is always hectic, don’t let it be an excuse in skipping breakfast. Try these quick and healthy breakfast ideas for busy nurses. And if your curiosity is piqued by the yummy photos below, just click on the image to get to the actual recipes!

1. Overnight Oats

recipe “Berryful” from: www.katheats.com

This is dubbed as the ultimate lazy person’s breakfast.

All you need to do is to combine ½ cup of milk with 1/3 cup of rolled oats and leave the mixture overnight in a refrigerator.

By morning, you will have a creamy and tasty oatmeal breakfast. In case you forget to prepare your oats overnight, you can get the instant no-cook variety. Just add hot water and you’ll be good to go.

You can spice up this very easy and flexible dish with healthy add-ons like sliced fruit, nuts, cinnamon spice, yoghurt, or peanut butter. For chocolate lovers, you can add cocoa powder to your overnight oats.

For a power boost, add chia or flax seeds. The possibilities are quite endless!

2. Fruit Soup 

“Strawberry Soup” from nytimes.com

This cool breakfast meal also works great as an on-the-go snack at work. Slice fruits like apple, banana, mango and mixed berries. Toss the chopped fruits in a bowl of cold milk. You can also add fresh fruit juices like orange and lemon juice to add more flavor to this sweet treat.

Preparation only takes 5 minutes and you can even prepare it the night before.

3. Muffin Mug

Do you like freshly baked muffins for breakfast but don’t have time to bake?

Fortunately, there is a muffin recipe that cooks within a minute in a microwave!

Take an egg, a quarter cup of quick oats, and some berries. Add a bit of brown sugar or raw honey to taste. You can also add a tablespoon of your choice of milk (like almond milk) if you want your muffin to be moist.

Pop the mixture into the microwave for 1-2 minutes and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overflow. If the muffin top doesn’t look too firm yet, microwave again for another 30 seconds.

You can change up this recipe by adding complementary ingredients like fruits, nuts, chocolate, pumpkin, and even meat deli.

4. Quinoa Fruit Salad 

“Quinoa Fruit Salad” from the cravegallery.com

A healthy breakfast for nurses should be packed with protein to boost energy at work. Quinoa is a great option because it is high in protein and other essential amino acids. To have a bowl of quinoa fruit salad, simply cook quinoa according to package instructions. You can add in your choice of milk like almond milk, cow’s milk or soy milk.

Once cooked, add slices of your favorite fresh fruits and spice it up with cinnamon or nutmeg.

5. Microwaved Egg with Vegetables

Are you craving for a savory and tasty meal? Scrambled eggs with vegetables will satisfy your cravings. Even better, this recipe cooks in just a minute in a microwave.

Just mix two well-beaten eggs and sliced vegetables like cabbage, zucchini or tomatoes in a microwave-safe container. Add cheese for extra flavor. Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds and stir afterwards. After stirring, microwave it for another 30 seconds. Within three to five minutes of cooking and preparation, you will have a tasty and savory breakfast meal.

6. Banana and Peanut Butter Smoothie

“Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie” from chocolatecoveredkatie.com

If you are looking for a breakfast you can eat on the way to work, a smoothie is best for you. A banana and peanut butter smoothie is ideal because it is packed with energy boosting vitamins and minerals.

To make this smoothie, toss a frozen banana, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, a cup of almond milk or soy milk and some ice cubes in a blender. Once blended, pour it in a mason jar and drink on the way to work.

7. Packed Leftovers leftover recipes

“Leftovers, Recomposed (Couscous with Zucchini, a Fried Egg, and Truffle Oil)” from herbivoracious.com

If you have plenty of leftover food from yesterday’s dinner, use it to make quick morning meals. Place a cup of leftover veggies or meat in a microwave-safe container and top with a cracked egg. Microwave it for 30 to 60 seconds until the egg hardens. Add some freshly grated cheese on top before eating.

8. Homemade Granola homemade granola recipe

“Homemade Granola” from myrecipes.com

Granola is a multi-grain snack packed with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.

It’s an easy meal you can prepare for breakfast to have a quick energy fix.

It is best to prepare your own homemade granola since commercial ones are packed with preservatives and too much sugar. It takes thirty minutes to create a homemade granola but you can prepare it once a week and divide the mixture by batches to serve as breakfasts or snacks every day.

9. Peanut Butter Strawberry Wrap

“Peanut Butter- Strawberry Wrap” from womenshealthmag.com

This meal is ready to eat within ten minutes. You will need tortillas, peanut butter and some sliced fruit like bananas or strawberries. Spread peanut butter generously on the tortilla wrapper and top it with your fruit of choice. Roll it up and it is ready to eat.

10. Chia Breakfast Pudding

“Coconut Chia Pudding” from popsugar.com

Chia is rich in fiber, protein, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals essential in boosting up energy. These seeds soak up water up to ten times their weight so they are great as a satisfying and hydrating meal. Like overnight oats, you will need to soak chia seeds in a bowl of milk and leave the mixture overnight in the refrigerator. By morning, add your choice of fruits, nuts and spices like cinnamon for a rich and tasty breakfast meal.

Having a healthy breakfast for nurses is as important as having dinner after a busy shift in the hospital. There are lots of quick, easy, and healthy breakfast recipes so there’s no need to skip breakfast. Remember that you should take care of yourself well so you will have the energy to take care of other people too as a nurse. 

Wake up to an irresistible weekend breakfast that’s super quick!

French toast will always be a staple for leisurely weekend breakfasts. So skip the McDonald's line and Cracker Barrel crowds and make brunch at home this weekend!

Pile of French Toast on a rustic white plate, doused with maple syrup and topped with a pat of melting butter and strawberries.  You know when you feel like making something grand-ish for a weekend breakfast and but you’re too bleary to tackle a fancy quiche or omelet?

French toast is your answer. Always. Why? Because it’s effortless, and there’s a plethora of topping options!

How to make French Toast

Whisk 2 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp vanilla.

Dunk bread of choice (stale is best), then pan fry in butter until blushing gold on the surface and crispy golden on the edges, then douse liberally with maple syrup.

See? Effortless!

What does French Toast taste like? It’s sort of like Bread and Butter pudding. Custardy on the inside with buttery crispy golden edges, it’s even great to eat plain but, like pancakes, ideal for smothering in maple syrup! 

The best bread for French Toast

Raisin the Roof, Dave's Killer Raisin bread is my bread of choice. But many recipes call for a buttery brioche – as pictured in the photos.   It’s a total shameless indulgence, a copycat of trendy local bistros that charge a small fortune. While in my opinion, the best bread is raisin bread, brioche is, hands down the most indulgent;

Challah is also excellent – similar texture to Brioche but not as buttery; Good ole’ white sandwich bread, especially thick Texas toast;

Other plain white breads – even rolls and baguette cut into slices ; Crusty artisan breads (sourdough etc). 

French toast topping options

From everybody’s favorite maple syrup, to fresh fruit, caramelized fruit, compotes or fruit syrups, ice cream (for breakfast!), chocolate and caramel sauces, nuts, BACON (yes, yes, YES!!!), and even crushed frosted corn flakes…..

So many amazing possibilities, but I’ll tell you a secret: My favorite is plain French Toast, dipped in crushed frosted corn flakes with just maple syrup and a little pat of butter.

Adding fruit on the side, such as sliced strawberries or bananas allows you to get a better nutritional balance.  And if you're still hungry, and still awake, how about some bacon or sausage?  These can be cooked simply by putting them in your air fryer.  No mess!

(I've already made my shopping list for this morning's trip after work!)