Time-saving tips for busy mornings

Hanging up the beach towel and getting back into the school and work routine can be quite a shock. There’s a seemingly endless checklist to tackle – breakfast, school bags, lunches, shoes and sunscreen – all before the bell rings and you need to settle into your desk for the day.  

With so much to do, it can seem like the easiest option is to skip your brekkie, throw an apple and a bunch of packaged snacks into kids’ lunchboxes and grab a take-away lunch later. They’re undoubtedly speedy solutions, but if you rely on them too often your health and budget will pay the price.  

So we’ll cut to the chase – after all, you don’t have time for a long read at this time of year! When it comes to food in the morning, here’s how to make it healthier, faster and easier. 

No fuss breakfasts

A healthy brekkie doesn’t need to be hard work or over complicated. It can be as simple as throwing some wholegrain cereal in a bowl with a splash of milk. Cereal is filled with iron, vitamins, fibre and whole grains that support gut health and is still one of the best value brekkies you can find too, with most costing less than 50c per serve (milk included!).  

If you have time to wait for the toaster, a couple of pieces of wholegrain toast spread with natural peanut butter and a few slices of banana is a quick and nutritious option too, providing protein, fibre and healthy fats, plus essential energy that kids (and grown-ups) need to power through their morning. 

A little meal-prep can also help make mornings easier. Try batch cooking grab-and-go savoury breakfast muffins on the weekend to have in the freezer ready for the week ahead. Or save time by pre-cutting smoothie ingredients and store in the fridge or freezer. And if you haven’t got on the overnight Weet-Bix bandwagon, now is the time to give it a try.  

Whatever you do, try not to skip breakfast, here’s why.

Speedy work lunches  

Taking lunch to work is a great money saver but getting it ready can put the squeeze on time in the morning.  

To help get lunch ready in a flash, a helpful tip is to cook once and eat twice. Double your dinner recipe the night before, portion into containers in the fridge and voila – lunch is sorted. Hearty meals like a pesto pasta or this one pot beans and rice work well, or you can use components from dinner, like a vegie schnitzel in a sandwich or on their own in a salad the next day.  

If you love a lunch salad, prep the veggies and save. To minimise waste and keep your veggies fresh, remember hard veggies with less water content, like cabbage, carrot, spring onion, leek, broccoli, cauliflower and capsicum will stay fresh in airtight containers for up to a week, while softer veggies like tomato, zucchini and cucumber will last 2-3 days.  

When time is non-existent try not to skip your meal completely or opt for takeaway from the food court. A meal replacement shake can be made in next to no time while still providing you with the nutrition you need to get you through the day and prevent those 3pm sugar cravings.  

Our most popular prep ahead breakfast and lunch recipes

To help you master the morning rush here’s a list of our most popular recipes to prep ahead and grab-and go in the morning.  

	Mini gluten free peanut butter and jelly scrolls Easy, delicious, a source of fibre and a good one to get the kids involved in. Perfect addition to lunchboxes.
	Vegan buckwheat pancakes These pancakes are gluten free, vegan and sweetened with fruit – who said pancakes aren’t healthy? Make ahead of time for brekky with leftovers packed in lunchboxes.
	Nut-free muesli bars The perfect make ahead brekkie or lunchbox treat sweetened with honey. They contain 8 plant foods, help to increase fibre intake and contain iron and calcium.
	Corn, zucchini and chickpea fritters A quick and healthy meal idea which provide a source of protein and loaded with veggies. Great for brekkie and lunch, cold or heated.
	Vegetable pasta frittata Protein and veggie packed, this frittata is not only delicious but filling too.
	Coconut chia pots The perfect make ahead and grab-and-go option that involves zero cooking. They are delicious, high in calcium and rich in dietary fibre, to help keep you feeling full for longer.
	Marmite and bean quesadillas Who doesn’t love a quesadilla? This version is a good source of protein and iron, high in calcium, a great way to increase legume intake and guaranteed not to come home.
	Weet-Bix date energy balls These bliss balls have all your brekky needs rolled up in tasty bite-size morsels. Make up a batch and store ready for the week ahead.