Your favourite frugal, healthy breakfasts and lunches

**Squidge** · 01-01-2011, 11:22 AM

Now that 2011 is here and lots of us are dedicating this year to getting healthier and slimmer, I was wondering what your one favourite healthy breakfast and one favourite healthy lunch meal would be?

I'm always on the lookout for new, healthy, quick and affordable meal time ideas, so thought we could maybe share them.

Breakfast is usually tea, coffee or fruit juice for me

and as I eat my lunch in an office most days, my favourite lunch is pretty basic: chicken salad sandwiches with mayo. I could live on them. So what's yours?

**McD** · 01-01-2011, 12:23 PM

I am not a good breakfast eater whatsoever. I need to work on this.

I'm making an effort to include more whole grains and such in my diet. When I eat breakfast it's typically whole or multi grain toast with peanut butter.

Lunch is usually leftovers, but I found a recipe I want to try for black bean burritos. Just rinse black beans and heat with Mexican stewed tomatoes. Serve with a tortilla. Seems easy, healthy, and filling.

**Luckybustert** · 01-01-2011, 04:44 PM

Eating breakfast is an important part of so many challenges here because it's what gives us the fuel to get up and get moving!

My favorite frugal breakfasts are:

1) Oatmeal (I eat in plain, without butter, although I will be the first to admit that swimming in cream, butter and sugar tastes really, really good! But since that's not particularly good for me, it has to be relegated to the category of very rare treat and I have learned to like it plain!).
2) Eggs and rice, with or without a couple pieces of bacon or sausage. I wouldn't have thought of having rice with breakfast before I lived in Hawaii there, but it is really good!
3) In a rush I'll have a small handful of nuts, usually almonds or brazil nuts that we've purchased from the bulk bins.

I'm thinking it might be a good idea to rename this thread the Eat Your Breakfast challenge or something like that? Otherwise it doesn't seem to belong in a challenge thread, but I think the intent was to challenge us all to have a healthy breakfast each a.m.

**piney** · 01-01-2011, 06:13 PM

My frugal and healthy breakfast would be oatmeal banana muffins plus i add 1 cup chopped nuts to recipe so i just call it oatmeal,banana,nut muffins.they make 18 by adding nuts so i wrap them in saran wrap and freeze some.

**sunshine** · 01-01-2011, 07:06 PM

Breakfasts are generally plain oatmeal, cooked the old fashioned way on the stovetop, and fruit - generally banana or oranges.

Apples with peanut butter make an appearance quite often too .

Lunches are soups from leftovers, salads (generally from the garden, in season) or wraps loaded with veggies and low fat dressing.

**Squidge** · 01-01-2011, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by Luckybustert

Eating breakfast is an important part of so many challenges here because it's what gives us the fuel to get up and get moving!

My favorite frugal breakfasts are:

1) Oatmeal (I eat in plain, without butter, although I will be the first to admit that swimming in cream, butter and sugar tastes really, really good! But since that's not particularly good for me, it has to be relegated to the category of very rare treat and I have learned to like it plain!).
2) Eggs and rice, with or without a couple pieces of bacon or sausage. I wouldn't have thought of having rice with breakfast before I lived in Hawaii there, but it is really good!
3) In a rush I'll have a small handful of nuts, usually almonds or brazil nuts that we've purchased from the bulk bins.

I'm thinking it might be a good idea to rename this thread the Eat Your Breakfast challenge or something like that? Otherwise it doesn't seem to belong in a challenge thread, but I think the intent was to challenge us all to have a healthy breakfast each a.m.

You know, you're definitely right, it doesn't quite fit in properly here as it is. In retrospect, I think I should have put it in the 'Health and Beauty' section - whoops, sorry

. It's either that or making it a Eat Your Healthy Breakfast and Lunch challenge - whatever you think works better

.

Some delicious stuff so far that I definitely want to try

**Palooka** · 01-01-2011, 11:33 PM

Fiber One cereal with almond milk or any nut butter sandwich.

**tervsforme** · 01-01-2011, 11:46 PM

I have Greek Yogurt with some granola in it almost every work day. I take it to work and eat it at my desk once I get there. Sometimes I'll have toast and peanut butter, sometimes a protein bar or a protein shake. I bring fruit for a mid morning snack, then lunch is either leftovers, some homemade soup, a salad from home or a sandwich. I have something sweet in the afternoon as a snack.

**imagine** · 01-02-2011, 03:14 AM

My favorite breakfast is Chocolate malt o meal with peanut butter stirred in. Cheap, tummy and very filling

Little Miss's favorite breakfast is omelet in a mug. It is easy for her to cook and is filling She can change it up to by adding or deleting items (except cheese ans eggs she must have those)Omelet in a Mug Recipe - Allrecipes.com

**Imarachne** · 01-02-2011, 09:43 AM

Yum--all off your suggestions sound yummy--I'm hungry now ---

**madhen** · 01-02-2011, 10:56 AM

I'm also a yogurt and granola breakfast person. If you get the Kashi granola, it comes with dehydrated bits of fruit in it already, so you get the extra points!!

Lunch is very often just a protein bar or fruit for me. I never know where I'm going to be, so I typically don't pack anything, because I'm often not somewhere where I have access to a fridge or a place to sit down and eat!!

Occasionally, if I do bring lunch into work, I'll try to bring something that will keep a day if I don't get to it (have a fridge in my office), such as leftovers or pasta.

**joyofsix** · 01-02-2011, 11:29 AM

My favorite healthy breakfasts are :
oatmeal/raisins
egg&toast
toast&peanut butter
greek yogurt and fruit
waffle with defrosted blueberries for syrup
pumpkin bran muffins

I'm going to be trying to healthify my lunches. I plan on:
soups/cracker or roll/fruit
beans in a tortilla w/salsa
brown rice and veggies

**sunshine** · 01-02-2011, 03:32 PM

I forgot - one of our favorite breakfasts are smoothies! Use up the leftover fruits or fruits that are getting overly ripe.

**Libby** · 01-02-2011, 05:45 PM

Am gonna try to do the oatmeal in the rice cooker more often...each person can add in their own favourite accompaniments. Coffee chains sell precooked oatmeal for $2-$5/2c portion. A 1kg bag of oatmeal costs me $1.50 on sale which is when I stock up - 5 bags at a time.

Weekday Breakky Quickies: Usually its toast with marg/jam or pb/jam or cheese, a hard boiled egg (prepped weekly so its just grab and go in the am's) and a fruit - whatever we have on hand. Drink of choice is coffee, soy/reg milk or water.

Quickie Lunches: instant dried noodles (not ramen) with premade frozen wontons and greens, lunchmeat sammies, cheese or tuna w/crackers & salad and/or fruit with a cup of soup packet OR leftover homemade soup, larger salad w/can of tuna or eggs on top. Leftovers are frugal and fine with me also

**imagine** · 01-02-2011, 07:19 PM

we cook oatmeal in the microwave

Individual servings so every can make their own when ever they want.

1/2 cup rolled oats and 1 cup water in a microwave safe bowl. we set the microwave for 3 mins and walk away. We use to have to watch it so it didn't boil over but that doesn't happen in our "new" bowls.

Stir in what is desired

My Hubby and son like with with brown sugar and peanut butter.

Little Miss like syrup.