Twinkle's Kitchen | Easy on-the-go breakfast

Mornings are always hectic around our house, and making sure we all have something healthy to eat can get pretty tricky.

I don’t have time every single morning to fix a big spread – I usually save that for the weekends – so creating two or three on-the-go options for the weekday mornings not only saves us time, but keeps us from falling into an unhealthy eating pattern.

Photos: 10 healthy breakfast recipes

The three key things to remember for creating healthy, fast breakfasts are:

1. Flavor. It has to taste good.
2. Fiber. It has to be healthy.
3. Functionality. It has to fit in your hand as you head out the door.

Two of my favorite on-the-go breakfasts include freezer breakfast burritos, which you can make on the weekends to last throughout the week, and refrigerator oatmeal, which you can prepare in advance and lasts between 2-4 days.

Both of these are easy and the recipes are a bit flexible for whatever you think you or your family would like.

Breakfast burritos on-the-go:

Recipe makes 6 burritos

What you’ll need:

Whole-wheat flour tortillas
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup of softened goat cheese
1 cup of cooked black beans
1/2 cup of diced fresh tomatoes
¼ cup diced onions
1 bunch of chopped cilantro
¼ diced jalapeños (if you like it spicy)
6 large eggs
6 large squares of parchment or foil
1 gallon plastic freezer bag for storage

Scramble your eggs and set aside.

Warm your tortillas in the microwave or in the oven for just about 30 seconds.

Lay the tortillas out on a clean, flat surface.

Add a little of each ingredient to the middle of each tortilla in a line down the center.

When all the ingredients have been layered onto the tortillas, tuck in ends and roll up, wrapping in a square of foil or parchment, and place inside the freezer bag and into the freezer. These are best eaten within two weeks of preparation.

These heat up quickly when you are in a rush. If microwaving, make sure to remove the foil. Place on a plate wrapped in paper towel or in parchment and heat for two minutes.

If heating in the oven, reheat for 12-15 minutes.

Refrigerator oatmeal

Makes 6 servings

What you’ll need:
6-half pint containers – plastic or glass – (I used jelly jars)
2 cups of old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups of Greek yogurt
1 cup of milk – I use almond milk, which has more protein and less sugar
½ cup of chia seeds or flax seeds (added boost of Omega-3)
Fresh fruit – berries, chopped apples or bananas or peaches

Separate out the ingredients evenly six ways.

Add oats, yogurt, chia/flax seeds and milk to each jar, replace lid and shake.

Open and place fruit into jars, stirring it in gently.

If you end up liking it a bit sweeter, feel free to add agave nectar or honey. Also, add a little vanilla extract, cinnamon or even fresh ginger for a spicier recipe.

Replace lids and place into the refrigerator overnight before eating.

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Twinkle VanWinkle was born in a small town in Mississippi. A life-long lover of music, media and food, she grew up following those three things along her path. She has almost 20 years of professional cooking under her apron strings, feeding thousands of friends, family and other folks while working in restaurants and bakeries in Oxford, Miss. She baked 300 apple pies for the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and appeared on “The Best Of...” in the same year. Along with producing dynamic entertainment content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.

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