Quick and Easy Breakfast ideas with Weight Watcher Smart Points
I don’t usually do fancy, picture-worthy breakfasts so there aren’t many breakfast ideas on Meal Planning Mommies from me. I was looking up breakfast ideas the other day and I ran across this Potato farls and poached eggs recipe on the Weight Watcher website, for 5 SmartPoints per serving. They probably taste wonderful, but just looking at the picture makes me go, “Nah, that looks like work”. I just don’t wake up that zealous first thing in the morning and so as amazing as a farl looks and sounds…. I just can’t…
My breakfasts are quick and easy… and I am working toward making them healthy.
Quick.
I found that lately I keep going back to my two favorite breakfasts. The hard-boiled egg breakfast and the rice cake with peanut butter breakfast. I have a desk job and those are things I can eat at my desk on a rushed morning so this works well for me. I actually keep a bag of rice cakes and a jar of peanut butter in my desk for this reason.
Easy.
I like to keep things simple in the morning. I spend the first hour (at least) of everyday in sort of a zombie-like trance so the last thing I want to do when I wake up is whip up a big, elaborate breakfast.
Healthy.
This is a post about Weight Watcher friendly breakfasts so they are healthy for the most part, but the truth is I am not a big sweets-first-thing-in-the-morning kind of person, so I could probably go the rest of my life without another doughnut or sugary cereal and not miss it. I get that not everyone shares this opinion. Don’t get me wrong… It doesn’t exactly mean I eat healthy every morning because, I mean, there have been days when I have eaten pizza for breakfast (and loved it) so….ya know…there’s that. I am learning though, and I have noticed that when I up the protein in the morning and drop some of the sugar I do better over the long haul.
So, now that you know where I am coming from, it will make sense that I am taking a bit of time this week to brainstorm breakfasts that are low in Weight Watcher Smart Points and are:
- Easy.
- Fast.
- Smart.
- Healthy-ish.
Okay, so let’s get to this list!
Fast, Easy breakfast ideas that are low in Weight Watcher Smart Points
1. Peanut butter on (Fill-in-the-blank).
Let’s start with peanut butter, because it is one of my most favorite protein breakfast foods. Peanut butter is 3 WW SP per tablespoon, and it is a smart idea in the morning when combined with the right foods because of its protein and fiber. Peanut butter is large quantities is a bad thing, but the truth is that are many health benefits to peanut butter that make it a smart choice in small amounts. Click here (or on the picture below) to read about some of the health benefits of peanut butter.
Here are a few things you could spread your peanut butter on in the morning:
-Healthy Life Light English muffin, toasted (2 WW SP)
-Thomas Bagel Thin, Plain (3 WW SP)
-Sarah Lee Delightful 45 Calories wheat bread toasted (1 WW SP)
-Quaker Salt-Free Rice cake (1 WW SP)
-Apple slices (0 WW SP)
Add any fruit really… bananas, strawberries, or apples are my favorites with peanut butter.
2. Breakfast, granola, or cereal bars.
Doesn’t get any easier than this! Just grab and go. But you might want to check the label because some are about as good for you as a candy bar and are just as many points.
Here are a few that are smart choices and are low in smart points:
-KIND Healthy Grains Peanut Butter dark chocolate gluten-free granola bar (5 WW SP)
-Nutri-Grain Cereal Bar (5 WW SP)
-Kashi TLC chewy Dark Mocha Almond granola bar (4 WW SP)
-Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip granola bar (4 WW SP)
-Special K Protein and Fiber Chocolately peanut butter granola bar (4 WW SP)
-Kellogg’s Special K Greek Yogurt and fruit granola snack bar (4 WW SP)
-Fit & Active Blueberry with yogurt drizzle vitality cereal bar (3 WW SP)
3. Hard-boiled egg.
Aren’t we so glad to know something as easy and versatile as the egg is good for you!?! One of the simplest ways to eat eggs in the morning is to hard boil them at the beginning of the week and then just crack one open and eat it each morning. This grab-and-go breakfast is highly nutritious, full of protein and a good source of Vitamin B-12 and riboflavin. I sprinkle a little salt on mine. Just 2 WW SP per egg!
4. Oatmeal.
This is another easy one to keep in your desk at work. Just add hot water and you’re set.
Here are a few oatmeal options that are high in fiber and low in smart points:
-Nature’s Path Organic Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (5 WW SP)
-Quaker Weight Control Banana Bread instant oatmeal (4 WW SP)
-Better Oats Oat Revolution! Instant strawberries and cream oatmeal with flax (5 WW SP)
-Better Oats OatFit 100 calories cinnamon roll instant oatmeal with flax (3 WW SP)
-Weight Watchers Maple Brown Sugar flavor instant oatmeal (3 WW SP)
5. Breakfast sandwich.
You can do this two ways… you can make your own ahead of time, keep them in the fridge or freezer and reheat one in the morning, or you can buy them in the freezer section of your grocery store.
One way to make your own breakfast sandwich is to toast a Healthy Life Light English muffin (2 WW SP), top it with one-three scrambled egg whites (1 WW SP), onions and a strip of turkey bacon (1 WW SP). You’re getting fiber, protein and carbohydrates all in one and it is just 4 WW SP! (scroll to the bottom of this post for a kitchen tool that makes making breakfast sandwiches easy)
Here are a few breakfast sandwiches worth 4-5 WW SP that you can buy from the freezer section at the store:
-Evol Lean & Fit white kale roasted tomato and goat cheese breakfast sandwich (5 WW SP)
-Evol Lean & Fit Chicken apple sausage egg white and cheddar breakfast sandwich (5 WW SP)
-Morningstar Farms Veggie Scramble with cheese breakfast sandwich (4 WW SP)
-Kroger Egg and cheese pita pocket breakfast sandwich (5 WW SP)
-Gardein Breakfast Sandwiches, Good Start (5 WW SP)
-Lean Cuisine Morning Collection, veggie egg white English muffin (5 WW SP)
-Lean Cuisine Morning Collection, Canadian bacon English muffin (5 WW SP)
6. Raisin-Cinnamon (fill-in-the-blank) with butter.
Anything that starts with “Raisin-Cinnamon” is going to be yummy, right? Especially if there is butter on it. Add 1 tablespoon of light, or whipped, butter (3 WW SP) to any of these things and BAM! Breakfast!
Here are a few Raisin-Cinnamon things that can be toasted and buttered:
-Raisin-Cinnamon Thomas Bagel Thin (4 WW SP)
-Thomas Raisin-Cinnamon English muffin toasted (5 WW SP)
-Pepperidge Farm Swirl Cinnamon Raisin bread (3 WW SP)
-Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin (3 WW SP)
-Alpine Valley Organic Raisin Cinnamon Whole Wheat Bread (2 WW SP)
7. Eggs with veggies.
Chop up any vegetables that can handle being chopped in advance like onions, bell peppers, carrots, etc. Get them all chopped at the beginning of the week and keep them stored in an air-tight container in the fridge. Add them to an egg (2 WW SP), 3 egg whites (1 WW SP), or 1/2 cup egg substitute (1 WW SP). Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Here are a few other foods you can add to your eggs to change things up and add flavor:
-1/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (1 WW SP)
-1 Tbsp. reduced-fat goat cheese (1 WW SP)
-1 Tbsp. reduced-fat feta cheese (1 WW SP)
-1/2 cup Jimmy Dean Fully cooked turkey sausage crumbles (1 WW SP)
-Turkey bacon (1 WW SP per slice)
-2 Tbsp. Fat-Free Salsa (0 WW SP)
-Tomato (0 WW SP)
-Onion (0 WW SP)
-Chives (0 WW SP)
-Bell Peppers (0 WW SP)
-Zucchini (0 WW SP)
8. Muffins.
All muffins are not created equal. Most muffins are not going to be Weight Watcher friendly. The Dunkin Donuts Coffee Cake muffin, for instance, is a whopping 26 Weight Watcher Smart Points! On the flip-side, Garden Lites has managed to create a zucchini chocolate muffin that is only 5 Weight Watcher Smart Points! If you really like muffins you can cook up a large batch of healthy (low point) muffins at night when you have time and energy and then warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds in the morning. Scroll down a little ways for some muffin recipes you can make at home, or check out this list of store-bought muffins low in smart points right here…
Here are a few Weight Watcher friendly breakfast ideas for muffin lovers:
-Vitalious VitaTops 100 calories Deep chocolate (or banana choco chip, or any flavor really) muffin tops (4 WW SP)
-Garden Lites Veggie Muffins, zucchini chocolate muffins (5 WW SP)
-Garden Lites Veggie Muffins, Carrot Berry (5 WW SP)
-Garden Lites Veggie Muffins, Blueberry Oat (5 WW SP)
-Flax4Life Muffins, flax, wild blueberry (5 WW SP)
9. Leftovers.
I LOVE when there are leftovers from a great dinner in the fridge that I get to eat for breakfast the next day! Sarah does Brinner with her family (breakfast for dinner) but in my house I prefer to do Deakfast (dinner for breakfast) Check out the last three Weight Watcher meal plans to get some great dinner ideas with WW Smart Points.
10. Make-ahead Grab-and-Go Breakfasts you can refrigerate, or freeze, until you are ready to eat them.
Here are a few make-ahead and freeze (or refrigerate) breakfast ideas… (Smart Points calculated with the Weight Watcher Recipe Builder)
Mini Zucchini Quiches (1 WW SP per mini muffin) from Weight Watchers. Make 48 of these little guys, freeze them and then all you have to do in the morning is zap them a few seconds in the microwave.
Mexican Breakfast Burritos (4 WW SP per burrito) from Weight Watchers. Prepare 6 of these burritos at the beginning of the week and wrap them in foil in the fridge. Pull one out each morning and microwave them for a few seconds!
Gluten free lemon poppy seed muffin (5 WW SP per muffin) from LaLoosh. Don’t these look delicious!?
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (5 WW SP per muffin) from Emily Bites. Yum Emily!! What a smart idea!
11. Fast Food Breakfast Ideas with Smart Points.
Do you have to grab breakfast from a drive-through from time to time? Here are a few smart breakfast ideas from fast food joints:
-Burger King Muffin Sandwich egg and cheese (7 WW SP)
-McDonald’s Egg White Delight (7 WW SP)
-McDonald’s Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait (7 WW SP)
-Dunkin Donuts Egg White Veggie Wake Up Wrap (5 WW SP)
-Dunkin Donuts Ham Egg and Cheese Wake Up Wrap (5 WW SP)
-Taco Bell A.M. Grilled Taco with Egg and Cheese (5 WW SP)
-Panera Bread Power Breakfast Egg White Bowl with Roasted Turkey (3 WW SP)
Do you want a printable version of this list? Click in the picture below for a condensed PDF of this list.
One final quick tip that will make breakfast a breeze! You can use an microwave egg cooker that will allow you to microwave your egg in just a few minutes. Pampered Chef has a microwave egg cooker that you can purchase here for $19.50.
This is the description from the Pampered Chef website:
Whether you like them scrambled, fried or poached, the Microwave Egg Cooker does it all! Top sandwiches and salads, and make breakfast in minutes. The wide rim makes it easy to remove the stone from the microwave or oven.
What do you eat for breakfast? Do you have any other low-point breakfast you would like to share?
We would love to hear from you! Drop us a comment!
If you found this list helpful you may also like our list of over 20 breakfast combinations that are all 6 smart points or less, complete with pictures, here.