Quick healthy brunch ideas

When you’re in a hurry, you can be forgiven for being a little lazy with your cooking. But sometimes, a little extra effort can go a long way – especially when it comes to being healthy. That’s why we’ve put together a list of healthy brunch ideas that you can rustle up in next to no time!

Healthy brunch ideas to try yourself

Enjoy a nutritious and healthy brunch that will help keep you feeling full of energy. Here’s some of our favourites:

Healthy pancakes

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 30 mins | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 50g self-raising flour
• 50g wholemeal or wholegrain flour
• 2 small eggs, separated
• 150ml skimmed milk
• Berries and low-fat yoghurt

Method

To start, add the flours to a bowl along with the egg yolks and a small helping of milk. Stir and mix until the paste becomes thick, adding the remainder of the milk a little bit until gone – this helps remove any lumps in the batter. From here, you need to then whisk the egg whites before gently folding them into the batter.

Use a non-stick pan over a medium heat and pour a small helping to make a pancake – around 10cm across should do. After a minute, carefully turn the pancake over and cook the other side until golden brown. Keep warm while preparing the remaining pancakes and serve with some healthy toppings, such as blueberries or strawberries.¹

Brunch bars

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 25 mins | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 150g jumbo oats
• 2 ripe bananas
• 60g melted butter
• 60g cherries
• 60g cranberries
• 40g sunflower seeds
• 40g pumpkin seeds

Method

Start by preheating the oven to 200C (fan 180C, gas mark 6). Get a large bowl and mix the oats, cherries, cranberries, and seeds. Melt the butter and pour into the bowl, mixing thoroughly until the mixture is well coated. On a separate plate, mash the bananas until pulpy then add to the mixture and stir.

Spread the mixture onto a baking tin and place in the over for 20 to 25 minutes. Once cooked, transfer to a wire rack (or similar) and cut into separate bars.²

Brunch burrito

Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 10 mins | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp chipotle paste
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp rapeseed oil
• 50g kale
• 7 cherry tomatoes
• ½ small avocado
• 1 wholemeal tortilla wrap, warmed

Method

Mix the egg and chipotle paste in a jug, adding extra seasoning. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the kale and tomatoes – cook until the kale has wilted, and tomatoes softened. Then move this to the side of the pan, before adding the egg mixture to scramble to keep them separate yet warm.

Once scrambled, layer onto a warm tortilla and add in some avocado. Wrap immediately to seal in the heat and enjoy!³

What healthy alternative ingredients can I use?

If you want to go the extra mile, there are plenty of healthier alternatives you could use in your ingredients. Use this guide to see how you can make simple substitutions without impacting the result:

Ingredient	Healthy substitute
Whole eggs	Egg whites
Butter, margarine, oil	Cooking spray
Cream	Low-fat yoghurt
White rice	Brown rice
Pasta	Multi-grain pasta
Breadcrumbs	Rolled oats or crushed bran cereal
Sugar	Honey
Full-fat cheese	Low-fat cheese

 

Catering for specific dietary needs

Some recipes are made using ingredients that may be harmful to people, for instance those which contain gluten. Around 1 in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease⁴, so it’s important to be careful when cooking for others. This also applies to those of us who are vegan or vegetarian, or those who are lactose intolerant.

To help, we’ve put together a list of ingredients that cater to specific dietary needs:

Gluten-free grain alternatives

• • Brown or white rice
  • Corn
  • Quinoa
  • Potato flour
  • Buckwheat⁵

Lactose alternatives

• Almond milk
• Coconut milk
• Soy milk
• Coconut oil (instead of butter)⁶

Vegan alternatives

• Tofu
• Chickpeas
• Soy milk
• Jackfruit
• Aquafaba (the water from chickpeas – makes for excellent egg whites)⁷

Last updated: 25 May 2020

2 https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/healthy-breakfasts-recipes/ 3 https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/breakfast-burrito 4 https://www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/coeliac-disease/about-coeliac-disease/ 5 https://www.beyondceliac.org/gluten-free-diet/overview/ 6 https://www.dnafit.com/advice/nutrition/dairy-alternatives-for-lactose-intolerant-people.asp 7 https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/top-10-vegan-substitutes https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/healthy-brunch https://brighamhealthhub.org/healthy-living/ten-simple-substitutes-for-healthy-eating https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/category/special-diets https://www.orderin.com.au/resources/blog/2017/ultimate-guide-to-special-diet-catering https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/healthy-recipes/art-20047195