Make-Ahead

Breakfast

Components: Mix And Match System

Quick Summary

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but busy schedules often make it challenging to have a wholesome breakfast. To solve this problem, this article looks at how you can keep certain things ready beforehand and then use them to make breakfast. This technique will save you time in the morning and keep your breakfast tasty and healthy. Dive deeper to know more. 

Deep Dive

Busy mornings always lead to missed breakfasts, and no breakfast might result in low energy and focus throughout the day. To have a healthy breakfast, you do not always need elaborate cooking hours, but just some simple planning, and hacks can give you a healthy and tasty breakfast. If you prepare the basic components of breakfast beforehand, most of your job is done, and in the mornings, you would hardly need 10 minutes to cook the dish and put it in your stomach. 

Many dishes in Indian cuisine require meal prep; for example, idlis, dosa, and even stuffing for parathas can be made ahead. These traditional methods, along with some new options, will give you five-day make-ahead breakfast options that will keep your breakfast sorted for the week.  It will give you variety in eating, break the monotony of eating the same thing again and again, keep you away from missing breakfast or having anything that is not healthy, and help you start your day on a healthy note! Read this article to know about these make-ahead breakfast components. 

Upma

One often thinks of upma as an elaborate dish that requires roasting the rava or suji, chopping and cooking the vegetables, which can easily take half an hour of your time. Instead, you can keep a batch of roasted suji ready with vegetables and all the spices in it. After everything is roasted well, let it cool and keep the roasted suji in an airtight container either in the fridge or at room temperature. In the morning, all you have to do is pour some oil in a pan, add the roasted suji in it, and roast it for 10-15 seconds, then pour hot water in it, mix it and keep it covered for 5 minutes, till it is cooked, and upma is ready in 5-6 minutes. This meal prep on Sunday or the night before will save you time and help you start your day on a homely, warm, and healthy note. 

Idli-Dosa Batter

Idlis and dosa have been staple breakfast options in Indian homes for centuries. The fermentation that happens overnight is good for gut health and also starts the day on a good note. To make this batter, you have to soak urad dal and rice in the morning till the evening. In the evening, grind this mixture and let the batter ferment for the entire night. In the morning, you can make either dosa or idli from the batter or make idli one day and dosa the other day, and two days’ breakfast is sorted. While sambar may take some time, you can prepare it the previous day and reheat it. Or you can make chutney from grated coconut with a tadka, which will be ready in a couple of minutes. This entire dish will take you 10 minutes to prepare if you meal prep ahead! 

Stuffing For Parathas

Parathas are another staple breakfast option in Indian homes. They are filling and instantly take you back to school days when parathas were packed with ketchup and achar in tiffins. Boiling potatoes in the morning, peeling them, cooling them, and making parathas from them is time-consuming. Instead, boil the potatoes the previous night, peel them and refrigerate them. Boiled potatoes can stay good for a couple of days if refrigerated. The next morning, all you have to do is add masalas to it and roll out parathas from it. You can also keep the dough ready beforehand. This entire process will not take more than 10 minutes, and you will have a hearty meal helping you start your day on a good note! 

Proteins For Breakfast

While eggs take the least time to get prepared, they also deliver the most protein. You do not need to meal prep for eggs. However, if you are a vegetarian or do not enjoy eating eggs, and need your daily intake of protein, you can keep sprouts like chana soaked overnight, and use them the next morning with chopped onions, tomatoes, and chaat masala. You can also use these sprouts as a sandwich filling along with sauces for a hearty breakfast.

These breakfast options are the easiest way to ensure you are starting your day on a healthy note and not missing out on nutrition. You can keep this ready on the weekend or the previous night, and you will have hassle-free mornings. The only important thing to remember here is to pack and store the ingredients in an air-tight container, and in the fridge, so that they deliver the best nutrients and taste to you!