12 Tasty Breakfast Ideas for Work

tasty breakfast idea for work

Drooling over Kate’s banana-nut oatmeal? Dave’s raspberry smoothie looks so darn tempting, doesn’t it? And gosh, that chocolatey-yoghurt smell from across the office is tantalising your taste buds!

As you creepily stare at your colleagues’ breakfasts in the morning, you can’t help but bite into that stale, monotonous sandwich in disgust.

If you’re bored of your breakfast at work, it’s time to switch it up.

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, and a healthy and exciting one can help boost productivity and make your day at work more enjoyable.

So, if you’re tired of eating that same old ham and cheese roll or if you’re simply stuck for food choices, here are 12 energy-boosting and delicious breakfast ideas for work!

Get even more healthy recipe ideas by watching the video below: 

1. Oatmeal/Porridge

A bowl of oatmeal with berriesbhofack2 / Depositphotos.com

Oats are incredibly nutritious, they’re filling, and they help you lose weight. Not only does a bowl of porridge have health benefits, but it is also a simple and fast snack to make in the workplace.

When that stomach starts rumbling in the morning, mix half a cup of oats with one cup of milk or water (or both), and heat it in the microwave for a few minutes. To really jazz it up, here are a few healthy ingredients to add in:

  • strawberries and blueberries
  • banana, raspberries, almond butter and cinnamon
  • walnuts, pear slices and ginger
  • blueberries, walnuts and sunflower seeds
  • apple with cinnamon
  • honey and banana.

2. Smoothies

A healthy green smoothie in a glass bottle and red straw with white polka dotsTeriVirbickis / Depositphotos.com

A juice alone or cup of coffee is never enough to keep you going throughout the day. If you only fancy a drink for breakfast, opt for a smoothie instead.

Believe it or not but smoothies can be extremely satisfying, especially when you blend in healthy and filling ingredients. So, before heading out of the house (or if you’re lucky to have a smoothie blender at work), prep your juicy smoothie for your morning meal.

Smoothies are a great breakfast-to-go option, they’re easy to drink by your desk, and they're super tasty!

Consider these smoothie ideas by Prevention.com:

  • Banana and ginger smoothie: 1 banana (sliced); ¾ cups (6oz) vanilla yoghurt; 1 tbsp honey; ½ tsp freshly grated ginger
  • Green tea, blueberry and banana smoothie: 3 tbsp water; 1 green tea bag; 2 tsp honey; 1½ cups frozen blueberries; ½ medium-sized banana; ¾ cups calcium-fortified light vanilla soy milk
  • Banana, blueberry and cereal smoothie: 1 cup calcium-fortified vanilla soy milk; ½ cup frozen blueberries; ½ cup corn flakes cereal; 1 frozen banana (sliced)

3. Eggs

Poached egg on toast with asparagus and tomatoeslenyvavsha / Depositphotos.com

Eggs are a great source of protein, and they’ll keep your belly full until lunchtime.

Get all the nutrients you need by giving your eggy breakfast a twist. Consider boiled, poached or scrambled eggs, as these are believed to be the healthiest options - just make sure you’ve got time to prepare them in the morning (actually, scrambled eggs can even be made in the microwave at work!).

Slice up a boiled egg with cheese, tomato and spinach or enjoy some scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and avocado. Adding some healthy bread to this meal can balance out your breakfast and leave you fuller for the rest of the morning.

4. Avocado

Sliced avocado and tomato on toastKatyaPulina / Depositphotos.com

Eating avocado alone with a little bit of lemon, salt and chilli flakes is the way to go for a yummy, fresh and reviving breakfast. These delicious green fruits with their creamy textures are filled with healthy nutrients like Vitamin C, folate and potassium. For tastiness, combine them with healthy bread or crackers and other great ingredients like:

  • eggs
  • tomatoes
  • prosciutto ham
  • feta cheese
  • smoked salmon

5. Cereal

A bowl of cornflakes with berrieskanareva / Depositphotos.com

On a day when you haven’t had time to prepare breakfast but still want to stay healthy at work, choose cereal. It doesn’t have to be a boring bowl of Shredded Wheat or Kellogg's Cornflakes, either!

Instead of just pouring in warm milk, add low-fat yoghurt, fruit, nuts or seeds. This will give your cereal a delicious twist, and it will give you all the fibre and minerals you need.

(If you don’t mind a plain old signature bowl of Weetabix or Raisin Bran, these are also great healthy options for your morning meal.)

6. Muffins

Blueberry muffins with fresh blueberriesStephanieFrey / Depositphotos.com

Yum, muffins, you might say. Sorry to burst your bubble, but we’re not talking chocolate muffins here. In fact, there are healthy muffins to use as your grab-and-go breakfast at work.

Prepare a batch on the weekend, freeze them, and you’ll be ready to chow down a scrumptious breakfast from Monday through to Friday. These balls of fluffy goodness are filled with healthy ingredients like coconut oil and whole wheat flour, and they make for a filling work snack, especially when accompanied by a healthy juice or tea.

For inspiration, check out these great recipes:

7. Fruit salad

A close-up of a bowlful of fruit saladbhofack2 / Depositphotos.com

Who doesn’t love a good old bowl of fruit salad?

If you find that your fridge is empty of food and if you really didn’t have time to prepare those eggs or muffins last night, turn to a sweet and replenishing bowl of fruit salad, instead. Simply store it in a container, pop it in your work bag and eat it by your desk, with no hassle or mess!

If fruit is on your wish list for the week, try out great combinations including bananas, apples, pineapples, mangos or raspberries. For a party in your mouth, top it up with either low-fat yoghurt, coconut milk, fresh orange juice or even honey and nuts!

8. Granola

A bowl of granola with nutsbhofack2 / Depositphotos.com

Looking for a breakfast idea that you can easily make at work? Just like cereal and porridge, pack your bag with granola for the ultimate nutritious and fully flavoured meal.

Adding granola to your diet can lower cholesterol, regulate digestion and improve heart health. But eating it alone can be quite boring, so why not mix it with some of the following ingredients:

  • dried or fresh fruit
  • nuts and seeds
  • low-fat yoghurt
  • honey
  • dark chocolate chips

You can even benefit from a wealth of health by snacking on a granola bar if you haven’t got all the above ingredients!

9. Waffles

A plate of waffles with berriesbit245 / Depositphotos.com

Don’t get me wrong: waffles aren’t exactly on the healthy diet menu, but it all comes down to the ingredients you use. Instead of using the basic recipe you’d find in your local dessert restaurant, opt for healthier options such as whole-wheat flour, flaxseed meal, oat flour, coconut oil or almond milk.

Scrap the chocolate, biscuit and ice cream, and top your healthy waffles with fun and tasty toppings like blueberries, Greek low-fat yoghurt, honey, nuts or fruits like strawberries.

Get yourself a waffle machine, and your work breakfast will be good to go!

10. Yoghurt

A close-up of glasses with yoghurt and kiwi fruit5PH / Depositphotos.com

Maintain good office etiquette by eating a tidy breakfast and avoiding foods that might irritate your coworkers.

A good option is yoghurt, which is high in protein, rich in nutrients and a great source of calcium. Yoghurt is yet another superb office breakfast idea that will jump-start anyone’s morning.

Low or no-fat yoghurt is the best option as these contain fewer calories and fat content. A bowl of creamy yoghurt topped with delicious goodies in the morning is a great way to soothe those sugar cravings – without feeling guilty!

Try out these recipes for yoghurt-yumminess:

  • banana, chocolate chunks and coconut chips
  • raspberries, blueberries, bananas and granolas
  • kiwi, blackberries and oats
  • banana, apple and nuts

11. Chia pudding

Glasses of chia pudding with pecansnata_vkusidey / Depositphotos.com

Never heard of chia seeds? Welcome to a whole new world of deliciousness!

Choose chia pudding and soak up all the calcium, antioxidants and omega-3 nutrients it contains. Blended together with coconut milk or almond milk, as well as other different tasty ingredients, chia pudding is bound to become a favourite in your list of breakfast ideas.

A great idea is to blend the chia seeds in a machine with your preferred milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup and cinnamon. This can be topped with fresh blueberries or strawberries for an extra kick.

12. Other bread types

Sliced rye bread on a wooden boardmanera / Depositphotos.com

At some point, you’re going to miss those sandwiches you ate so often for breakfast. If – and when – that happens, don’t go back to white bread! You can have a nice sandwich for breakfast, so long as it’s filled with healthy ingredients and the right, nutritious bread is used.

Swap your wheat bread for other kinds like:

  • rye bread
  • corn tortillas
  • oopsie bread
  • Ezekiel bread

Fill up a sandwich with nutritious ingredients including vegetables, low-fat cheese, chicken or turkey slices, avocado or eggs!

There are several ways to shake up your breakfast routine and dozens of food options that will have your colleagues drooling over your plate instead.

Did you recently switch up your breakfast routine at work? What other foods do you take to work that are great to eat by your desk? Let us know in the comments section below.