Breakfast Ideas Under 400 Calories
It’s said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and we’re tempted to agree! Start your morning with something tasty and nutritious and you’re sure to have a spring in your step all day long.
When you’re on a slimming journey it can be tempting to try and save a few calories in the morning, but there’s no need to skip breakfast. A healthy, balanced morning meal will give you energy to tackle whatever the day throws at you, and you won’t be distracted by any pesky pangs of hunger before lunch.
If you’re in need of some slimming-friendly inspiration we’ve got you covered with this rundown of breakfast recipe ideas – and they’re all less than 400 calories!
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Grab and go breakfast recipes
It’s easy to think there’s no time for a bite to eat first thing in the morning. If you often find yourself rushing out the door and falling into a habit of picking up something from the bakery or corner shop, you’ll save money and calories by trying some of our grab-and-go breakfast recipes.
These Breakfast Muffins are ideal for making in big batches that’ll last you all week. You can throw in just about any fillings that you like, switching up the veggies or leaving out the bacon if you’d prefer.
High in protein from the eggs, they’ll fill you up until lunchtime, while being portable enough to pop into a lunchbox to nibble on mid-morning. At 256 calories per serving, they’ll fit into your meal plan, whether you’re counting calories or following a diet plan like Weight Watchers.
If you prefer a sweeter start to your day, you can’t go wrong with these Banana and Peanut Muffins. Made with oats and wholemeal self-raising flour, they bring slow-release energy to stop you snacking between meals.
You don’t need high-calorie peanut butter to get that lovely nutty flavour here, a little bit of the powdered version goes a long way. Much lighter than the spreadable alternative, it’s made by pressing out the oils and grinding the peanuts into a fine powder. We use it time and time again in all kinds of slimming recipes!
If your idea of breakfast is a golden flaky pastry, there’s no reason to miss out. Forget queuing at the bakery, our Cinnamon Swirls are so easy to make at home, plus they’re low in calories and Weight Watchers Points.
You can whip these up with just 4 ingredients and a spare half an hour. Our recipe divides into 32 perfect little pastries that are only 34 calories each (so no one can blame you if you nibble 2 or 3 with your morning coffee!).
Bread-based breakfast recipes
Even when you’re rushing around, there’s usually time to pop a couple of slices of bread into the toaster in the morning. If you fancy a change to your usual breakfast, we’ve got plenty of toppings and fillings that turn bread into a delicious brekkie.
While French toast is usually a super indulgent treat for special occasions, we’ve not only made it slimming friendly, but given it a chocolatey twist too. Our Chocolate French Toast is sweet, crunchy and gooey in the middle – for 269 calories per serving, we can’t think of anything else we’d rather have for brekkie!
The delicately spiced flavour comes from a combination of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, adding a lovely warming taste that’s just what you need on a chilly morning. Best of all, you can make this in just over 10 minutes, so it’s perfect in a time pinch.
If it’s not the weekend without a bacon butty for breakfast, we’ve got good news! These Cheesy Bacon Flatbreads are our favourite way to kick off a relaxing Sunday morning. It’s a real upgrade to your usual bacon sandwich, with a dollop of wholegrain mustard to spice it up, and reduced fat Cheddar to mellow it out.
Ready in minutes, and just 237 calories, we make this recipe time and time again – it’s just as good for lunch as it is for breakfast!
When we’re not sure what we fancy for breakfast, we turn to our trusty Marmite Mushrooms on Toast recipe. It’s quick, light and delivers on flavour every time. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of Marmite, we’d recommend giving this a go. The yeast extract melts into the Philadelphia Light, until you’re left with an irresistible creamy sauce.
This has to be the tastiest toast topping ever! Spoon the savoury, saucy mushrooms over your slice and get stuck in!
Fruity breakfast recipes
Adding some fruit into your breakfast is a great way to make sure you’re eating a balanced diet, as well as setting you well on your way to your 5-a-day. Whether you add a handful of berries or slice up some banana, it’s easy to add extra fruit to any of our healthy breakfast recipes.
This creamy Coconut, Banana and Maple Porridge tastes so indulgent you’d never know it’s completely vegan. For 269 calories, you get a bowlful of hearty oats, topped with crunchy toasted coconut, fresh banana and sticky maple syrup – that’s sure to put a bounce in your step for the day ahead!
Making your porridge with non-dairy coconut milk isn’t just delicious, it helps keep the calories down too. Rain or shine you can’t go wrong with this one!
When you’re working out your meals for the week ahead, don’t forget to leave a spot for these Lemon and Blueberry Waffles. A gorgeous weekend treat, our slimming-friendly recipe makes sure that waffles are here to stay on your breakfast menu.
At 393 calories per serving, these fruity, oat-based waffles get your day off to a zesty start. Baked in the oven until they’re crispy and golden, they store really well, so you can pack them up in some tupperware and take them out and about with you. They’ll even freeze well if you want to make a big batch to stow away for busier days!
You’ll need a silicone waffle mould to make this recipe. A simple mould like this one from Amazon will do the job nicely, and it’s easy to clean too.
What do you get if you cross an omelette with some strawberries? This Strawberry Souffle Omelette of course! This is the lightest, fluffiest breakfast around – and it’s so sweet you could even serve it for dessert.
The key to this recipe is being really careful not to lose any air out of your whisked-up egg whites. Make sure you fold your mixture with a metal spoon to help it stay lovely and light.
An electric hand whisk is the fastest way to turn your egg whites into fluffy peaks. This one will come in handy time and time again, saving you plenty of effort in the kitchen.
Brunch-style breakfast recipes
How do you like your eggs in the morning? A staple of a good brunch, filling, high-protein eggs are just what you need if you decide to merge breakfast and lunch into one hearty, healthy meal.
A fancy restaurant brunch will set you back a fair few pennies, as well as being higher in calories than you might think. Luckily, our Eggs Florentine looks and tastes just as fancy, despite being only 327 calories.
We’ve made a clever swap to lighten up this rich, poached egg recipe – switching the classic Hollandaise sauce for our creamy cheese sauce. Dare we say that we think it’s even tastier than the traditional version?
What if we told you that you could have a full English breakfast for under 400 calories? Well, not only is this possible, you can even cook the whole thing using just your air fryer! If you haven’t tried it yet, this Air Fryer Full English is a total game changer.
Forget all the fuss, mess and calories that normally come with a greasy weekend fry up – this will satisfy your cravings and leave you with far less washing up. It might be lighter but it doesn’t scrimp on any of the good stuff; you get sausage, bacon, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and scrambled eggs, all for 351 calories.
If you’ve not taken the plunge yet, we think an air fryer is an essential bit of kitchen kit for anyone on a slimming journey. This Ninja Foodi Max is one of our favourites and well worth the investment.
If you need an egg recipe you can dish up in less than 10 minutes, we’ve got you covered with these Turkish Style Eggs. They might be ready in a flash but that doesn’t mean they won’t impress with big flavours – the rich garlicky yoghurt and fiery harissa are a perfect match for the buttery egg yolks.
This is just 141 calories per portion, leaving you plenty of room to add a crusty bread roll to mop up every last bit.
What’s for breakfast?
We’d love to know your favourite recipes for the most important meal of the day! Be sure to tell us in our Facebook group where we have nearly 1 million members ready to inspire, support and motivate you on your slimming journey. Head on over and join today if you’re not already a member!
Plus, if you’re on the lookout for even more inspiration, don’t miss our Gallery. It’s chock-a-block with photos from members of the Pinch of Nom community, so you can see what everyone else has been cooking lately.