Healthy Recipes Health Conditions Diabetes-Appropriate 18 Diabetes-Friendly Breakfasts You Can Prep the Night Before By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on February 10, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player Breakfast is easier when you’ve done most (or all) of the work the night before. Wake up to a jar of fruity, chocolatey breakfast pudding or savory, microwaveable egg bites for something flavorful and nutritious to start the day. Not to mention, these dishes are each made lower in saturated fats and sodium and carb- and calorie-conscious to align with a diabetes-friendly eating pattern and help keep your blood sugar levels stable. Recipes like our Banana-Blueberry Protein Muffins and Chai Chia Pudding are delicious and nourishing meals you can whip up tonight and enjoy in the morning. 01 of 18 Banana-Blueberry Protein Muffins Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayliss These super-moist and tender muffins get a protein boost with the addition of cottage cheese and peanut butter. The banana, which adds natural sweetness, doesn't overpower the flavor of the blueberries. Frozen blueberries work just as well as fresh. For a different twist, try raspberries or chopped apple. View Recipe 02 of 18 Chai Chia Pudding Switch up your morning oatmeal routine with this so-easy chia pudding recipe. This healthy breakfast recipe has all the warm, spicy flavors of chai topped with creamy bananas and crunchy pistachios for added flavor and texture. View Recipe 03 of 18 Lemon-Blueberry Oatmeal Bars Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf These lemon-blueberry oatmeal bars taste like a hearty bowl of oatmeal that you can hold in your hands. Each square is bursting with fresh blueberries and infused with lemon zest. Once you get the hang of this easy breakfast, try them with raspberries or blackberries or swap out the almonds for toasted pecans or walnuts for a different spin. View Recipe 04 of 18 Copycat Starbucks Spinach & Mushroom Egg Bites Jamie Vespa Skip the pricy Starbucks breakfast in favor of our oven-baked egg bites, which are packed with spinach and mushrooms. Baking the egg bites in a hot-water bath creates a similar cooking environment to that of the sous vide method. The added moisture helps gently steam the eggs, creating an almost soufflé-like consistency. Enjoy these meal-prep-friendly egg bites as is, or serve with a dollop of salsa or hot sauce, or sliced avocado. View Recipe 05 of 18 Make-Ahead Smoothie Freezer Packs Smoothies are a great healthy breakfast for kids, but busy parents know there's no time for all that chopping and measuring in the morning rush. Make these easy DIY smoothie packs ahead of time and stash them in your freezer until you're ready to whir up a fruit-filled meal or snack kids will love. This makes enough for a workweek's worth of smoothies! View Recipe 06 of 18 Cocoa-Chia Pudding with Raspberries Have chocolate for breakfast with this unbelievably healthy chia pudding recipe. The deep chocolaty flavor pairs perfectly with juicy raspberries for a fun switch-up from oatmeal for your morning routine. View Recipe 07 of 18 Blueberry-Lemon Crumb Muffins Blueberries and lemon are a natural pairing in these light and airy muffins with a delicate brown sugar crumble. If you like an extra blast of lemon flavor, use lemon extract rather than vanilla. These muffins are best with fresh blueberries, but you can substitute with frozen. Don't thaw them before you stir them into the batter. View Recipe 08 of 18 Tiramisu-Inspired Overnight Oats Photographer: Sara Baurley, Food Stylist: Julia Levy, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Tiramisu, a classic Italian dessert, serves as flavor inspiration for these overnight oats. Instant espresso powder adds a touch of bitterness to the dish, which gets balanced by the sweetness of the maple syrup. We top each serving with yogurt for some tanginess, but you could also try swapping in ricotta. A dusting of cocoa powder on top serves as a nod to the dessert's iconic look. These oats are meal-prep-friendly, but if you find your oats becoming too dry as they sit in the fridge, add more almond milk until they're loosened to your desired consistency. View Recipe 09 of 18 Make-Ahead Freezer Breakfast Burritos with Eggs, Cheese & Spinach Ali Redmond Mornings just got easier with these satisfying breakfast burritos made with eggs, spinach, serrano peppers and cheese. These burritos can last for months in the freezer and reheat within minutes in the microwave, so keep a stash on hand for when you need a quick, healthy breakfast. View Recipe 10 of 18 Blueberry Baked Oatmeal Jason Donnelly This baked oatmeal recipe features lemon and cardamom with plenty of sweet and juicy blueberries. Baked oatmeal recipes like this one can be prepped on Monday for an easy grab-and-go breakfast for the rest of the workweek. View Recipe 11 of 18 Vegan Pumpkin Bread Flaxseed meal, which develops a gelatinous texture when mixed with water, replaces the eggs and provides structure to this moist, flavorful loaf. View Recipe 12 of 18 Berry-Orange Chia Pudding JASON DONNELLY Before you head off to bed, throw together this berry-orange chia pudding for a tasty shake-up in your morning routine. Chia seeds, a good source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, are combined with creamy coconut milk, berries and orange juice that adds subtle sweetness and tang. The chia seeds transform overnight to create a thick, creamy pudding for a healthy grab-and-go breakfast. View Recipe 13 of 18 Breakfast Banana, Chocolate & Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cakes Sara Haas Bananas, chocolate and peanut butter are a winning combination in these fun, satisfying oatmeal cakes. Peanut butter adds a boost of protein while oats provide fiber. Enjoy these oatmeal cakes for breakfast or a hearty snack. View Recipe 14 of 18 Quinoa & Chia Oatmeal Mix Make your own hot cereal mix with this healthy recipe. Keep it on hand and just cook up the amount you need when you're ready for a hot breakfast. One serving of the warm cereal contains six grams of fiber—almost a quarter of your daily quota. View Recipe 15 of 18 Breakfast Carrot-Cake Oatmeal Cakes Sara Haas Enjoy all the classic flavors of carrot cake in these healthy oatmeal cakes. Shredded carrot, raisins and walnuts are packed into each bite. Chopping the raisins helps distribute them throughout the batter. These oatmeal cakes are perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast, but also make for a great snack. View Recipe 16 of 18 Fruit & Granola Pops Adding granola to this fruit pop recipe upgrades it from frozen treat to healthy grab-and-go breakfast. Kefir brings probiotic power, and honey and fruit add a touch of sweetness. View Recipe 17 of 18 Breakfast Beans with Microwave-Poached Egg In Costa Rica, this popular breakfast bean dish is called gallo pinto, which means spotted rooster, referring to the dark beans amid the pale rice. We call for cooked barley here, but you can use whatever leftover cooked grain you may have on hand. View Recipe 18 of 18 Almond-Flour Zucchini Bread Almond flour gives this tender gluten-free zucchini bread a boost of protein. Squeezing excess moisture from the zucchini prevents the bread from becoming too soggy. If you want to make it extra special, add some dark chocolate chips to the mix. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit