Light and Easy Recipes and Meal Ideas

Breakfast

2 Ingredient Dough Bagels

Calories: 137 •

Just some of my methods and techniques for bagels and dough. I included a more in-depth video that goes through different flours, measuring flour, the type of yogurt used, and how to best store these.

I also recommend buying a Dough Cutter (commission earned). It's good for dividing the dough, scraping flour and goo off the counter, and lifting dough from the work surface onto the baking sheet.
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Oatmeal Stuffed Apples

Calories: 112 •

These look a little fancy but they are so quick and easy to prepare. I bake mine in the toaster oven and take a quick shower while they are baking. If you don't have a toaster oven, a regular oven will do just fine. It's a filling, tasty breakfast for just 1 SmarPoints on the Green and Blue plan - or Zero SmartPoints on Purple.

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Granola Bowl

Calories: 253 •

This is more of an idea than a recipe. There's barely anything to it. But it's still really good and I'm going to keep this in my regular breakfast line-up.

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Waffle Iron Western Omelette

Calories: 341 •

I used a 7" diameter waffle iron for this. If you have a different size waffle iron, you may need to adjust the amount of peppers and/or eggs used for this.

I like using the waffle iron as an indoor grill sometimes. It cooks both sides of the omelette and gives a nice little char on the cheese without sticking.
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Pumpkin Bread

Calories: 115 •

This pumpkin bread makes a very festive and delicious fall breakfast or snack. It's moist, soft, slightly sweet and easy to make.

Notes: when measuring flour, don't scoop or dunk the measuring cup into the bag. You will get an over-measure of flour that way which will result in a higher amount of calories, and the loaf may come out a drier than expected. Instead, lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup. Level off the top of the measuring cup using the back of a knife.
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Bananas in a Blanket

Calories: 112 •

A new family favorite in my house. When the bananas are baked, they become creamy and sweet like a pastry filling. Essentially, you just wrap 2 ingredient dough strips around a banana - and bake.
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Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Bake

Calories: 313 •

This tasty oatmeal bake will fill you up, and keep you full all morning. I baked this in a single serving 2-cup ramekin, in the toaster oven. It's a casual week-day breakfast you can make in about 25 minutes.

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Copycat Egg McMuffin

Calories: 258 •

Nothing revolutionary here. But it beats the drive-through version. I keep this in my breakfast line up because it's a tasty, quick option for busy work-day mornings. Not much of a recipe... just an idea.

I got light English muffins for 2 SmartPoints at Shoprite. If you have trouble locating them at your local grocery store, you may need to adjust the Points value for this recipe based on the English muffin you use. The Velveeta cheese slices are 1 SmartPoint each (all plans). Canadian bacon is 1 SmartPoints for 3 slices (all plans), but only 1 slice is used here.

To reduce Points or calories for the plan you are following, perhaps you can use egg whites instead of a whole egg, or omit the Canadian bacon or cheese.

Recipe makes 1 sandwich.

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Lemon Custard Crepes with Raspberries

Calories: 88 •

This custard is light and creamy with a mild lemony flavor - easy to make. You can prepare the custard the night before because it needs at least 3 hours to cool and set properly.

The crepe shells are toasted for a crisp shell but the bottoms do get soft rather quickly. These are meant to be eaten with a fork or spoon (not a hand-held treat). Pair one with scrambled eggs and some fruit, you have a really enjoyable and filling breakfast.

Recipe makes 4 cups of the custard. Each half-shell uses about 1/2 cup of custard per crepe. Frieda's brand used here (9" in diameter). I found them in the produce section of my grocery store, Shoprite (near the berries). You can store the cream in the refrigerator for a few days but it will loosen a bit. My kids happily eat any leftovers.

The video below has good tips for making the shells and filling them. Nutrition information includes 1 filled crepe with 1 tbps of melted raspberries.
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Mini Quiche - Breakfast Bakes

Calories: 115 •

These mini breakfast egg bakes double as a crustless quiche that you can have as a side dish. Recipe makes 12 breakfast bakes/mini quiches. Serving size is 1 mini quiche.
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Cherry Hand Pies

Calories: 97 •

These hand pies are just 2 points each, so delicious and satisfying. You can eat these for breakfast or a dessert. Make them in batches and freeze in a ziplock bag - then reheat in the toaster oven.

I got the frozen cherries from Trader Joes (which I know are zero points) but almost any grocery store has them. Just check the ingredients on the bag to be sure there is no added sugar.

The cookie cutters used here come in very handy for a lot of recipes. You can find and purchase the following items used in this recipe:

Pastry/Cookie Cutters (about $7.00)

Bisquick Heart Smart baking mix (about $4.00)

Dough scraper (about $8.00)

(commission earned on links above)

For my friends outside the U.S.A., you can use pancake mix in place of the Bisquick - just check the SmartPoints for the recipe using the recipe builder in the WW app.

Recipe makes 8 hand pies. 1 pie per serving.
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2 Ingredient Dough - Whole Wheat Bagels

Calories: 127 •

Whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture than regular white flour - so I adjusted my usual ratio of yogurt to flour for these bagels.

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Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Calories: 73 •

I call these Breakfast cookies because they have a very soft, almost "muffiny" texture. I have these with an egg and some fruit in the morning to make it a more filling breakfast.

You can double the recipe to make these in batches and freeze in a large zip lock bag. Just warm them for about 20 seconds or so in the microwave.

Recipe makes 20 two-inch cookies. 1 cookie per serving.
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Toasted Almond Banana Muffins

Calories: 115 •

These tasty muffins are a breakfast you can enjoy at home, or take on the go. Be sure to use non-stick liners for these (foil liners are good). And after you sprinkle the topping onto the batter, gently press it in with a knife or fork to be sure you don't lose most of the topping during baking. See video for quick demonstration.

Recipe makes 12 muffins. 3 WW Freestyle Points per muffin (or 7 Points for 2 of them).

For my friends outside the US - you can use regular self-rising flour in place of the Bisquick for this recipe. It will come out close enough.
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Blueberry Banana French Toast Sticks

Calories: 115 •

This is a very wet dough, almost like a batter. You will need a pastry bag to pipe the dough/batter onto the baking sheet. If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a large ziplock bag and cut the tip off of it to pipe the batter onto the baking sheet. See video for specifics.

Recipe makes 10 six-inch sticks. Once they are baked and cooled, you can freeze them (in a zip-lock bag) then pop them in the toaster oven when you're ready to eat them.

Nutritional information and WW SmartPoints values based on 1 French Toast Stick.

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Scrambled Eggs with Ham and White Cheddar

Calories: 389 •

My brother said I make the best scrambled eggs so for you Frank, here are the eggs. BTW, Frank is 21 years younger than me. He is the best kid brother in the whole world.

These eggs have diced ham and shredded white cheddar cheese. But the more important part of making these is to not overcook the eggs. I swirl the eggs in the pan, and when they are still a bit wet, turn off the heat and place them on the plate. Serve with fruit or whatever else you like.

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Soft-boiled Eggs

Calories: 72 •

My gram always made me soft-boiled eggs as a kid and I still love them.

I see many different suggestions on the internet about how to cook hard boiled eggs (or soft boiled) so the shells peel easily, without sticking to the egg. Such as:

Egg cooker

Instant pot method

Add baking soda to the water

among others.

I am sure all of these suggestions work. My method also works if you give it a try.

To keep the shells from sticking to the egg, I add the eggs to the water "after" the water comes to a boil (and not before). Then submerge the eggs in very cold water when they are done cooking.

Another tip: if you store soft or hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator, run them under hot water just before peeling them. The shells will peel of easily.

Recipe makes 3 soft-boiled eggs. 1 egg per serving.

WW SmartPoints and nutrition values are for eggs only. Excludes sausage and bread shown in the photo.
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Lemon Squares

Calories: 90 •

These are light, cakey and moist. Almost like a lemon coffee cake. And so easy to make. I usually have one with scrambled eggs for breakfast. Or as an afternoon snack with some tea and fruit.

Recipe makes 18 squares. Serving size is 1 square.
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Bacon and Eggs

Calories: 185 •

I used 2 slices of Butterball Thin and Crispy turkey bacon, chopped up with a little scallions, fresh dill, salt and pepper. Enjoy this as a snack or breakfast.

To get the middle of the eggs slightly soft and undercooked, submerge them into a bowl of cold water immediately after boiling (more detailed directions below).

Recipe makes 1 serving.
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Banana Bread

Calories: 135 •

This is good with a little spread of peanut butter or PB2. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Recipe makes 16 slices. 1 slice per serving.
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Waffle Cone Bowls

Calories: 252 •

These smothered waffle cone bowls make a good breakfast, or a snack. The waffle cone bowls (unfilled) are just 50 calories - or 2 SmartPoints each. I filled it with non-fat greek yogurt, topped with blueberries and bananas that I warmed in a small sauce pot, and sprinkled it with a teaspoon of pumpkin seeds.

If you find that plain non-fat greek yogurt is very tart, the sweetness of the fruit and waffle cone in this recipe balance it out nicely.

Note that the photograph makes the waffle bowl appear larger than it actually is (just being honest). I didn't try to exaggerate this, it's just how the photo came out. The actual size is similar to that of a regular cupcake.

You can find and purchase the mini waffle cone bowls here (commission earned).

If you look for these waffle bowls in the grocery store, be sure to select the Joy Cone Mini size waffle bowls. The regular size is more calories and SmartPoints.

Recipe is for 1 serving.
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Artichoke Frittata

Calories: 119 •

Whip up this delicious frittata in about 15 minutes. I get the frozen artichoke hearts at Trader Joe's. Reference video for demonstration.

Recipe makes 4 servings. 1 quarter per serving.
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Mini Apple Pies

Calories: 212 •

These delicious mini apple pies make a good breakfast, snack or dessert. You can serve them at parties and no one will suspect they are lightened up. The apples need a little head start in cooking because the pie crusts bake rather fast. Recipe makes 12 mini apple pies. 1 mini pie per serving.

You can find and buy the Bisquick Heart Smart Mix here.

Commission earned.
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Stuffed Bagels

Calories: 406 •

I used scrambled eggs and light mozzarella in this batch, but if it's your first time making these, pre-cooked turkey bacon and shredded cheese is a little easier. Do not put too much stuffing in these, because the skin will likely break and make a big mess in the oven.

Recipe makes 4 stuffed bagels. Serving size is 1 stuffed bagel.
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Oatmeal Bars

Calories: 163 •

These oatmeal breakfast bars are mildly sweet and have a soft and moist texture because of the oatmeal. You can make these in advance - store them in the refrigerator, then heat them up when ready to eat. If I'm on the go, I'll pack this up with a hard boiled egg or some fruit.

For the apples in this recipe, Granny Smith is good or another type of baking apple. I used an 8" x 8" baking dish. Recipe makes 8 bars. Serving size is 1 bar.
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Carrot Cake Muffins

Calories: 178 •

These are super moist, soft and delicious. Not quite sweet enough to be considered a cupcake though. No artificial sweeteners used.

Recipe makes 20 muffins. 1 muffin per serving.
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Blueberry Lemon Cream Breakfast Bombs

Calories: 166 •

These are good for a weekend breakfast or brunch. They are very creamy and light. I recommend using "Skim Plus" skim milk for these because it's creamier than regular skim milk, but regular skim milk is fine.

Recipe makes 12 servings.

You can find and purchase the Bisquick Heart Healthy Mix here.

Commission earned.
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Eggs & Turkey Bacon Sandwich

Calories: 342 •

I make the bagels for this sandwich on meal-prep day. Sometimes I assemble several sandwiches and freeze them so I can just heat one up and go. If you reheat the whole sandwich in the microwave (directly from frozen) you may need to remove the top of the bagel, and flip the eggs half way through to be sure it's evenly heated.

Other times, I freeze just the bagels, and defrost on the day I'm eating it - then cook and add the eggs and turkey bacon that day.

Serving size is 1 sandwich. Recipe for easy WW friendly bagels here.
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Sausage, Spinach and Cheese Egg Bakes

Calories: 153 •

These are a tasty option you can prepare for breakfast in advance. I store them in the freezer (in a ziplock bag) and reheat in the microwave for a minute or two (rotating in between) when I'm ready to eat them.

Turkey sausage links used in this recipe are "Banquet Brown 'N Serve Sausage links". You can find them in the freezer section of almost any mainstream grocery store. If you use a different type of turkey sausage, you may need to adjust the SmartPoints and nutrition values.

Recipe makes 12 Egg Bakes in total. Serving size is 1 Egg Bake.
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French Toast

Calories: 243 •

This is just like french toast you would normally make, but I skipped any butter, oil and syrup. Instead I just heated some blueberries on the stove top to bring out the sweetness in the berries, so it acted as a type of syrup on the French Toast.

Recipe makes 1 serving. WW SmartPoints and nutrition information based on 2 slices.
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Waffle Iron Hashbrowns and Eggs

Calories: 84 •

To get these hashbrowns crispy, I let the water drain out of them. It takes a little inactive waiting time, but the hashbrowns come out too soft otherwise.

You can find and purchase the waffle iron I use here.

Commission earned.

Nutrition information based on 1/4 waffle hashbrown (excludes eggs shown in photo).
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Eggs and Avocado on Crusty Sourdough

Calories: 162 •

I make my own sourdough bread, but you can purchase a nice crusty rustic loaf from your local bakery. You can pair this with any fruit of your choice for a more filling meal.

WW Points Values and Nutrition information estimated (based on 1 medium slice of sourdough rye bread).
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