Remember when I mentioned that I was going to try be a little bit healthier when it came to food choices? Well I’ve been pretty dedicated… so far anyway. Eating better and enjoying more refined sugar sweets made with wholesome ingredients has made me feel incredible, lighter and maybe a little bit leaner. Isn’t it funny how even the smallest changes in your food choices can make a BIG difference? I think so.
Food wise I’ve been really into eating beans, quinoa, eggs, asparagus, almond butter and homemade granola. I also can’t get enough berries in my life, particularly raspberries with a little dark chocolate before bed. I usually melt a square or two of dark chocolate over the stove top then sprinkle sea salt into the melty goodness. After that I’ll dip any kind of fruit in it. Bananas are great but the tartness of the raspberries paired with the dark bitterness of the chocolate is magic.
I’ve also been prepping meals ahead of time. It’s not incredibly necessary since I do work from home, but it’s beneficial because having food to go or freshly prepared meals in the fridge makes it much less likely that I’ll go out to eat or purchase snacks on my way home from the gym. I also love the fact that because I’m preparing the meals myself, I know exactly what’s in them. Zero preservatives, all natural goodness.
Another thing I’ve realized on my journey to being a little bit healthier is that I must exercise right away in the morning. I’m talking roll out of bed, throw on my workout clothes and head to the gym. It’s become somewhat of a daily routine plus makes me feel incredibly energized; sometimes to the point where I can go the entire day without coffee! The fact that I don’t have to bring myself to exercise later in the day is a bit of a relief too because the longer I wait, the less likely I’ll want to go. Does that happen to you?
Because of my early morning fitness routine, I’m often out the door with little to no time to enjoy breakfast. And I don’t know about you but I definitely need a little something for fuel before I start squatting my heart out. This past week I made these quinoa egg muffins which actually reminded me a bit of a personal loaded veggie frittata. They’re packed with fresh veggies, cilantro and big bites of creamy ripe avocado. Yasssssssss. What would the world be without avocados?
To make these, I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa. I’m so excited to be partnering with them to develop more recipes this year because you all know how much I love quinoa. In fact did you know that quinoa is a complete protein? That means it’s particularly good for those of us who eat a mostly plant-based diet.
Tip for making these frittatas:
My favorite tip for these frittatas: Throw a little deli meat in or cooked and diced chicken sausage and feel free to mix and match veggies as you see fit. You can also bake this in a 9×9 inch pan and serve as an egg bake (it maybe take a bit longer to bake). The possibilities are endless but all will be delicious! PROMISE.
How to store these: I keep these in individual baggies and reheat throughout the week. They are wonderful with a little hot sauce or salsa.
I hope you love these scrumptious little bites! They’re great for an on the go breakfast, a quick post workout fuel up or just as a snack when needed. Enjoy!
If you make this recipe or anything else from AK, tag me on Instagram #ambitiouskitchen so I can see your wonderful creations!
Also be sure to leave a comment to let me know if you like or make these frittatas. I LOVE hearing your feedback and so do other members of the AK community.
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More healthy meal prep breakfast ideas to try:
Veggie Packed Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Burritos
Savory Chicken Sausage, Egg and Cheese Muffins (keto + low carb)
Spinach & Goat Cheese Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust
Vegan Paleo Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Strawberry Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal + video
Loaded Veggie Avocado Quinoa Frittatas
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Optional: 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- Optional: 1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice
Instructions
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Place quinoa and 2 cups of water in a small pot over high heat. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook quinoa for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a separate bowl to cool for 10-15 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners and generously spray the inside of each liner with nonstick cooking spray.
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In a large bowl, beat together eggs. Fold in veggies, onion, avocado, salt and pepper and jalapeño and/or cheese (if adding). Fold in cooled quinoa.
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Divide evenly among prepared muffin pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until egg is set and edges are barely golden brown.
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Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes then immediately transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in fridge tightly wrapped or in a container; these will keep for 5-7 days.
Recipe Notes
It’s important to use muffin liners in this recipe when baking as when I didn’t my mini frittatas stuck to the pan. Be sure to spray the inside of the liners with nonstick cooking spray too!
Nutrition does not include shredded cheese, but if added, each frittata will be around 15 calories more.
You can play around with the veggies! Try adding mushrooms, zucchini, sweet potatoes or even black beans.
Organic eggs with omega-3s are best for optimal nutrition.
Nutrition
This post is sponsored by Ancient Harvest. All thoughts, opinion and text are my own. I’m excited to work with Ancient Harvest through the rest of this year developing healthy, plant based recipes for you! Thanks for continuing to support AK and the brands I work with!
50 comments
Yum! This is perfect for my car ride to the gym at 5:30am! Not to heavy before a workout either. You’ve done it again Monique!
Ahhhh these look SO GOOD. Quinoa + Egg = LOVE.
Love that you put quinoa in these! I’d totally take a few of these for lunch too, with a little salad. I’m always looking for new, easy to heat-up lunch ideas, so these are perfect in my book!
2 questions …#1 How much cooked quinoa does this make as sometimes I have leftovers that I would like to use up some way?
#2 what do you do with the leftover egg yolks as many of your recipes call for just the whites? Sorry I hate to through out perfectly good food so could I use the just egg whites you can buy in the grocery store?
This makes approximately 2 cups of cooked quinoa. As for the egg yolks, you can make pudding or use about 1/3-1/2 cup egg whites from the store.
I make my own mayonnaise, it calls for yolks only. I’ll save them for that. 🙂 https://nomnompaleo.com/post/3440774534/paleo-mayonnaise
I definitely need more make-ahead healthy stuff like this in my life. Yum!
Quinoa, eggs, avocado, and veggies! I couldn’t have thought of a better combo!
I love quinoa (especially this brand) and I love that you combined it with veggies and eggs to make a delicious frittata. I have to prep my food for the week because I’m the same way – If I don’t make it ahead of time, I’ll cheat and eat out or eat too much chocolate (I can’t say “no” to chocolate, but I can limit how much chocolate I eat! I really really enjoy this recipe…bikini body, here I come!
This recipe could not have come at a better time! Tomorrow night’s dinner was vaguely written on the calendar as “breakfast”.
These little quinoa muffins look awesome. Perfect to pop in your mouth when you are on-the-go in the morning.
Little individual frittatas are my absolute favorite breakfast – but I’ve never tried adding quinoa! That would totally solve my always-hungry-by-10:30 problem.
What a cool idea! Never thought of putting quinoa in a frittata but I definitely want to try it asap!
These are adorable!!! They look so delicious!
Made these earlier this week and love them!! I’ve been having them for lunch with some hummus on the side…delish! Thanks for a great recipe!
These were delicious, Monique! I just ate two. Used chopped up turkey bacon, a yellow pepper and some spinach. Going to try your egg muffins, too!
Can they be frozen?
Do you think they’d work with couscous instead of quinoa?
Just finished meal prepping these for the work week and can’t wait to try them. I love being able to find great salads and healthy treats on your blog for any time of year.
Sounds yummy
I’ve made these several times. I also add mushrooms, asparagus & chopped up smoked ham. Eat them for breakfast & lunch. Defiantly one of my favorite recipes!!!
Should I saute the veggies first?
Hi Kelly! I didn’t, but you definitely can!
Ok thank you! 🙂
Do you think these can be frozen and then just popped in the microwave?
Hi Ashley! I wouldn’t recommend it (frozen eggs just aren’t my favorite), but you could try it with a couple of them and see how you like it!
This veggie avocado quinoa frittatas looks yummi and healthy, i’ll definitely note this recipe to my cookbook. Btw avocado rich in several B vitamins and vitamin K, with good content of vitamin C, vitamin E and potassium. That’s why i prefer recipes with avocado:) Thx for sharing, Monique!
I hope you try these and love them, Jill! I love using avocados, too 🙂 so much goodness in them.
I’ve made these a bunch of times, and they come out amazing every time! I generally follow the recipe pretty close, but have added broccoli and other veggies if I have them on hand. They’re the perfect mid-morning snack to take to work. I love then with hot sauce and they’re good warmed up or cold!
These are perfect for adding any of your favorite veggies! Love the hot sauce on top, too 🙂
Why do we need to add egg whites?
I like the extra protein they give, but feel free to add another 2 whole eggs instead!
Could it be made in a casserole dish instead?
Yes! I’d recommend a 9×9 inch pan (and it may take a bit longer to bake).
silicon muffin pans are perfect for these. I put the entire pan in the freezer after they cool down. When they are frozen, I put them in freezer bags. They keep for months, just pop in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
Great tip – perfect for on-the-go breakfasts!
Is there a way to make these vegan?
Not that I know of!
Wow. This avocado quinoa frittatas look is a pure combination of taste, I love healthy food.
Cannot wait to make these!
Hope you love them!
Just wanted to tell you how much I love the healthy recipes on your website. I’m a Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach and Nutritionist and most clients come to me to learn how to eat healthy and lose weight. I frequently recommend your recipes. Keep up the good work!!
Hi Lorie! Amazing – I’m so glad you love these recipes and can share them with clients. Plenty more delicious ones to come!
such a good breakfast!
These loaded veggie bites are delicious and super healthy! I love the combination of veggies, and the creamy avocado is a nice addition. I’m happy to have leftovers for a quick, easy breakfast for the rest of the week. I’m definitely having a second one now! Thanks for the great recipe, Monique!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Delicious and so easy to make! I used a Mexican four cheese mix and jalapeños in mine. I also used a smoked habanero hot sauce on top. Very tasty and lots of flavor.
Perfect! Love that!
Have absolutely loved every AK recipe I’ve made. Love watching the videos and that there are so many healthy and easy options. The lemon courgette and blueberry cake is absolutely divine.
I’m so glad you’ve loved everything, Rosie!!