Save Save

7 Cheap & Quick Things To Eat Instead Of Eggs 

Casandra Andrews  |  January 30, 2023

With the price of eggs still sky-high, we offer up seven other budget-friendly options for breakfast or any time of the day. 

For those of us not fortunate enough to have our own chicken coop filled with happy and productive hens, paying $6 – or much more – for a dozen store-brand eggs at the supermarket can be tough on our food budgets. 

Avian flu (responsible for nearly 58 million poultry deaths in the U.S. notes the CDC) and high-demand during the December holidays, were some of the factors that helped push egg prices up nearly 60 percent year-over-year, according to the Consumer Price Index. While we wait for the cost of the breakfast and baking staple to ebb back to more normal levels later in 2023, here are some low-cost and quick meals you can whip together instead of scrambling, frying or boiling up eggs for a morning meal.

Subscribe: Looking for more financial insights delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to HerMoney today!

Avocado Toast

If you haven’t checked lately, avocado prices are getting cheaper – no really – thanks, in part to an extreme over supply of the savory fruit, according to CNN. Haas avocados were on sale for 68 cents each at some Walmart grocery stores in January. Super Target stores were selling them for 89 cents in some markets during the same time period. 

Cooking Light’s Elizabeth Lasester calls this the last avocado toast recipe you’ll ever need. It features one half of a small avocado, and takes just 3 minutes to make. If you aren’t a fan of the guacamole-style spread, you can swap the green stuff for some roasted vegetables, perhaps leftovers from the night before, then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper for a quick and healthy start to the day. 

For a low-carb or keto version of avocado toast, use high-fiber bread. 

Eggless Blueberry Muffins

Baking muffins without eggs, of course, is possible, and can even be delicious. This recipe, adapted from the Joy of Vegan Cooking, has earned five stars from 206 reviews. Something great about baking muffins is you can whip up a batch or two on the weekend and they’ll last for a good stretch if stored properly.

Cold Oats

Catherine Dorrough, from Fairhope, Ala., started transitioning her family to a more vegetarian-based diet last year: “We are big oatmeal eaters. I love hot oatmeal and cold overnight oats. There are so many different ways to dress them up and keep the flavors interesting!” The Food Network features this recipe for overnight cold oats prep that includes various fresh fruit and nut toppings. 

Greek Yogurt

North Carolina mom Daniela Werner says Greek yogurt is her go-to if there aren’t eggs in her family’s refrigerator. It’s a great protein option for breakfast or any time of the day, she explains. “I’ll do the usual thing and eat it with berries or other fruit and maybe some granola,” Werner notes. “Since it’s on the lighter side, I’ll add a protein shake or peanut butter to that so I’m not hungry in two hours.” 

Hot Oatmeal

Here’s a fast and easy idea for preparing hot oats, courtesy of Florida resident Lisa Young: “If you have an instant pot, you can make a huge batch of brown butter steel cut oatmeal in 20 minutes. Then, you can use the microwave to heat a portion up for breakfast.” She suggests adding a little almond milk or other liquid to thin it out. Her personal favorite is sweetened condensed milk. Her husband likes it with berries, while her son prepares it with maple syrup and cinnamon. 

Spinach Smoothies

We all know spinach can pack a punch in the protein department. This recipe for a spinach smoothie from the Queen of Health website calls for half a small frozen banana, a cup of pineapple, fresh or frozen, plus a handful or two of baby spinach along with some plain greek yogurt. You can add a scoop of your favorite protein powder for extra energy.

Pork Chops (on Sale) 

More substantial than bacon (and with less sodium) thin-sliced pork chops could be a good option for those not following a vegetarian diet. When my dad saw that a dozen eggs were $10 at his local grocery store in January, he decided to shop around for some other breakfast options. 

Over at the meat counter, he noticed pork chops were buy-one get-one. He picked up two 8-chop packages for $14, which meant the pork chops were less than $1 each. At home, he placed two cutlets each in zip-top freezer bags to freeze for later. He planned to sear the chops in a pan and serve with fresh fruit and toast.

Compromise Elsewhere

Not everyone is giving up on eggs, even with a higher price tag at the moment. Dorrough says when her family moved away from chicken and steak, eggs became their primary source of animal protein. “Since we weren’t buying meat,” she says, “I started splurging on the really lovely Vital Farms eggs. They are expensive, but the shells are super thick and the yolks are rich and orange.” She suggests that reducing meat consumption could be another way to help balance the budget without cutting out eggs.

More from HerMoney:


Subscribe: Looking for more financial insights delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to HerMoney today!

Editor’s note: We maintain a strict editorial policy and a judgment-free zone for our community, and we also strive to remain transparent in everything we do. Posts may contain references and links to products from our partners. Learn more about how we make money.

Next Article: