The Associated Press

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but it also can be one of the hardest to do right.

The get-out-the-door-frenzy most of us face makes it easy to make decisions that are good for neither our wallets nor our health. Grab-and-go fast food breakfasts or a pit stop at the coffee shop can cost plenty of cash and calories.

Stocking up on healthy cereal, such as low-fat granola, is a good way to avoid this. Many grocers and natural food stores offer bulk cereals at lower prices than boxed varieties, many costing less than 50 cents per serving.

And keep a selection of portable fruits, such as bananas, peaches, apples and oranges, which can get you out the door even faster on particularly crazy mornings.

Another easy and inexpensive solution is to bake a batch of all-in-one breakfast muffins during the weekend. With about 20 minutes of effort, you can have a dozen breakfasts lined up (muffins freeze particularly well).

While blueberry and banana muffins are popular choices, many recipes are more sugar than fruit and can leave you hungry by midmorning. But these buttermilk-based savory ham and cheese breakfast muffins are loaded with hunger-fighting protein.

And at just about 65 cents each, they are a much better bet than those costly coffee shop pastries.

These muffins stay fresh in the refrigerator for three days, or can be sealed in plastic wrap and frozen for up to two months. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap, cover the muffin in a paper towel and microwave on high for 30 to 60 seconds.

Ham, cheese buttermilk muffins

Start to finish: 45 minutes (20 minutes active)

Servings: 12

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder