Breakfast can absolutely set your day up for success. I’m sure you’ve heard of it referenced as “the most important meal of the day”. College students especially can benefit from eating a healthy breakfast. If you’re sitting in class at 10:30am and you’re starving, you may have a hard time concentrating and miss important material.
What’s a Healthy Breakfast?
You’re a busy college student – you need a morning meal that will do its job! A healthy breakfast should keep you full for hours, typically until lunch. When I’m eating breakfast, or creating a breakfast recipe, I focus on foods high in healthy fats and protein, with some high-fiber, complex starches on occasion. These foods will keep you fullest, longest.
What if I’m not a “breakfast person”?
A few notes before we get started though. If you’re just “not a breakfast person” – if you don’t naturally get hungry for breakfast, I wouldn’t recommend forcing yourself to eat something. If you don’t become starving for lunch, honestly, I would say it’s ok to skip breakfast. It’s very important to listen to your hunger cues – eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full.
Now, if you’re someone who does love eating breakfast, here are 10 easy recipes to try next week.
5 Easy Healthy Breakfast for College Students: On the Go
Here are some breakfast ideas that can be eaten while walking or getting ready if you don’t have time to sit down at the cafeteria or in your dorm room.
PB&J Box
474 calories
Ingredients:
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1 egg, large
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1 cup grapes, red
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1 oz cheese, sliced cheese, full fat/regular
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2 Tbsp peanut butter
Instructions:
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Hard boil egg
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Many ladies like dipping the grapes in the PB “PB & J” 🙂
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Note 1: No dairy? Have an extra egg
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Note 2: I love single serving peanut butter packets like Jif or Justin’s. Almond butter, or any other nut or seed butter, is also fine.
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Note 3: If you don’t have grapes, choose another fresh fruit
Peach & Yogurt Box with 1/8 Cup Nuts
413 calories
Ingredients:
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1 peach
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1 Greek yogurt, plain, 2%, single-serving container
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1/8 cup nuts
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2 eggs, large
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Dash: everything bagel seasoning
Instructions:
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Hard boil eggs
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If you want to use a flavored yogurt, choose one with less than 15 gm sugar – or chop up the peach & add it to the plain yogurt for flavor!
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Use salt & pepper if you don’t have everything bagel seasoning
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Recommend only making 2-3 days ahead of time to preserve freshness
Raspberry PB Overnight Oats
Calories: 369
Ingredients:
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1 cup raspberries
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1/2 cup 2% milk
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1 Tbsp peanut butter
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1/2 cup dry oats (uncooked)
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Dash: cinnamon
Instructions:
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Combine oats, PB, raspberries, and cinnamon in a jar (like a Ball jar)
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Top with milk
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Let sit in container with lid overnight
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No dairy? Use soy or almond milk. No PB? Use another nut or seed butter
Banana & Peanut Butter
Calories: 199
Ingredients:
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1 banana
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1 Tbsp peanut butter
Instructions:
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Use a peanut butter packet for easy transport if you need it
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No nuts? Use a seed butter e.g. sunflower seed butter. No banana? Use any other fruit.
Waffle box
Calories: 432
Ingredients:
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1 toaster waffle
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2 large eggs
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2 Tbsp peanut butter
Instructions:
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Hard boil eggs
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Toast waffle
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Make open-faced sandwich with peanut butter
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Try to get a whole grain or whole wheat toaster waffle in your store. These will be in the frozen section. Many brands will say the serving size is 2 waffles on the nutrition facts label. Since we’re having 1 waffle here, divide the calorie amount on the nutrition facts label by 2, to find a waffle that’s about 100 calories.
5 Easy Healthy Breakfast for College Students: Sitting Down
Here are some breakfast ideas to make when you do have more time in morning – and aren’t rushing out the door.
Huevos Rancheros sans Tortilla
391 calories
Ingredients:
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2 egg, large
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1/2 cup beans & legumes, cooked, black beans
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1/3 cup cheese, crumbled, feta
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2 Tbsp cilantro
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1 tsp red pepper flakes
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Pinch of salt
Instructions:
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Spray pan with oil spray & turn to high heat
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When pan is hot, crack in eggs, cook to desired consistency
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Mix beans, feta, red pepper and cilantro as a side
Salty Apple Cookies
476 calories
Ingredients:
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1 apple, medium
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2 Tbsp peanut butter
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1/8 cup nuts
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1/8 cup sunflower seeds, hulled
Instructions:
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Slice apple as shown in picture
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Spread PB on apples
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Top with nuts & seeds (separately or together!)
Banana Pancakes with 1 Tbsp PB
271 calories
Ingredients:
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1 banana
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1 egg, large
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1 Tbsp peanut butter
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Dash: cinnamon
Instructions:
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Whisk banana and eggs. Add in cinnamon.
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Spray a non-stick pan with an oil spray
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Add small amount of batter to pan, flip when you can easily slide turner under it
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Make a sandwich with the PB or dip pieces of pancakes into the PB on the side
Broccoli Frittata
299 calories
Ingredients:
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2 eggs, large
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1/2 cup broccoli
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1/3 cup cheese, shredded, mozzarella
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1/2 onion, yellow
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Dash: salt
Instructions:
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This recipe works best when making 2-3 servings
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
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Spray a pan with an oil spray
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Add in veggies (chopped), stir-fry for 6-7 minutes
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Crack eggs into a bowl, whisk with a fork, add in cheese and seasonings
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Spray an oven-safe pan (e.g. cast iron skillet) with an oil spray
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Add in veggies to the oven-safe pan
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Add in eggs & cheese mixture to the oven-safe pan
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Bake for 25 minutes, or until eggs have cooked through
Egg, Feta & Spinach Bowl with Cauliflower Rice
347 calories
Ingredients:
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1 cup leafy greens, spinach, raw
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2 eggs, large (you can use egg whites if you prefer)
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1 cup veggies noodles/rice, cauliflower “rice”, raw
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1 Tbsp cheese, Parmesan, grated
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1/3 cup cheese, crumbled, feta
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Dash: garlic
Instructions:
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Spray pan with an oil spray. Turn burner to medium heat. Add in cauliflower rice. Stir fry until you see some browning. Add in Parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Remove from pan.
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Spray pan again with oil spray and fry eggs
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In a bowl combine eggs, cauliflower rice, feta, and spinach
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