Breakfast is, like, really important.
You already know this. I know that you already know this. You’ve been told this every year from kindergarten to 12th grade. So tell me, besides your latest Saturday brunch at Union Cafe, what has your most recent, ACTUAL breakfast meal been? A protein bar? Cereal? Scrambled eggs?
Let me tell you something: you deserve better than that. Your body and mind deserve better than that. As college students, we neglect proper, nutritious breakfasts every day in favor of 20 more minutes of sleep or a longer shower. But you shouldn’t have to choose! There is an overwhelming amount of scientific research that proves eating breakfast in the morning improves your cognitive functions, supports a healthy metabolism, increases your daily energy levels and improves your overall mood. So if time is a factor in your decision to deprive your body of its most important daily meal, fear not! Here are some of my favorite, wonderfully easy breakfast recipes that are healthy, delicious, and super quick.
Protein Oats (with coffee!)
Time: 3 minutes (plus overnight soaking)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of oats
- 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (feel free to add more or less depending on how wet you like your oats)
- 1/4 cup coffee
- 1/2 cup protein powder (again, I opt for vanilla, but peanut butter, chocolate and banana are also great options)
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
Directions: combine all the ingredients in a mason jar or container. Shake well and refrigerate overnight. Pro tip: if you’re a caffeine addict like me, don’t be afraid to add more coffee into this. More coffee is never a bad choice.
Banana Oat muffins
Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 banana, mushed
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla
- 1/4 cup of maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 cup of greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups of oats
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 pinch of salt
- Toppings of choice (I usually alternate every time I make these with semi-sweet dark chocolate chips, blueberries, walnuts and strawberries)
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin ban with non-stick spray. Combine all ingredients. Bake for 30 minutes or until sides are golden. Enjoy or refrigerate for healthy breakfast muffins! I also sometimes eat these for dessert when I’m having a sweet craving at night. Yum!
Veggie Egg Cups
Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4-5 eggs
- Salt and pepper
- Veggies of choice! Think: spinach, mushroom, tomato, cheese, onion, etc.
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray. Fill with ingredients of choice. Whisk 4-5 eggs with salt and pepper. Pour whisked eggs into each muffin mold with until full and the majority of the veggies are covered. Cook for 30 minutes. Enjoy hot or refrigerate for breakfast on-the-go!
