Break the Fast: Quick College Breakfast Choices

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Break the Fast: Quick College Breakfast Choices

November 2, 2011 by College Calorie Count

Did you know that the word “breakfast” literally means “to break fast?” Well it does! It’s called breakfast because it’s the first meal you eat after sleeping and therefore fasting all night. After “fasting” we need to nourish and prepare our hungry body and brain for the day.

We’ve heard it over and over, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but how many of us actually believe it? My guess, not many. Especially in college it’s hard to convince yourself getting up an hour or even 15 minutes earlier in the morning for breakfast is worth it. Well, it’s time to embrace this saying because it might just be the key to many of your weight woes in college.

Photo Credit: http://blog.pmoakridge.com/

Breakfast establishes the tone for the next 16 hours of your day. Starting out your day with a good breakfast will stabilize hunger and cravings throughout the day. Your body becomes stabilized with the appropriate fuel which in turn gives you all sorts of benefits. Some benefits of eating a healthy breakfast are:

Consuming more vitamins and minerals throughout the day
Better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
More positive mood
Eating less fat throughout the day
Helps to prevent bingeing
Prevents eating to many sweets
Prevents making unhealthy diet choices

When you get up in the morning you go through your normal routine, washing your face, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, to wake up your body. However, until you eat something, you haven’t woken up your metabolism. The best way to jump-start metabolism is by eating a healthy breakfast. What are the elements of a healthy breakfast you may ask? I’ve listed them below:

Whole grains: Things like whole-grain toast and bagels, whole-grain cereal and low-fat bran muffins.
Low-fat protein: Things like peanut butter, poultry or fish and hard-boiled eggs.
Low-fat dairy: These include skim milk, low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese.
Fruits and vegetables: These include fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, 100% juice beverages or fruit and veggie smoothies.

Luckily, there are some quick on-the-go options for college students that include all the core elements listed above. I’ve listed some of my favorite healthy breakfast that will help you fight afternoon fatigue and keep you from crashing in the middle of that important economics lecture.

- Toast with Nutella: If you haven’t tried this delicious chocolate hazelnut spread you won’t be disappointed. Put it on two slices of whole-grain toast and pair it with a side of fresh fruit and a glass of skim milk.

- Bagel and Yogurt: Pair a whole-grain bagel with a fruit yogurt. I prefer Chobani Greek Yogurt. It’s a meal in itself and fills you up unlike most yogurts, but any yogurt will work.

- Fruit Smoothie: Any fruit smoothie will do. One easy recipe is a handful of frozen berries, one banana and a 1/2 a cup of orange juice, another juice or water.

- Oatmeal: I like using two packets of the Quaker oatmeal because it gives you a little more substance than just one. Pair this with a glass of skim milk and fruit.

- PB&J Sandwich: A meal that is usually reserved for a snack or lunch is great for breakfast. Use whole-grain bread of course and you can even toast it for a more breakfast feel. I like adding bananas or honey to my PB&J for some extra nutrients.

- Cereal: Choose a healthy cereal with granola and oats. Mix in some sliced fruit like strawberries or bananas and use skim milk.

Photo Credit: http://simplyrecipes.com

For college students it’s hard to fit a healthy breakfast in before class. Usually the reason we skip breakfast is because we’re short on time in the morning, in this case, plan ahead. The night before figure out what you’ll eat in the morning and jot it down in your planner. I know one of the first things I do in the morning is check my planner to make sure I did all the homework I have due that day, and having your breakfast planned out there will act as a reminder to eat. It might also be helpful to set out the dry ingredients and any bowls or pans you’ll need in the morning. If you know you aren’t going to have enough time in the morning to eat, pack a to-go breakfast the night before.

Hopefully this post will get you to think twice about running out the door on an empty stomach. For more tips check out the Mayo Clinic’s article on eating a healthy breakfast. Do you have any of your own quick breakfast ideas?

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Posted in Dining | Tagged Cereal, Chobani, College, Easy, Healthy Breakfast, Metabolism, Nutella, Quick | 10 Comments

10 Responses

on November 2, 2011 at 4:36 pm | Reply Marissa

This is an awesome blog! So many helpful tips for my breakfast. Thank you so much
- on November 2, 2011 at 6:53 pm | Reply College Calorie Count
  
  Thanks Marissa! I’m glad you enjoy reading my blog!
on November 3, 2011 at 11:55 pm | Reply Sarah Says

It’s shocking how many college students skip breakfast. It literally is the most important meal of the day and studies have even shown a connection between eating breakfast and scoring well on exams. It’s worthwhile to grab a banana or a granola bar on the way out the door.
on November 22, 2011 at 12:44 am | Reply Amanda Faughner

I, like other college kids, find waking up early to eat an appropriate breakfast difficult. However, I do find that it really does help with focus and concentration when I do eat breakfast. You made a good point about breakfast waking up your metabolism. Even though I do shower every morning to wake up, I never feel fully functional until I eat a good breakfast. My preferred breakfast of choice is multi-grain english muffins with peanut-butter, which coincides with you multi-grain and protein findings. On a side note, I completely agree with you with Chobani yogurt.. it’s delicious and filling. Great blog!
- on November 22, 2011 at 1:52 am | Reply College Calorie Count
  
  Thanks! Glad you enjoyed reading it!
on November 22, 2011 at 2:33 am | Reply schinch1

Since I am one of those people who always wake up too late to make breakfast, I usually just grab a granola bar and leave out the door. I usually eat Nutri Grain, but I find it just makes me more hungry because it’s just not enough. Are there any breakfast bars you would recommend that are fulfilling and nutritious?
- on November 22, 2011 at 5:14 am | Reply College Calorie Count
  
  My favorite are the Special K Protein Bars. They have a few different kinds like strawberry (my favorite), chocolate and chocolate peanut. I have found that these protein bars fill me up in the morning like a meal would and keep me full until I can eat lunch or an early dinner. I would definitely recommend trying these!
on November 22, 2011 at 3:12 am | Reply Mady Etzel

My parents always stressed to me in high school how important eating in the morning was. I never really believed them, and never had time to eat in the morning. Because of this, my mom would always pack me a pb & j (one of the breakfast choices you mentioned) to take with me for my first period class. When I came to college, my mom was no longer there every morning to make sure I ate. The days where I would wake up late and not have time to eat made me realize that they were right all along. I would notice how much more tired I felt all day! It’s a lot harder to focus in class when all you’re worried about is making sure you’re stomach doesn’t growl loud enough for your fellow classmates to hear. I really liked this blog because it really is super important to eat in the morning. I live and breathe by my planner, so your idea of putting a reminder in there is a great idea that I’m going to try out! Typically if I get up late and don’t have time to sit down and eat I grab a granola bar, a banana, or a caramel rice cake with peanut butter.
I really enjoyed reading your posts! I’m a big health freak, so I love to read and learn new tips about how to be healthier, great work! (and I apologize for the rambling)
- on November 22, 2011 at 5:07 am | Reply College Calorie Count
  
  Glad you enjoyed reading. I hope some of these tips will help you eat breakfast more often!
on February 11, 2012 at 6:26 pm | Reply Igor

Hey! Thank for this delicious tips. I would just add, if you want to lose some weight, kick out sugar. Use other sweeteners. Perhaps brown sugar or honey. Tastes great !