Emily Block | Blogger

You’ve probably heard that “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” and these words could not hold more truth. Breakfast kick starts your metabolism, provides important carbohydrates to fuel your brain, and keeps you satisfied so you don’t go overboard at lunch. Unfortunately, with the stress of a busy schedule, skipping breakfast has become a habit among many college students.

I’ll be the first to admit, when my schedule fills up I’m living off coffee and fruit. However, after about a week of this, I start to feel the drag. My sleep, workouts, and study habits suffer, and I know it’s time to get back to prioritizing full balanced meals.
I try to get to sleep relatively early, and by the time I wake up and run I’m absolutely ravenous. One the best ways I’ve found to make sure I’m making a balanced breakfast—and fast—is to meal prep ahead of time. Usually, this means I’ll take an hour or two on the weekends to make the week’s meals as accessible as possible. This may include hard boiling eggs, chopping up fruit, and dividing out meal portions into individual Tupperware containers/Ziplocs. This way, when hunger strikes I have a healthy meal readily prepared. In the mornings, it means I can easily grab a full balanced meal on my way to class.
Breakfast is undoubtedly my favorite meal of the day, so I’m really excited to share some of my favorite, healthy, and well balanced breakfasts. As the cold weather approaches and walking to the forum seems like more trouble than it’s worth, try these quick breakfasts to save time and keep you from hitting that mid-morning slump. Keep in mind the importance of carbohydrates (to fuel your brain) as well as fat and protein (to keep you full).

Hard Boiled Eggs, Banana, and Peanut Butter

This is another great on the go breakfast! You can either hard boil your eggs ahead of time, or buy pre-packaged hard boiled eggs at most grocery stores (the broke college student in me prefers the former, but my inevitable laziness usually results in the later). Eggs are packed with protein, a banana has just enough sugar to keep you focused but not jittery, and peanut butter is a delicious, but healthy fat to balance out the meal.

Plain Greek Yogurt with Strawberries and Sliced Almonds

This is a super simple balanced breakfast and literally takes 30 seconds to whip up on a busy morning (as long as you’ve sliced your strawberries ahead of time!). I find that Fage total Greek yogurt has the best flavor as far as plain yogurt goes, and it has tons of protein to hold you over until lunch. Add some strawberries for a sugar boost, and some sliced almonds for a little bit of healthy fat.

Protein Smoothie

I usually try to stick with whole food protein sources, but sometimes you have to work with what you have. Protein powders are a decent substitute and make for tasty smoothies! My favorite is the “Reese’s” smoothie, using chocolate protein powder, frozen bananas, almond milk, and peanut butter. Blend and enjoy!

Sometimes I have a little more time on my hands, and enjoy cooking a quick breakfast. Some of my favorites are:

Fruit Quesadillas: SERIOUSLY MY FAVORITE BREAKFAST and it’s worth every minute of prep. Spread a whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter and top with some sliced bananas and strawberries. Melt a bit of coconut oil in a skillet on medium heat, fold the tortilla in half, and cook until golden brown.

Veggie Omelets: Eggs cooked in coconut oil with peppers—cooked on a skillet.

Sweet Potato Hash: Cube a sweet potato and sauté in coconut oil until soft and golden brown. Fry 1-2 eggs and plate over the top of the sweet potatoes. This is definitely a more filling breakfast, so it’s great for days I know that I’m going to be super active!

I know it’s not always easy to find extra time, but eating a balanced breakfast is something sure to pay off in the long run. A healthy meal in the morning sets the tone for the day, and over time these small changes will make a huge difference in your health.