Kitchen and Dorm Approved On-the-Go Breakfast Recipes

Let’s be honest. If we had to choose between spending 10-15 minutes preparing breakfast for ourselves one morning or getting 10-15 extra minutes of sleep, I think we all know what our answer would be: skip the breakfast, get the sleep. In essence, that's what college is all about— extra sleep forever prevails. While hitting the snooze button is a quick fix for your sleep-deprived mind, it's not going to fill your empty stomach that will then end up growling loud enough for your half-asleep classmates to hear.

Now, you might be thinking that the only way to avoid getting odd and long-lasting stares from the people sitting around you is to instead skip the sleep and make some breakfast. Well, that does not have to be the case thanks to these super simple, affordable, and dorm or kitchen safe on-the-go make-ahead breakfasts that I am going to share with you

Overnight oats are a great way to get in a super filling meal that has great health benefits and tastes great all while spending that extra time catching some zzzs. There are two ways to make overnight oats. The first way includes using rolled oats, while the second way uses instant oatmeal packets. Either work, so choose what is best for you!

Overnight Oats

• Prep Time:5 mins
• Cook Time:0
• Total Time:5 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats or instant oatmeal packet
• 1 cup almond milk or soy milk if that is more your style
• toppings your choice

• Step 1

  All you need to do is get a sealable container (like a Tupperware) put your oats in the container, pour the milk over, throw in your favorite toppings and put in the fridge. When you wake up the next morning, you will have a wholesome and incredibly yummy breakfast waiting for you!

  

• Step 2

  The toppings that you put into your overnight are totally up to you. A few favorite combinations of mine that are more commonly used are a scoop of peanut butter and a banana, or some sliced strawberries and banana, or some mixed berries.

  

What is super awesome about this recipe is that it requires very few ingredients and is customizable. In addition, you do not have to have your own kitchen as all of the fruits and the milk of your choice are normally available for you in a dining hall.

Smoothies are an excellent way to start your day with a boost of vitamins and nutrients while getting in a filling meal on the go. There are many different ways to make a smoothie, but I will give you a breakdown of the simplest way to enjoy all that goodness! I think it is best to start with a low-calorie and low sugar base such as almond milk. The almond milk gives the smoothie a great consistency and balances the thickness of the fruit which will be the main ingredient in the smoothie.

The Ultimate On-the-Go Smoothie

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:0
• Total Time:10 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup your “base”
• 2-3 fruits to add into your smoothie.

• Step 1

  Start by adding 1 cup of your base into your blender. I suggest using almond milk, however soy milk and regular milk work just as well!

  

• Step 2

  Add your fruits into the blender. If you are adding in a banana, you want to add in the whole thing. For fruits that are smaller and/or sliced such as strawberries or blueberries you want to add ½cup to ¾ a cup of each. If you are looking for a bigger smoothie I would suggest adding more of the fruit! For fruits like strawberries and bananas, be sure to slice them up so that they blend more evenly. Here are some combinations, but feel free to pick your favorites or try something new:
  Strawberry, banana, blueberry
  Strawberry, banana
  Mango, peach, banana
  Blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, banana

  

• Step 3

  Next, you can add in any additives or extra supplements into your smoothie to enhance its flavor or health benefits.
  
  Throwing in a spoon of peanut butter or almond butter is an easy way to add some extra protein into your smoothie. Also, do not be afraid to throw in a handful of spinach into your smoothie. The flavor of the fruits will overpower the flavor of the spinach, and when it is all blended together you will not even be able to taste the spinach!

  

• Step 4

  The last thing to do is blend your smoothie together, throw it in a to-go cup, and store it in the fridge until the morning.

  

Rice cakes are a great alternative for bread in the morning as they are light, customizable, and filling. However, they keep your calorie intake low to start a day of healthy and nutritious eating. Here are a few fantastic ways to create the ultimate on-the-go rice cake “toast."

Rice Cake "Toast"

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:0
• Total Time:10 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• Rice Cakes
• Peanut Butter
• Banana
• Honey
• Greek Yogurt
• Berries
• Cinnamon

• Step 1

  Peanut-Butter Banana Rice Cake
  Take one or two rice cakes (I suggest making two if you are looking for a meal to last you a bit longer) of a flavor of your choice. My personal favorites are the “Lightly Salted” and “Apple Cinnamon” rice cakes.

  

• Step 2

  Take ½ tablespoon of peanut butter and spread it on the rice cake. If you are using two rice cakes, you will use one tablespoon of peanut butter in total.

  

• Step 3

  Slice a banana and top the rice cake with it. For an extra bit of flavor, give your rice cake a very light drizzle of honey.

  

• Step 4

  Wrap up your rice cakes in whatever works best for you, whether it be a storage bag or a tupperware container, throw it in the fridge, and grab it on your way out the door the next morning!
  
  Another variation of this rice cake is using almond butter instead of peanut butter. In addition, feel free to throw some chia seeds on top of your rice cake for some added flavor and nutritional benefits.

  

• Step 5

  Greek Yogurt and Berries
  Take one or two rice cakes and spread with a decent coating of your favorite flavor of Greek yogurt. If you are looking for a more uniform taste, I recommend using a vanilla flavor

  

• Step 6

  Add some sliced berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and or blackberries on top of your greek yogurt. Add a light drizzle of honey to enhance the flavor of your rice cake. If you are a fan of cinnamon, feel free to give your rice cake a dusting of cinnamon. Cinnamon is known to have great nutritional benefits such as lowering blood sugar.

  

• Step 7

  Wrap up your rice cakes in whatever works best for you, whether it be a storage bag or container, throw it in the fridge, and grab it on your way out the door the next morning.

  

I hope these recipes will help you prepare ahead of time for those mornings where the last thing you are thinking about is prepping a nutritious and filling breakfast to kick-start your day. All of these recipes are meals that can be made the night before and will be ready to enjoy the next morning. Not only are these meals super yummy and have great health benefits, but they are also easy to make requiring little ingredients and are not expensive.

You will save some money making these on-the-go breakfasts which will make you and your bank account have an extra special day! The next time someone says they are starving in lecture because they overslept and did not have time to make breakfast, be sure to share these recipes with them! They will thank you for these, and you will avoid staring at the person whose stomach is growling loud enough for you to hear.