One of the most difficult challenges that we face as college students is waking up early for 8 AM classes, but skipping breakfasts just makes it worse. We all know that sluggish, hungry, unfocused, waiting-for-class-to-be-over-so-I-can-get-lunch feeling that plagues students in early classes.
These three weekday breakfasts require little to no prep time in the morning, are easy to eat, and will help you win the battle against morning sluggishness.
1. Breakfast Bars
When I find myself rushing out the door to get to my early class because I snoozed my alarm one too many times, I always find myself grabbing a breakfast bar. They are so easy to eat and give you a nice kick of energy to keep yourself awake until lunch. They are also great as energizing snacks to eat throughout the day.
The best thing about this option is the sheer variety. There are bars out there for pretty much anybody. Options can range from fruit bars, nut bars, bars for any kind of dietary preference like vegan or gluten free bars, protein rich post-workout bars, and even bars that aren’t particularly healthy (but taste great).
Whatever you want or need, you can probably find a bar that fits your needs and tastes great, making it a great option to have on hand for those early morning classes.
2. Fruit
Fruits are an important (and delicious) source of nutrients and energy that are often left out of college students’ diets. They become especially important after many dark, cold winter days of studying and not getting nearly enough Vitamin D from sunlight.
Fruits are an easy option to grab on the way out of your dorm since many of them are basically a fully contained meal by themselves. If nothing else, fruits never fail to make me feel healthy, which always helps me to get a fresh start to my day.
Bananas are always a great option, since they are so easy to eat with one hand without making a mess. Apples and berries are also great options, especially when they are in season and you can buy them from local farmers. Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits are wonderful for days when you have a little more time to sit down and enjoy your breakfast.
In any case, I would always recommend whatever is local and in season, since locally sourced produce supports local small businesses, travels less, produces less carbon emissions, is more nutritious, keeps longer in your fridge, and almost always tastes better.
3. Overnight Oats
If you have some extra time to prep a tasty, nutritious, but still easy breakfast the night before look no further than overnight oats.
Overnight oats consist of oats, a milk-like beverage (most commonly almond milk), and a sweetener mixed into a mason jar and left to soak overnight, but beyond that it can have whatever else you like. Popular mix-ins include peanut butter, chia seeds, maple syrup, raisins, Greek yogurt, honey, berries, bananas, or cinnamon.
This is a great breakfast to get creative and try different things each time you do it. You can pack it full of whatever flavors you want and whatever nutrients you need.
I particularly love overnight oats because it gives me that feeling in the morning like I’m eating a real, prepared breakfast while having the convenience of picking it up with no morning prep time and very minimal prep time the night before.
Although 8 AM classes are never particularly fun, these easy breakfasts can help make your mornings a little better!