Article submitted by: Pascale Tsai, 2nd-year Psychology Specialist and Neuroscience Major
Edited by: Veronika Potylitsina
During the academic year, making the time to eat a healthy breakfast isn’t normally a priority. But when you’re sitting in class with your stomach grumbling, don’t you regret not having eaten anything before? Beginning your day without breakfast is linked to post-meal blood sugar level spikes throughout the day, increasing your risk of type 2 diabetes. So, if you’re stumped on dorm-friendly breakfast ideas that are quick to make and good for you, here are five tried and true university student breakfasts that will make you want to get out of bed in the morning.
Banana smoothie
Blend together a banana, frozen blueberries, frozen kale, peanut butter, almond milk, and yogurt or cottage cheese. You can also add extra berries if you would like. Bananas can prevent cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease – excited for breakfast yet?
Eggy oatmeal
Microwave your oats with water or almond milk. Add whatever oatmeal toppings you like; sliced banana, frozen blueberries and cinnamon are my go-tos, but you can also add maple syrup, peanut butter, or more fruits. Make some eggs however you like them (using liquid eggs from a carton is quicker and less messy), and have them with the oatmeal. Fun fact – eating oatmeal can decrease your chances of having a heart attack.
Smoothie bowl
Blend together your favourite smoothie fruits with plain Greek yogurt. Pour the smoothie into a bowl, and add some peanut butter and whole grain oat granola – this can lower your cholesterol.
PB&B Toast
Spread peanut butter on two pieces of multi grain bread. Add slices of banana along with your whole grain oat granola onto the bread. To bind the toppings onto the bread, add a spoon of almond milk to both slices. You can also add more fruits like berries or pre-cut pineapple slices on the side, as well as plain Greek yogurt.
Smoked salmon sandwich
Microwave some frozen avocado (I find this is easier than slicing a whole avocado in the morning), and mash it with a fork onto two slices of multi grain bread. Avocado lowers cholesterol, prevents high blood pressure, and contains antioxidants! Add arugula, spinach, or any other leafy green, and a few slices of smoked salmon for protein.
Now, adjust the measurements and toppings of these recipes to suit your taste (I put peanut butter in pretty much everything, but if you have a nut allergy, you can definitely leave it out, or substitute it with tahini for example). Happy eating!