If youâre anything like me, you like to start your note on a good day; and a good day, for me, is marked by a beautiful and convenient breakfast. In terms of self-care routines, savouring a well-made breakfast before a barrage of lectures is appropriately low effort. As weâre all university students, though, it isnât easy, convenient or affordable to have a full-fledged spread. Here, then, are three easy, convenient and if you budget for it, affordable and not least, aesthetically pleasing breakfasts to start your day!
Assorted toasts
There are a variety of ways you can make your toasts exciting. If I had the choice, I could go on and on, but for the sake of brevity, I like to either have sweet or savoury toasts. For a sweet toast, my go-to is a peanut butter and jam. The way to bring this up from the sad packed-lunch aesthetic is just to toast your bread until golden-brown, spread a nice layer of butter and apply alternating strokes of peanut butter and jam with your butter knife. Strawberry jam is famous, but I personally go for blueberry jam for an extra tartness.
The ultimate sweet toast, in my opinion, is a French toast. A dash of milk, a tablespoon of double cream, a splash of vanilla, an egg or two, and some plain (multigrain can taste a bit odd) or oat bread gives you a great paraphernalia to experiment with this dish. The double cream is absolutely crucial for creaminess. Soak your breads generously too: I wait for ten to twenty seconds to ensure its fully immersed in the batter before proceeding. Top with blueberries, strawberries, banana slices or sliced nectarines. Or chocolate sauce, if thatâs your jam!
For savoury, there is so much you can do! My favourite way to go about it is to pair two toasts: one with an egg-based topping and another with a veggie-based. For eggs, a simple fried version goes great with avocado. For those who are averse to yolks, however, a scrambled egg topping is good. You can also replace the eggs with sauteed mushroom or freshly diced or sliced tomatoes. With tomatoes, you can also create a mixture with olive oil, basil, oregano, salt and pepper to create a bruschetta feel!
Very berry oatmeal
Meal-prep can go a long way here, as I actually prefer re-heating leftover oats with a dash of milk, in the microwave. The key is to cook your oats in something creamy, like milkânut and oat-based drinks work too. Water, for me, is not the ideal way to go, as the oats feel looser and less-filling. Then arises the million-pound question: how to make it aesthetically pleasing?
Look no further than some fruits and berries! Cut up some strawberries, place blueberries and maybe slice half a banana and youâve got a tricolour of pink, yellow and blue. These fruits also pair excellently with milky oats. The tart of the blueberries and strawberries will complement the plain sweetness of the banana and the oats. And before youâve started your day, youâve taken a healthy dose of fruits to boot.
Top notch cereal
Cereal is easyâjust a dash of your favourite flakes and some milk on top (and as for the âwhat comes first?â debate â cereal is always first for me!). How to make it exciting, though? On their own, corn, bran or whet flakes are no great shakes, and they need more than a pinch of sugar to make them exciting.
For me, this excitement is brought in through a trail mix: roasted almonds, cashews, raisins, walnuts coconut flakes, dried apricots, and all that goodness on top of your flakes will elevate it. Some sliced and diced fruit and youâre already on the next level. Have it quick, though. The crunchy flakes and the softer dried and fresh fruits will make for a heavenly spoonful. In the end, as the milk trails down your face, I guarantee you will feel a giddy smile envelope you.
Well folks, these are some of my favourite staples â itâs good to alternate between these before it gets boring. Adding sausages, oven-baked hash browns or cheese can help make these even more filling and rounded out. Most of all, eating well in the morning will see you through till lunch and help you start the day without a hurry or the feeling that something (a good breakfast) was missing.