I don’t love waking up early, but these last few semesters have forced me to take a handful of morning classes. I’ve figured out some of the things I need to keep me on schedule and motivated to actually get up for class, especially now that I could just stay in bed with my camera off. One thing that has helped me a lot is making sure I eat breakfast before class, but I don’t have the motivation, energy, or time to drag myself to the dining hall at 8 am. So, I typically make my breakfast in my dorm room! Here are my top three semi-healthy (and vegan!), dorm-friendly breakfasts that help keep me full and prepare me for class!
1. Overnight Oats!
Overnight Oats are hands down one of my favorite breakfasts. You do need to prepare them the night before (hence the name) but they’re low maintenance with a high reward. All you need for this recipe is Old Fashioned Oats and some nut milk (or regular milk, it’s up to you!). You can use water too, but the texture might not be quite what you’re expecting and there won’t be as much protein. I normally buy a big thing of Old Fashioned or Rolled Oats that last me a couple of weeks. To make the oats all you do is combine equal parts oats and milk, stir, and leave in the fridge overnight. The amount of oats and milk you make is really up to you and how hungry you typically are in the morning. The fun part of Overnight Oats is how creative you can get with toppings! I like to add chia seeds and peanut butter to my oats for extra protein, some honey or maple syrup since I like mine a little sweeter, cinnamon if I have it, and any berries/nuts that I might have for the week. The toppings are really up to you so have fun with it and figure out what you like and what makes you feel good!
2. Easy (but not instant) oatmeal!
Along with Overnight Oats, I love to have regular Oatmeal for breakfast! I’ve tried all kinds of instant oatmeals, but nothing is as good or as filling as homemade oatmeal! To do it in my dorm, I normally take about a cup or two depending on how hungry I am, cover it in shallow water, and microwave it for a minute and 30 seconds, stirring after one minute. Normally the container of Oats will have suggested amounts and microwave times, but you basically want to just microwave until the oats suck up the water. Another super lazy version (that I do more often than not) is to just pour hot/boiling water over dry oats and cover them with a plate for about two minutes. If your oats get a little dried out you can just pour your choice of milk over them to resaturate and adjust the texture. Like the Overnight Oats, the next step is to just add whatever toppings you want! One of my go-to’s right now is just almond milk, honey, peanut butter, and cinnamon!
3. Rice crackers with nut butter or jam!
Another super simple, easy, and filling breakfast is rice cakes with either nut butter or jam! They are super filling and delicious, and normally pretty cheap! With rice cakes, the possibilities are really endless. The great thing about them is how easy they are to adjust to your tastes; you just need to find out what you like! My favorite way to prepare this is with some sun butter or peanut butter and smashed raspberries and honey! I like to add nut butter and chia seeds if I have them for some protein, but it’s totally up to you! If I want a savory version that avoids nut butter I will normally put avocado, tomato, and whatever seasonings I’m in the mood for!