Eating healthy in college is a constant struggle, especially when the salads can top $11, but eating healthy and having time to eat breakfast is an even bigger struggle. “Healthy” truly is a lifestyle; you have to be committed. Now, I am no poster-child for eating healthy (I pretty much bathe in carbs), but I know how important eating a healthy breakfast is.
Amanda Drennan, a junior communication student said “I have really early classes in the morning. With all of the work I am up doing in the late hours of the night I don’t get much sleep, so I try to get as much time of sleeping in the morning before my 8:30 classes,” she said. “Sometimes I am able to eat a quick something on the way to class, but I don’t have time for much else,” said Drennan.
This sentiment of lack of time is a problem that I would say the majority of us have, but getting up an extra 10 minutes early to eat something could make all the difference. A super easy way to get that jolt of energy in the morning, without the coffee, is to make smoothies!
Ally Afanador, a sophomore English student, said, “Smoothies are such a great way to get some of your daily vitamins and minerals. Ally’s usual go to recipe is: two types of frozen fruits, plain organic yogurt, skim milk, flax seed, handful of ice. Depending on the size of the blender and your preferences, the ratios of these ingredients will vary. Smoothies are something that are easy, quick, and healthy. Throw your smoothie in a travel cup and you’re good to go. Any kind of blended drinks or even instant breakfast drinks are a great way to get your fill of breakfast without having to take time in the kitchen.
But, if you are able to access a kitchen for your morning, Owen Daly-Forseth, a senior communication student, has a great early morning breakfast idea. “I like ‘Bird in a Nest,’ where you cut a hole in a piece of bread and cook an egg inside that bread,” said Daly-Forseth. “You can do the same thing with a bell pepper if you don’t want the carbs,” he said. Eggs are a very healthy breakfast idea. You can dress them up by trying what Owen suggested, or you can dress them down and just have them scrambled with a piece of toast.
Another helpful tip is freezing things. I make pancakes every Sunday, but I always have extras because I am not going to eat 10 pancakes by myself. So, I will freeze these extra pancakes in a Ziploc bag. Then for my early mornings, I throw a pancake in the microwave, about 30 seconds each side, and eat it up really quick with some syrup! You can do the same with waffles or bagels too. If you are watching the waistline, there are a bunch of healthy recipes for pancakes too. Pinterest will be your new best friend, if you aren’t already.
Dr. Merrily Ervin, Coordinator of School of Science General Education Courses and nutrition professor, said, “I think that a poor breakfast is worse than skipping breakfast. Common poor choices are: a doughnut and juice or a sugary cereal with just a splash of milk.”
“There are several quick, healthy options that can be prepared in the microwave oven in less than 5 minutes. Just Google ‘microwave quiche,’ ‘microwave oatmeal,’ or even ‘whole wheat microwave muffins’ for some great ideas. Or make a peanut butter sandwich and grab a piece of fruit to eat when you walk to your morning class,” said Ervin.
Personally, eating breakfast has almost always been a priority for me. In high school, I was diagnosed with Hypoglycemia, a condition in which I produce too much insulin, which causes my blood sugar to become low. Symptoms of that include sweating, headache, dizziness, and nausea. Therefore, I literally have to eat breakfast.
Before I found out I had this condition, I would skip breakfast daily, but having been diagnosed is almost a blessing in disguise because the days I didn’t eat breakfast I was very lethargic and cranky.
Now, you will see me at 8:30 a.m. wide-eyed and bushy tailed, ready to go. Having this condition has really allowed me to see what an impact simply eating breakfast can have on you. Now, while there is no hard proof that eating breakfast is better for your health, purely correlations have been found, which have no proof.
Dr. Ervin is correct, eating the right breakfast is more important than eating breakfast altogether. The right breakfast can make all the difference. “Be mindful of what you are eating… Plan your meals and snacks so that healthy foods are available when you are hungry,” said Ervin.
IMAGE TAKEN from bakeyourday.net
