By Erica Palumbo

In a recent Health article, we discussed why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It helps you focus and kick-starts your brain so you can start accomplishing tasks as soon as you head out the door. Breakfast is especially important for students because they need that energy boost to keep their eyes open during the dreaded early morning classes. However, many students, particularly college-aged, find it hard to find a spare second in the morning to squeeze in breakfast, especially since that snooze button is so tempting. Fear not snoozers: there are plenty of healthy, quick and easy breakfast ideas that will take up less time to make than hitting that alarm button.

Yogurt, Fruit and Granola
Three ingredients. Too simple. We recommend Chobani Greek Yogurt for a fuller feeling and greater nutritional value than traditional yogurts. Add a handful of blueberries and a sprinkle of your favorite granola for a yummy morning meal.

Breakfast Bars
Cereal bars have been a staple in the college student diet practically since they were invented. There’s no preparation; just open and enjoy. However, a lot of cereal bars on the market are full of artificial ingredients and nasty preservatives. Try Kashi breakfast bars (especially the dark chocolate and black cherry ones!) or Nature Valley cobblers for a deliciously satisfying breakfast.

Apples and Peanut Butter
Another option that takes less than a few seconds to make. Just slice up your favorite kind of apple, slap on some organic, all-natural peanut butter and enjoy! Peanuts are packed with protein, which will help keep you full—until lunchtime rolls around, of course. Just make sure you have some napkins handy because the snack can get a little messy.

Protein Smoothie
It’s probably a bit unrealistic to assume every college student has a blender handy in their dorm building. However, the Magic Bullet is a great little appliance to keep in one’s room since it’s less than half the size of a regular blender and requires very little clean up. It also makes delicious smoothies! Throw in some mangoes, peaches, milk and SPIRU-TEIN protein powder, which come in a variety of single-serve packets, for a tasty drink!

Oatmeal
Going for the obvious one here, instant oatmeal has been just as much, if not more, of breakfast staple for college students as breakfast bars. It’s quick, easy, and almost always requires only a little bit of hot water and a couple minutes in the microwave. Just make sure you’re buying a wholesome kind of instant oatmeal, like Nature’s Path organic oatmeal.

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