It’s 7:45 a.m. when your third alarm goes off, leaving you with only 15 minutes to get to your 8 a.m. class. No time for breakfast, so you quickly change, brush your teeth, gather your books and rush out the door half asleep all while cursing the professor who scheduled a class at this ungodly hour. Sound familiar? Early classes are the number one reason behind college students skipping breakfast. Unfortunately, skipping breakfast can hinder more than help when it comes to health, energy, and focus.
#1 Power Up with Porridge
Have you ever gone several hours without eating and start feeling tired? This is because blood sugar, a key player in keeping us energized, has been depleted. So what do you do? Grab a coffee? Take a trip to the vending machine? Whatever you’re craving, your body is telling you that it needs some glucose. The same applies when you wake up in the morning. It has been at least 7 hours since you’ve eaten and so blood sugar levels are at their lowest. Eating breakfast will keep blood sugar levels elevated all day, providing you with a steady stream of energy.
Carbohydrate foods provide the best source of glucose, the main source of fuel for our bodies and brains, so you should aim to include them in your morning meal. The best options are complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal; whole-grain cereal; whole-wheat pancakes, waffles, and breads; and fruit.
#2 Food for Focus
Eating breakfast has been shown to increase focus and concentration throughout the day by keeping some of the adverse side effects of hunger, including apathy, disinterest, and irritability, at bay. This also translates into better test scores and higher grades for college students compared to those students who skip breakfast.
A healthy breakfast is key though. This means choosing eggs, fruit, nuts, yogurt, oatmeal or other whole-grain cereals over fatty breakfast meats such as bacon and sausage and pancakes topped with sticky-sweet syrup. In addition, studies have linked omega-3 fatty acids with improvements in learning and memory, so you can increase your brainpower by including these in your meal. Good sources are walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and hemp seeds.
#3 Staying Slim with Strawberries
Did you know that skipping breakfast is a tactic used by Sumo wrestlers when they are bulking? This allows them to eat more at their next meal, thus helping them gain weight. Breakfast eaters tend to be slimmer than breakfast skippers because a morning meal keeps hunger at bay, preventing overeating at their next meal and even at subsequent meals throughout the day. If gaining the “Freshman 15” is of concern for you, eating breakfast may be a useful approach to help you maintain your weight.
Getting adequate fiber in your breakfast will enhance this effect because fiber creates a feeling of fullness. Add fruit such as berries and bananas to cereal and choose whole-grains over their refined (or “white”) counterparts.
Eating breakfast has also been shown to reduce cravings for sugar and fat later in the day. This is especially true when the meal includes lean protein. Protein increases satiety, or the feeling of fullness, so you stay satisfied between meals and are less prone to snacking. Add an egg to your meal or make it the star of your meal, or switch milk for higher protein Greek yogurt with cereal.
#4 Refuel with Raisin Bran
Do you expect a car to run when it is out of gas? Of course not. Think of your body as a car and food is our fuel. If you wouldn’t expect a car to run on an empty gas tank, how do you expect your body to? In the morning, our “tank” is on empty because the body has used the food we have eaten the previous day for repair and regeneration while we sleep. Eating breakfast provides the body with the fuel it needs to run efficiently.
#5 Nutrients
Most college students do not get the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. But by eating breakfast, this becomes a more doable task. Just by adding another meal to your day, you have another opportunity to add more produce to your diet. In the same way that breakfast prevents you from overeating, it also helps you make healthier choices at your next meal. So when faced with the choice between pepperoni pizza and French fries versus grilled fish and roasted vegetables, you’re more likely to choose the fish meal and reach for the strawberries instead of Cheetos at snack time.
Breakfast is also an opportunity to get more of the essential nutrients, such as calcium, iron, fiber, the B vitamins, and vitamin C. Many common breakfast items are good sources of these nutrients, whether they contain them naturally or are fortified. For instance, breakfast cereals are often fortified with iron and B vitamins, a glass of milk provides about 1/3 of the recommended daily calcium intake, and an orange provides vitamin C and fiber.
Healthy Breakfast Ideas
The best breakfast provides a balance of complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. Some healthy options to try:
· Bowl of high-fiber, whole-grain cereal mixed with plain Greek yogurt, berries, and sliced almonds
· Egg white omelet with mushrooms and spinach; 1 slice whole-wheat toast with smashed avocado; ½ grapefruit
· 2 slices whole-wheat toast topped with 2 Tbsp peanut butter and sliced banana; glass of milk
· Bowl of oatmeal topped with flaxseed and berries; 2 hard-boiled eggs
· Plain Greek yogurt mixed with berries and nuts; 1 slice whole-wheat toast with fruit spread
On-the-Go Breakfast Ideas
Even if you’re in a hurry, there are plenty of options that can be eaten on the run, such as breakfast sandwiches and cereal, though the healthiest options may not be available through the Grab-N-Go station. Stocking your dorm room with granola bars, trail mix, fruit and instant oatmeal packets can ensure that you are always able to get in a healthy breakfast. Even better, having a meal replacement shake, such as Shakeology, makes for a very portable meal. All you need is milk and a shaker cup and you have a convenient breakfast in less than 30 seconds. You could even keep a single-serve blender in your dorm and make a protein-fruit smoothie to take with you.
Remember to eat that breakfast, collegiettes!