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Sick of eating cereal and ramen for lunch and dinner? Want to spend less money eating out and finally start cooking for yourself? Put down that frozen pizza, because HC’s Health Editor, Sammie Levin, is here to share her daily eats so you can get ideas for healthy, satisfying meals that are easy enough for any time-strapped collegiette to make. After you read Collegiette Eats, your taste buds, wallet and waistline will thank you.

Breakfast 

For breakfast yesterday, I made a healthy strawberry overnight oat parfait, and I can’t wait to share the recipe because it was so delicious. It was like having strawberry shortcake for breakfast. It tasted so much like dessert that it’s hard to believe it was actually acceptable to eat before my first class at 8:30 a.m. I have had a soft spot for parfaits ever since the original Shrek because I loved Donkey’s line about parfaits and would quote it incessantly during a period of time in my youth when I was strangely good at impersonating Eddie Murphy’s voice in that movie. 

Everybody likes parfaits – that is a fact. But parfaits have a questionable rep in terms of health. Your classic fruit-and-granola yogurt parfait seems harmless enough, but then it shows up on all of those “things you’re eating that you think are healthy but actually aren’t” lists. Like many foods, parfaits can be unhealthy, but they can be healthy, too; it depends on what’s inside! The classic store-bought parfait that shows up on those lists is considered unhealthy because the yogurt is often flavored (more sugar), the fruit is often not fresh but rather a compote (more sugar) and the granola is packed with – you guessed it – lots of sugar. Since everybody likes parfaits, it would be a tragedy to deny ourselves this lovely treat and swear off parfaits for good. And it would be a mistake, because not all parfaits are created equal. 

This strawberry overnight oat parfait that I made for breakfast is one of the good guys. Made with oats (instead of sugary granola), fresh strawberries, Greek yogurt (more protein than its non-Greek counterparts), almond milk and chia seeds (high in omega-3s), this parfait is full of nutrients that will keep you full throughout the morning and still satisfy your sweet tooth. Added bonus: you prepare it the night before, so all you have to do when you wake up is layer it into a jar (or just mix it into a bowl if you don’t want to fuss with layers) and it’s ready to go! I loved this for breakfast, but it would also make for a satisfying snack or dessert. Check out the recipe below. 

Healthy Strawberry Oat Parfait Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup oats
  • 1/3 cup almond milk 
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds 
  • 1 6-ounce container of strawberry Chobani Greek yogurt 
  • 1/3 cup homemade stawberry chia seed jam
  • 5-10 strawberries, chopped 

Directions

  1. Mix oats, almond milk, chia seeds, chopped strawberries (as many as you want) and half of the container of yogurt together in a bowl or Tupperware; stir and store in fridge overnight.
  2. In the morning, add additional almond milk if needed to get desired consistency.
  3. Layer overnight oat mixture, jam and the rest of the container of yogurt in a Mason jar.
  4. Dig in to your healthy parfait! 

Lunch

As you may have noticed, I enjoy having breakfast for lunch and I am a firm believer in the fact that eggs are not just a breakfast food. My parents were in town for a few days, so for lunch yesterday I met them at Cafe Zola, my favorite brunch spot in Ann Arbor, for some good, old-fashioned breakfast for lunch. I ordered the smoked salmon omelet, which was made with tarragon and scallions and stuffed with smoked salmon and a creamy mustard sauce. I also added goat cheese to the omelet because when the parents are in town, you have to live it up. It came with rosemary potatoes, which were phenomenal per usual thanks to all of the seasoning. 

Dinner

For dinner, I had leftovers from the dinner I had when I went out on Sunday night with my parents to Paesano, an Italian restaurant. The salad was called the winter arugula salad, and it came with beets, Gorgonzola, plums and a blood orange vinaigrette, to which I added grilled salmon for some protein. Thank you, leftovers, for letting me be lazy on a Monday night. 

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Sammie is a student at the University of Michigan where she is pursuing a BBA. A foodie since birth, she enjoys cooking, eating, smelling, looking at, photographing, reading about, and playing with any and all types of food. Her idolization of culinary delights is complemented by her active spirit- she enjoys running, swimming, barre classes, and even spontaneous bursts of interpretative dance if the mood strikes her. She has completed two triathlons and a half-marathon and plans to tackle more races in the future. She also dreams of traveling the globe, saving the world, and marrying James and/or Dave Franco.