This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Toronto chapter.

We’ve heard it over and over again: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While it may be annoying to constantly hear this, it really is true, especially for students. Eating a healthy breakfast every morning gives us essential nutrients like fibre, protein, and carbohydrates. Plus, it provides us with energy that can help us concentrate in class and even improve test performance. Of course, as students, it’s sometimes hard to find the time to make a nutritious breakfast. When you have an 8:30 am class and you were up late doing homework, the thought of getting up even earlier to make breakfast doesn’t sound very appealing. Lots of students will do anything for an extra 10 minutes in bed, including skipping breakfast.

So here are two words that will change your morning routine forever: overnight oats. Overnight oats are exactly what they sound like: oats that are soaked overnight. All you have to do is mix up the ingredients the night before and put it in the fridge before you go to bed. And in the morning, no extra work is required. Just take the bowl out of the fridge and enjoy! If you’re running late to class, you can always bring your container of overnight oats with you to eat during your lecture. You can also heat up your overnight oats in the microwave on those chilly winter mornings.

Another great thing about this breakfast is how healthy it is. Oats have a plethora of health benefits. They contain beta-glucan, a fiber that helps lower cholesterol and improve immunity. In addition, oats are heart healthy, help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers, and are high in fibre and protein. Oatmeal also keeps you full for longer, which is extra helpful if you have a three-hour morning class or back-to-back morning classes.

Below, I’ve listed four great overnight oatmeal recipes from around the web for you to try out. Keep in mind that overnight oat recipes are just a general guideline: you don’t need to follow the ingredients strictly. If you don’t like any of the listed ingredients, you can customize your overnight oats to your liking with frozen berries, fresh fruit, dried fruit, raisins, or cinnamon.

1) Cocoa banana overnight oats

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
1.5 cups milk of choice
½ cup yogurt
1 banana (mashed, chopped, or sliced)
1-2 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
Toppings of choice

Instructions:

1) Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl or jar and place in the fridge, preferably overnight or for at least 1 hour.

2) When you are ready to tuck in, remove from the fridge and top with toppings of your choice. The oats can be eaten cold or heated in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. They will also keep in the fridge covered for 2-3 days.

Recipe and photo from: http://www.myfussyeater.com/cocoa-banana-overnight-oats/

2) Cinnamon apple overnight oats

Ingredients: