Most people get into the habit of sleeping in until the very last minute when they’re at university. You realise how much sleep you actually need so you want to cherish every single extra minute you can get, even if that means missing out on breakfast and going hungry until lunch. There are plenty of recipes which only take a few minutes or can be prepared in advance so when are rushing in a morning, you can still have a quick, healthy breakfast to set you up for the day. I have included some of my favourite recipes to hopefully give you some inspiration.
Tropical Breakfast Smoothie
You need 300ml orange juice, mango chunks, ice cubes, chopped banana, three passion fruits. Scoop the pulp of the passion fruits into a blender and add banana, mango and orange juice. Blend until smooth and then top with ice.
Frozen Fruits Smoothie
2 cups of frozen berries, 2 tbsp orange juice, 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup yoghurt, 1 frozen banana, 1 tbsp honey. Blend until smooth.
Yoghurt with a twist
Sometimes plain yoghurt can be very boring by its self – a great idea is to take a pot of yoghurt whichever flavour you prefer, top it with a spoonful of jam, add some nuts e.g. hazelnuts or almonds and a drizzle of honey. Simple, filling and healthy. Also minimal washing up!
Crepes
You will need 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of water, 1 cup of flour, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 3tbsp melted butter, 1/4 tsp salt.
To make the crepes you need to mix all of the ingredients together in one bowl then heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add some Frylight or a little bit of oil to the pan. Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the centre of the pan and then spread evenly over the pan for a thin crepe. Cook for 50 seconds and then flip. Cook for another 20 seconds.
These are so simple and take just over a minute for one crepe. The mixture can be made up to 48 hours in advance so when it comes to an early morning, all you have to do is heat the pan and cook! These can also be frozen and will last about a month. You could top your crepe with yoghurt and fresh fruit, sugar or my favourite Nutella!
Basic Omelette
Omelettes are so quick and easy with minimal ingredients. Two eggs, beaten and a dash of milk is enough, fry in a pan until cooked on both sides and that really is it. To make it a bit more exciting, you could add cheese, ham, bacon, mushroom, sausage, spinach, tomatoes (not necessarily all at once). It really is up to you or you could have it plain which is just as nice.
Breakfast Wrap
You could use the above recipe for an omelette, fry or grill some bacon or sausage and add it all to a wrap. Very similar to something McDonalds offer but a lot better for you if cooked yourself and it will taste better! Again this is something where you could add whatever you want, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach etc.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
This is something you would probably have to make the night before or the weekend, slice and wrap up ready to eat on the go.
The ingredients include: One ripe banana, 1 tbsp milk, 50g butter, 75g plain flour, 75g caster sugar, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, one egg, 50g chocolate chips or broken up chocolate.
Mash the banana in a bowl then add the rest of the ingredients, apart from the chocolate, and whisk until smooth and combined. Now stir in the chocolate and spoon the mixture into a loaf tin. Bake for 40 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 160°C. Leave to cool on a wire rack, you could even drizzle some melted chocolate on top of it. Once cool it can be sliced and wrapped in tin foil ready to take to uni with you.
A good breakfast really is important, especially when you are attending lectures, have exams to revise for and coursework to write. Eating a healthy breakfast sets you up for the day and gets your brain going in the morning. You will notice a difference if you eat breakfast everyday, even if it is just a smoothie or a breakfast bar, it will help mentally and physically. If you have a good start to the day food wise you are less likely to go for a bar of chocolate or a bag of crisps if you are hungry throughout the morning!