What’s for breakfast?

You don’t need me to rehash that old cliché about breakfast being the most important meal of the day, seeing as it’s been nattered on enough. Some of you who skip breakfast might even want to stab my eyeballs for even bringing it up. However, for the majority of you who skimp on it because you rolled out of bed with precious little time to spare, this one’s for you. A major plus is that these things won’t give you a severe sugar crash afterwards. Thank us for the improved concentration in lectures later. Most of these things can be partially made the night before, and then eaten on the walk to lectures with minimal utensil use (or even in the lecture theatre if you can get away with it – be discreet though, and if it says it’s not allowed in your lecture theatre then don’t do it). Trust me, I’ve tried!

Dressed-up Yogurt: I’m a sucker for flavoured yogurts from time to time; but this is definitely far better for you as you have more control over cost and the stuff that goes into it. Grab a small tub of plain yogurt (normal or Greek, full-fat or low fat, we don’t discriminate) and slap on a couple of teaspoons of your favourite jam – use honey to sweeten. Add a handful of your favourite chopped nuts or fruit (anything works) and you’re good to go!

I’ve managed to whip these up in about a minute when severely rushed. My favourite combo both in colour and flavour: strawberry jam and pistachios. To save even more time, you can pre-chop your nuts and fruit – or you could even make a serving of this the night before and then grab it on your way out the door!

Fruit Quesadilla: Yeah, this one may a bit of a weird-sounding idea – especially since Granny Smith apples replace the meat. But cheddar cubes have been known to coexist with apple chunks in salad, so it’s not that far-fetched. You can make part of this ahead by prepping a flour tortilla – scatter some grated cheddar over it and pre-slice your apples thinly (use lemon juice to stop them browning.) In the morning, scatter your apple slices on the cheese-laden tortilla and top with another tortilla. Blast in the microwave on high for a few minutes so the cheese melts, then cut into wedges. Arriba!

Peanut Butter Waffle: Forget the syrup-laden waffles you know – apart from the sugar spike/low, they’re just too sticky and messy to eat on the go. Spread a warm bran/whole-grain waffle with peanut butter (chunky or smooth, your call) and top with some dried fruit/extra nuts. This ensures that you get your energy in a slow and steady release, thanks to the peanut butter. You also get a protein and fibre boost in this meal!

Pop Toast: We haven’t gone mad trying to re-invent the wheel – these are better than Pop Tarts because you get so much flexibility (apart from the sugar overload of the latter, tsk tsk). For a basic jam Pop Toast, butter two slices of bread lightly, and then top with jam leaving a half-inch border around the edges. Cut the crusts off and seal the “tart” by pressing the edges together with a fork – just like how you would a pie crust. Slide it into the toaster (you get to control how “well done” you like it) and that’s brekkie done! You could try other combinations including thinly-sliced fruit, peanut butter, Nutella (for you chocoholics) – or even cream cheese and ham slices if you want it savoury. (Loosely adapted from Not Without Salt)