Simkin: In college, breakfast is still the most important meal

There are many things you can do without on a daily basis: the aggravation of missing a bus, a… There are many things you can do without on a daily basis: the aggravation of missing a bus, a Starbucks or Caribou concoction or the latest guilty pleasure ABC Family has to offer. Breakfast, however, is not among them.

The morning meal is too important to skip. Breakfast can improve your concentration, problem-solving skills and even your hand-eye coordination. It can also prevent your blood sugar from crashing, causing you to vorciously eat unhealthy foods later in the day. (Did you really need those M&M’s from the Posvar snack machine?)

Unfortunately, exceedingly few student lifestyles allow for leisurely omelets or French toast. Dorm living isn’t conducive to preparing your own meals, nor is sleeping in so late on the weekends that it seems logical to jump straight to lunch.

Frankly speaking, anything can be breakfast — a slice of cold pizza, leftover Chinese food, a handful of Cheez-Its — but from any sort of remotely believable nutritional or culinary standpoint, I can’t endorse these options. Instead, I offer you the healthy and convenient alternatives below.

Mini Quiches

A personal favorite of mine is the mini-breakfast quiche. Take any quiche recipe you like and assemble it in a bowl — my quiches usually include eggs or leaner egg white substitutes and add-ins like spinach and onions. You can also add sausage or chicken for extra protein, which will blunt hunger and make you feel full for longer periods of time.

Here’s where the “mini” part comes in: Instead of dumping your ingredients into a regular-size baking pan, measure them out into a cupcake tin. Freeze them after baking and you’ve got yourself conveniently microwaveable and delicious breakfasts to last for days.

Oatmeal

Requiring even less advance preparation than quiche is that traditional breakfast staple — oatmeal. It’s certainly budget- and waistline-friendly, but without appropriate adjustments it can taste like the cement paste it so resembles. To remedy this, add flavor with health-conscious additions like cranberries, walnuts or a smidgen of sugar, or get creative with maple syrup or judicious quantities of jellybeans.

Yogurt Parfaits

A yogurt parfait is another option that requires some tinkering. Low-fat or light yogurt, while nutritionally better, is often flat-out disgusting. Disguise this with slices of fresh fruit or granola.

Cereal Bars

Cereal bars seem ideal in terms of sheer convenience, but many are hiding a sinister secret: Some cereal bars have candy bar-like quantities of fat and calories. Investigate the nutritional content before stocking up for those accidental sleep-in mornings.

Without reading an exhaustive guide to healthy breakfasts at home and around campus, you know that a muffin dripping in sugary glaze and melted chocolate is not your friend. If none of these options fits your fancy, however, pieces of fruit, whole wheat bagels, yogurts-to-go and even eggy breakfast sandwiches will do the trick — provided you skip out on the fat-laden sausage and bacon.