Cheap and Easy Breakfast Ideas for College Students

By: Celine Vazquez ‘24

College comes with tons of responsibilities, and finding easy breakfast recipes shouldn’t be another thing you have to add onto your plate. Luckily, this go-to guide with some of my favorite breakfast ideas has got your back! Stop skipping the most important meal of the day and try these 4 cheap and fool-proof recipes. Let’s get eating!

1) Yogurt Bowl

This is my absolute favorite meal to eat for breakfast. It is so quick to make, and is easily customizable to satisfy your taste buds. 

Ingredients:

• Yogurt (I prefer Greek, but feel free to choose whichever is your favorite)

•  Fruit

• Any extra toppings you wish!

Three ingredients - it’s that simple! Just scoop some yogurt into a bowl, wash your fruit and place it on top, and sprinkle any extra toppings you like. I like to add granola and coconut chips for added flavor, but all you really need is the yogurt and some fruit. This usually takes me ten minutes to put together in the morning before my 9:30 AM Zoom class, so it’s definitely a quick option for those with busy mornings. Click this link for more inspiration and different yogurt bowl combinations!

2) Pancakes

I know what you are thinking - pancakes are NOT quick to make. Although they are more on the time-consuming side, these pumpkin spice pancakes hit. the. spot. I will link the recipe here.

Ingredients:

• Boxed pancake mix 

• Milk and water

• Canned pumpkin

• Cinnamon/nutmeg/pumpkin spice

Using boxed pancake mix saves TONS of time, and only requires additional ingredients that you probably have laying around your house. If you don’t have canned pumpkin or any spices, just make regular pancakes! I add fruit on the side to have some ~balance~ but it is totally optional. If you want something even quicker, try these Kellogg Buttermilk Eggo Waffles that only take about 1 minute to heat up. Bonus: they’re only $2!

3) Avocado Toast

Okay, avocado toast has a bad rep about being “bougie” food. However, it is totally possible for it to be cheap and again, EASY for us college students to make!!

Ingredients:

• Bread

• Avocado

• Salt

• Toppings (optional)

My favorite way to make this is just by toasting up the bread, and mashing half an avocado and slathering it on top. Don’t forget the salt! My secret weapon to making a killer avocado toast is putting on Chili Onion Crunch from Trader Joes! It adds so much flavor and has a nice kick that really elevates the flavor profile of the avocado (can you tell I watch too much Food Network). This topping is so popular that it even has it’s own Instagram! Overall, making this breakfast takes me about 10 minutes, so it’s not time-consuming at all. 

4) Fruit Smoothie

My last breakfast idea is a fruit smoothie! It’s not necessarily as filling as the above recipes, but it can definitely hold you until your morning classes are over. Not only is this a refreshing, flavor-packed option, but it’s also a healthy way to start your day!

Ingredients:

• Frozen fruit

• Milk

• Ice

Three ingredients - that’s IT. Place all of these items into a blender, and mix until you achieve your desired consistency. If you don’t have a blender, you can try using a Blender Bottle. These bottles don’t necessarily blend frozen fruit, but if you add something like flavored protein powder instead of fruit, you’d be on your way to having a delicious smoothie!

Hopefully you all try these breakfast ideas soon! They have really made me look forward to the beginning of the day, and have definitely left me feeling energized and ready to take on whatever Zoom University throws at me. Enjoy, and happy eating!

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