12 Easy Breakfast Ideas For College Students

Have you ever heard the phrase about college life that you could only pick two: good grades, sleep, or a social life. College comes with a lot of responsibilities and often long days, which makes preparing a healthy breakfast in the morning all the more important, yet it’s probably the least of every college student’s priorities.

For this reason, today I’m sharing a round-up of easy to make breakfast ideas that college students would love. Not only will these easy college breakfast ideas be quick to whip up on a busy day, but they’re all also full of nutrition to make sure you’re getting a healthy dose of your macronutrients like proteins, carbs, and healthy fats.

Enjoy!

12 Easy Breakfast Ideas For College Students

The following breakfast recipes ideas are exactly what you would want out of the most important meal of the day: quick, easy, delicious, and nutritious. Plus, all of these ideas are super easy to make in a college dorm room! For most you’ll only need access to a toaster or frying pan capabilities. Scroll through this myriad of options and let me know which one is your favorite!

1 Waffle and 2 Slices Bacon

Ingredients

2 Uncured bacon, slice – 88 calories

1 Toaster waffle – 100 calories

Instructions

1. Fry bacon on stove top by cooking on low heat & turning every few minutes. Alternatively, you can cook bacon in the microwave or in the oven (~20 minutes at 400 degrees) if you prefer.
2. Toast waffle.
3. Make a sandwich with the waffles and bacon.
4. Gluten free? Use gluten-free waffles.

1 Waffle, Berries and 2 Breakfast Sausages

Ingredients

1 cup Strawberries, fresh – 50 calories

2 Breakfast sausage – 120 calories

1 Toaster waffle – 100 calories

Instructions

1. Toast waffles.
2. Spray pan with an oil spray. Cook sausages for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
3. Make a sandwich with the waffles and sausages.
4. Have fresh berries (or fresh fruit) on the side.
5. Gluten free? Use gluten-free waffles.

Asparagus and Sun Dried Tomatoes with Eggs

Ingredients

1 cup Asparagus spears, chopped – 27 calories

1 Tbsp Tomatoes, sun-dried, oil packed – 17 calories

2 Egg, large – 144 calories

½ Avocado, small – 117 calories

¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories

¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Spray a pan with an oil spray.
2. Cut off hard ends of asparagus.
3. Stir fry asparagus for ~5 minutes, until cooked through.
4. Add sun dried tomatoes at the end.
5. While veggies are cooking, spray a second pan with an oil spray.
6. Crack eggs in pan, fry until desired consistency.
7. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

2 Caprese Stacks

Ingredients

½ Tomato, medium – 11 calories

2 oz Cheese, sliced, mozzarella, full fat/ regular – 140 calories

1 cup Leafy greens, arugula, raw – 5 calories

¼ tsp Basil, dried – 0 calories

¼ tsp Oregano – 0 calories

¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories

¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Slice tomato & layer slices on top of cheese as shown in the picture.
2. Top with arugula and seasonings.
3. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, or top cheese with slices of avocado.

Blueberry Banana Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds

Prep this the night before so you can have one of the most delicious meals to start your day. You can also try this out with Greek yogurt rather than milk.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Chia seeds – 120 calories

½ Banana – 53 calories

½ cup Blueberries, fresh – 35 calories

½ cup Oatmeal, dry oats (uncooked) – 150 calories

½ cup Milk, 2% (cups) – 61 calories

Instructions

1. Combine oats, milk, and chia seeds
2. Let sit in container with lid (like a Ball jar) overnight
3. Top with blueberries and banana

2 mini bagels and cream cheese

Ingredients

2 Bagel, mini, whole wheat – 220 calories

4 Tbsp Cream cheese, whipped (Tbsp) – 132 calories

Instructions

1. Toast bagels, top with cream cheese.
2. No dairy? Use peanut butter. No gluten? Use gluten-free bagels or bread.

2 Salmon Cream Cheese Toasts

You can also try this recipe out with an English muffin.

Ingredients

2 Bread, thin, whole wheat, slice – 140 calories

4 Tbsp Cream cheese, whipped (Tbsp) – 132 calories

4 oz Smoked salmon – 133 calories

Instructions

1. Toast bread
2. Top with cream cheese and smoked salmon
3. No dairy? Use sliced avocado

2 Tbsp PB & Raspberry Toast

Toast and jam are great additions to keep on hand, especially for those extremely busy mornings. It’s the perfect meal for days when you’re needing something to grab and go with minimum cook time and don’t want to skip breakfast. It’s also hardy, filling, and tasty.

Ingredients

1 Bread, thick, slice – 110 calories

2 Tbsp Peanut butter, unsweetened (Tbsp) – 188 calories

1 cup Raspberries, fresh – 64 calories

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mash ½ the berries with a fork until a jelly-like texture is achieved.
2. Toast bread.
3. Top with PB and raspberry jam.
4. Have additional fresh berries on the side.
5. No nuts? Feel free to use any other nut/seed butter you prefer.
6. Gluten free? Use gluten-free bread.

Breakfast-Style Quesadilla

Ingredients

1 Tortilla, whole wheat or corn, large – 120 calories

1 Tbsp Pesto (Tbsp) – 60 calories

½ Avocado, small – 117 calories

¼ cup Cheese, shredded, mozzarella – 84 calories

2 Egg, large – 144 calories

2 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw – 14 calories

2 tsp Red wine vinegar (tsp) – 2 calories

¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories

¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Spray a pan with an oil spray. Whisk eggs in a bowl, then pour into the pan. Turn heat to medium. Mix eggs frequently until cooked as desired.
2. Slice avocado.
3. Fill half of the tortilla with eggs, pesto, avocado, and cheese.
4. Use the remaining ingredients to make a side salad (spinach, red wine vinegar, salt & pepper).
5. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, or add more avocado. Also, use a dairy-free pesto (available at most stores).
6. No gluten? Use a gluten-free tortilla, e.g. corn.

Breakfast Scramble with 1 Egg

Add a tortilla and turn this idea into breakfast burritos.

Ingredients

2 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw – 14 calories

½ Onion, yellow, large – 28 calories

½ Bell pepper, orange, large – 25 calories

⅓ cup Cheese, shredded, mozzarella – 112 calories

1 Egg, large – 72 calories

¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories

¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Chop onion & bell pepper.
2. Spray a pan with an oil spray.
3. Stir fry onion and bell pepper ~5 minutes on medium heat.
4. Crack in egg for ~2 minutes, until egg has mostly cooked through.
5. Add spinach and cheese ~1 minute, or until spinach has wilted.
6. Top with seasonings.
7. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, avocado, or oil.

Berry Smoothie

Some people may be wondering, is a fruit smoothie in the morning healthy? The answer is yes! When you need to find a way to get more fruit and veggies into your diet, you could never go wrong with a fruit smoothie for breakfast. If you want to add a bit more protein, go for it by adding your preferred protein powder so you can make it a protein smoothie.

Ingredients

½ cup Blueberries, frozen – 35 calories

½ Banana – 53 calories

¼ cup Leafy greens, spinach, raw – 2 calories

3 tsp Honey – 60 calories

½ cup Water – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Add ice if you need it.
2. Blend until smooth.

Avocado Feta Toast with Bacon

When it comes to healthy breakfast, avocado toast is probably my most favorite breakfast idea.  Start your day with a classic toast with extra toppings like avocado, feta cheese, and bacon. De-lish!

Ingredients

1 Bread, thick, whole wheat, slice – 120 calories

½ Avocado, small – 117 calories

¼ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta – 100 calories

2 Uncured bacon, slice – 88 calories

Instructions

1. Spray a pan with an oil spray. Cut bacon into small pieces. Turn burner to low. Cook bacon pieces for ~10 mins on low heat, stirring frequently, until cooked through.
2. Toast bread.
3. Remove avocado half from skin and add to a bowl. Mash it with a fork so it becomes a guacamole texture (you can also use guacamole here instead of avocado, if you prefer).
4. Add mashed avocado to toast.
5. Top with cheese and bacon.
6. No dairy? Use more avocado and/or bacon. No bacon? Use turkey or soy bacon.

Why Students Should Eat Breakfast Every Day

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for busy college students. Eating a healthy breakfast could empower you with the energy you need to fuel busy mornings and power through long days with the energy and nutrients you need to get through busy days.