Healthy, Affordable, Convenient Back-to-School Breakfasts

There are many reasons that people don't eat a healthy breakfast, especially upon returning to school--whether it be grade school or university.

Some people still do make time for breakfast, but make unhealthy choices. Since rushing out of the house or dorm, to make class on time, is a priority, foods of convenience are the breakfast choice. These choices include fatty foods, such as doughnuts and packaged foods, like snack cakes. Along with these sugary breakfast items, people on the go, load up on soda and coffee, loaded with sugar.

Others opt not to eat breakfast at all. Sometimes, this is due to lack of time in the morning, for those who like to stay in bed as long as possible, and just roll out of bed and go. Other times, it's due to saving money. Either way, skipping breakfast is not a healthy habit.

There are plenty of healthy, affordable, and plenty convenient items to eat for breakfast, before school.

If you like hard-boiled eggs, you don't have to make them in the morning. If you have time in the evening, boil several hard-boiled eggs, peel them, and then refrigerate them. In the morning, you can have them cold, or microwave them. If you have to have bacon with your eggs, turkey bacon is a healthier option, and can be microwaved. Also, toast takes only a few moments to pop in the toaster. To keep it healthy, use whole-grain bread, don't add a ton of butter, and use reduced-sugar jam. This is a more expensive option, but is still healthy, and can be made quickly.

If pancakes and waffles are more your style, these can also be pre-made the night before, and heated up in the morning. There are also frozen waffles and pancakes that can be put in the toaster, found in your grocer's freezer aisle. Keep it healthy by using spray butter, and using a smaller amount of syrup.

When people eat their favorite cereal, portions always seem to be an issue. No one really goes by the serving suggestion, but instead, they pour "Jethro" bowls, and load it up with milk. When eating cereal, choose kinds that aren't loaded down with unhealthy things like frosting, sugar, and marshmallows. Some suggestions are Mini Wheats, Cheerios, and Raisin Bran. Look at the nutritional information, and follow the recommended serving suggestion. If you're still hungry, add a piece of fruit or some yogurt. To make cereal even healthier, choose low-fat, two percent, one percent, soy, or rice milk.

For a healthy, rib-sticking breakfast choice, oatmeal is a great choice. If you don't feel like boiling your oats on the stove, it is acceptable to microwave them. I don't use plain oats, bought in a canister, but instead, I buy the portioned packages, in different flavors. These are designed to be microwaved, and the portions are pretty generous. They also come in a ton of great flavors, such as banana nut bread, and my favorite, brown sugar and cinnamon. If you prefer plain flavored, don't add a lot of sugar and butter, and you should be fine.

As for foods of convenience, instead of grabbing a sugary, iced doughnut, try a bagel instead. Bagels can be found in different flavors-- plain, wheat, blueberry, onion, everything, etc. If you're like me, you like cream cheese to complement your bagel. To keep it healthy, use a low-fat or reduced-calorie cream cheese. I suggest Philadelphia brand.

Lastly, if you're into fruit, I have two suggestions. First, just different fruits in general. If you have a short amount of time in the morning, or if you have to grab something and run, a piece of fruit is a good option. Most common fruits that are healthy and convenient, are apples, oranges, and especially bananas. (The latter can easily be eaten in a car, too.) If you don't feel like peeling or cutting a piece of fruit, and still want a serving of fruit, grab a yogurt cup. Some yogurts can be loaded with calories and sugar. Choose a low-fat yogurt for your healthy breakfast item.

As for breakfast beverages, instead of downing several cups of coffee, loaded down with sugar, try drinking your coffee black, and limiting yourself to one cup, if you can. Healthier choices are juices that are 100% juice, without a ton of sugar, low-fat milk, and different kinds of hot teas.

As you can see, there are plenty of affordable, convenient, and healthy choices for people who are on a limited time schedule, for back to school. Remember, no matter how much (or little) time you have before class, you, too, have time for a healthy breakfast!