As someone who only started eating breakfast religiously in the past year or so, I can definitely relate to those who still skip what is considered to be the main meal of the day.
We’ve all done it, rolling out of bed at (what seems like) an ungodly hour of the morning to make it to our first lecture, without giving brekkie a second thought. However making time for breakfast will be something worth getting up those extra few minutes for.
It’s commonly known that eating after an eight hour sleep is important to ‘break-the fast’ and to fuel your body with energy to take on the day. Eating high energy foods that are low in unsaturated fat in the mornings have been proven to increase energy and concentration levels, whether it be in lectures or sitting in the office.
Foods such as Weetabix and porridge are high energy foods that are low in unsaturated fat, and can also be made super tasty by adding honey, blueberries or even a dollop of raspberry jam.
Having a nutritious and filling breakfast can also help maintain weight control. A study by the University of Missouri discovered that young people who eat a satisfactory breakfast high in protein, weighed less than those who skipped breakfast.
It’s a myth that skipping breakfast reduces your calorie intake for the day resulting in weight loss, in fact people who skip breakfast tend to snack more and also to crave sugary foods in order to boost their energy levels throughout the day. Eggs are high in protein and really versatile. If you’re in a hurry, make scrambled egg in the microwave – it only takes a few minutes and it’s delicious.
Eating in the morning boosts your metabolism and gets your body working on calorie breakdown throughout the day, from the very beginning. Carbohydrate focused breakfasts such as cereals and wholemeal toast make for perfect breakfast options as they not only keep you fuller for longer, but it allows your body time to break them down.
If you have a blender in college, why not blend together a fruit smoothie? These can be so tasty and filling and will also provide a handy amount of fibre and vitamins to your diet if you’re not a massive fan of eating whole fruit or veg.
Eating a nutritious breakfast is an easy habit to get into with endless benefits. Ditch the dry cream crackers as you’re running out the door and stay away from the breakfast roll after a night out. Websites such as odlums.ie and allrecipes.com have loads of nutritious breakfast options containing ingredients that won’t break the bank to buy.
So set the alarm a half an hour earlier and set yourself up for the day!
By Michaela Keating
Stella Gordon 
Molly Cantwell 
Olivia O'Dwyer