3 quick-and-easy healthy breakfast recipes for students


By Joel Delgado ’12 MS ’17

Most people say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Christine Tellez, a registered dietician at the FIU Student Health Services, wholeheartedly agrees.

At a cooking demo hosted at Biscayne Bay Campus’s Bay Vista Housing in September, she explained the benefits of starting the day the right way with a well-balanced breakfast and walked students through several recipes that are not only easy to prepare, but healthy as well.

“A good breakfast can help with concentration, memory and help control your weight because you’re not as likely to overeat in the middle of the day,” Tellez said. “A lot of college students skip breakfast, which is a bad idea. If you’re not eating breakfast, you’re missing out on a lot of vitamins and minerals, you’re not getting a lot of fiber and most people get their fruits in at the beginning of the day.”

Here are three quick recipes you can make in your dorm that Tellez says can help you prepare for a day filled with classes, group projects and more:

TURKEY BREAKFAST PITA
(Nutrition Facts: 330 calories, 7 grams of total fat, 29 grams of protein, 1 gram of fiber)

turkey pita 2Ingredients:

1 large egg
1 tbsp. of milk or water
7-inch pita pocket
2 slices of turkey breast (2 oz.)
2 tbsp. shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

Tools at Hand:

Coffee mug
Measuring spoon
Microwave

Instructions:

1. Crack egg in a mug, whisk well with milk or water and then microwave for approximately one minute. Stir the eggs and microwave for an additional 30 seconds or until cooked through.

2. Place turkey breast slices on a microwave-safe plate and top with the shredded cheddar cheese. Microwave until the cheese is melted, which should take about 20-30 seconds.

3. Insert cooked egg, turkey and cheese into pita and enjoy! Makes one serving.

PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA BARS
(Nutrition Facts: 189 calories, 24.6 grams of total carbohydrates, 6 grams of protein, 4.4 grams of fiber)

peanut butter 1Ingredients:

2 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of puffed brown rice cereal
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1/3 cup of creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
1/4 cup of peanuts

Tools at Hand:

Microwave
Flat pan
Microwave-safe bowl
Large mixing bowl

Instructions:

1. Add all the dry ingredients (rolled oats, puffed brown rice cereal, raisins, sunflower seeds and peanuts) into a large mixing bowl and mix together.

2. In a separate microwave-safe bowl, mix the wet ingredients (maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla extract) and then microwave for 20-30 seconds.

3. Pour the wet ingredients in into the large mixing bowl and mix them thoroughly with the dry ingredients.
Put the mixture in a flat pan and stick in the refrigerator for several hours. Then serve! Makes 12 servings.

OATMEAL PACKETS
(Nutrition Facts: 240 calories, 2.4 grams of total fat, 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber)

tellez 2

Christine Tellez (right) walks through several breakfast recipes with students at Bay Vista Housing.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of rolled oats
2 tbsp. raisins or any other dried fruit
1 tsp. brown sugar
Dash of cinnamon
1 cup of water

Tools at Hand:

Microwave
Microwave-safe mug or small bowl
Baggies
Spoon
Measuring spoons and cups

Instructions:

1. Mix together 1/2 cup of rolled oats, two tablespoons of dried fruit, one teaspoon of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon in microwave-safe bowl or in a baggie for later use.

2. When you’re ready to cook, add one up of water and microwave for two to four minutes, depending on the desired consistency of the oatmeal. Makes one serving. 

For more information on nutrition and building healthy eating habits, send an email to Christine Tellez at cdtellez@fiu.edu.