Breakfast for the New College Student

[Michelle My Bell]

My daughter has always been bad about making sure she eats breakfast and I see how much it effects her. She becomes tired, cranky, gets headaches, etc... but no matter how much I tell her to make some eggs, or toast a bagel she still puts it off and leaves without anything. So what do you give your family member who needs something grab and go. I want some ideas of things I can preassemble or even just purchase. I don't want her eating all carbs, it should have some protein it it as well. Any ideas? 

 

[gingersmom]

hard boiled egg

peanut butter sandwich (or rice cakes with peanut butter)

little boxes of cereal

cut up fruit in tupperware

 

I have the same problem with my teenage daughter. She is finally seeing that she feels better if she eats even a tiny breakfast. 

[unsinkable]

Ready to drink protein shakes

[zoobie]

Protein bars. Yes, they're processed, but some are better than others and it's better to eat something.

 

I would eat PB&J for breakfast often because it was easy and cheap and no one was making it for me.

[unsinkable]

Protein bars. Yes, they're processed, but some are better than others and it's better to eat something.

 

I would eat PB&J for breakfast often because it was easy and cheap and no one was making it for me.

I'm w/ you zoobie...pb&j was a big part of my college menu.

[TammyinTN]

I make breakfast wraps the night before....1 scrambled egg,  slice cheese cooked with egg  and bacon.  Wrap it in saran wrap and nuke it 40 seconds when ready to eat.  My kids and hubby loves these. 

 

There was also a healthy breakfast cookie recipe floating around that sounded yummy with coffee or hot tea. 

[Stacia]

I guess I shouldn't recommend my college breakfast of peanut M&Ms & a Coke, huh? :tongue_smilie:  (I ate that rarely, but it did work in a pinch.)

[bettyandbob]

my dd is eating greek yogurt (higher in protien than other yogurt). 

She also eats high protien gf bars (I put these on subscribe and save with amazon)

If I've made a batch gf choc chocolate chip muffins with a smear of peanut butter. 

A glass of skim milk (not a lot, but something)

[Catwoman]

Special K bars.

 

They aren't exactly the perfect breakfast, but they're easy to put in a handbag to eat whenever she has a few free minutes. You can get big boxes of them at Sam's Club.

 

Ordinarily, I would also suggest Pop Tarts, but people always seem to get upset when I mention those. (Oops... Did I just say POP TARTS??? :D)

[Tap]

Ds18 eats instant oatmeal almost every day of school.  He heats up 1 cup water and 2 packs of oatmeal in the microwave.  Lets it cool down while he is getting ready and eats it in a few bites or takes it with him in a paper cup and plastic spoon to eat on the way to class. 

 

We also make a weeks worth of hash browns, scrambled eggs and sausage at night.  The he divies it up into daily portions and again, take it in paper cup to eat.  

 

We get the 12 ounce paper coffee cups at Costco and a huge box of plastic spoons/forks lasts us years from there as well. 

 

 

DD14 eats Luna Bars.

 

I also make fruit smoothies for the kids in the morning.  I hand it to dd14 as she is getting ready so she can drink it as she goes.  I put them in paper cups, with a lid and straw so she can take it with her if she is not done yet before we leave the house.

 

We go through quite a few paper cups, but it is a small price to pay to make sure they are fed.

 

 

[Mrs Mungo]

I make ahead: breakfast sandwiches with egg, ham and cheese on an English muffin, breakfast burritos with eggs, potatoes, sausage and bell peppers and breakfast casserole that I cut into squares. Any of these can be frozen for easy reheating. My dh has one of these things for breakfast every morning that he reheats at work.

[pink&bluemommy]

Peanut butter baked oatmeal, easy to pack too.  You can even make them into muffins (or throw some chocolate chips in there when you are feeling zany!).

 

http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2009/05/peanut-butter-baked-oatmeal.html

[pink&bluemommy]

I should add, I use 1/3 cup honey instead of the 1/2 cup brown sugar.

Peanut butter baked oatmeal, easy to pack too.  You can even make them into muffins (or throw some chocolate chips in there when you are feeling zany!).

 

http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2009/05/peanut-butter-baked-oatmeal.html

 

[kitten18]

Egg cups, like crust less quiche that you bake in muffin tins. They can be frozen too.

[Mergath]

I grab a Clif bar when I'm not in much of a breakfast mood.  The coconut chocolate chip ones are divine.

[Laura Corin]

I can understand the concern.  With an 18yo, however, I would be stepping out of the picture and - regretfully - deciding that I had already given all the good advice that could be absorbed at that point.  And waiting with suggestions for what she could buy/organise for herself in case I was asked.

 

FWIW, Calvin plans to go to college at least five hours away from home, so I just won't know what he's eating for breakfast.

 

L

[Chris in VA]

I make breakfast sands too for myself. While a light Eng muff toasts, whip an egg and pour into a pan like an omelet, leaving enough room for a piece of Canadian bacon in the pan, also. Right before the egg is done, put a piece of Very Thin sliced cheddar on it. Fold the egg over til it fits on the Eng muff, cover with the Canadian bacon. Literally takes three-four mins and holds me pretty long. Only 230 cals, low carb.

 

Agreeing with the rest of Mrs. Mungo's post.

 

I also like to stash some yougurt parfaits in the fridge. Layer Greek yougurt with berries and refrigerate. Can put cereal or granola or nuts on top in the morning.

 

Half bagel with cheese on top broiled til melted is good, too.

 

Here in Israel, we made a lot of rice pudding. A nice warm bowl of that in the am is yummy! Up the protein by swirling in pbutter or by adding a tablespoon of nuts. I just make it by using leftover rice, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg, and sugar. I whip an egg, and add a few spoonfuls, one at a time, of the hot rice/milk to the egg to temper it, then add it all to the pot. Cook maybe ten minutes til creamy.I add some vanilla and golden raisins near the end of the cooking time.

 

--(Added the directions for people who don't have talent in the kitchen :-) that'd be me...lol)

[Hikin' Mama]

I can understand the concern. With an 18yo, however, I would be stepping out of the picture and - regretfully - deciding that I had already given all the good advice that could be absorbed at that point. And waiting with suggestions for what she could buy/organise for herself in case I was asked.

 

FWIW, Calvin plans to go to college at least five hours away from home, so I just won't know what he's eating for breakfast.

 

L

I had the same thoughts, but thought I might be the only one. IMHO, a college aged child (adult really) should be responsible for feedng herself in the morning.

[Kalypso]

I had the same thoughts, but thought I might be the only one. IMHO, a college aged child (adult really) should be responsible for feedng herself in the morning.

 

Many of us have college students living at home. I will gladly make my dd a lunch if she would like me to as I make a lunch for my ds who attends ps. 

 

Thanks to everyone who has posted ideas.

[texasmama]

Fruit and nut bars which are just fruits and nuts with not many other ingredients. Grab and go, filling and healthy.

[KarenNC]

Don't limit yourself to " breakfast foods." In college, it was usually any kind of cold pizza or a sandwich (usually cheese or some kind of lunch meat or both) rather than typical breakfast foods for me.  Actually, we still end up doing some variation of that a lot :). I'll make myself some sort of sandwich from whatever's in the fridge or I frequently make mini pizzas with whole grain English muffin halves, a little pesto, shredded cheese and turkey pepperoni. They freeze well and my daughter will eat those cold or warmed for breakfast, a snack, etc---very portable. "Pizzadillas"  work well, too---whole wheat tortilla with the same toppings, folded over (I like mushrooms and onions on mine, but my daughter prefers just cheese or cheese and pepperoni).

[Kathryn]

We keep Clif bars for quick breakfasts.

[AngieW in Texas]

My 17yo just moved into her dorm this week.

Her school doesn't offer unlimited meal plans anymore and she didn't want to eat in the cafeteria all the time anyway.

 

She generally doesn't like "breakfast" food. She MUST eat protein every couple of hours or she starts feeling shaky and is also likely to pass out.

 

She mostly eat leftovers for breakfast.  She has a meal plan that gives her 14 all-you-can-eat meals each week. She is going to cook to supplement that. There is a full kitchen in the lobby of her dorm and it isn't used all that much. Most people use it just to make ramen.

 

Her plan is to buy several pounds of either chicken or beef (alternating) each week and cook it in one batch and then put most of it in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. She is also making sure that she has 2 bags of beef jerky every week when she goes shopping for emergency protein. She loves bbq baked beans, so she is also going to make sure she has at least one can of that in her room.

 

She marinates beef in a ziplock using a spice mix from the grocery store and then roasts it. Chicken is easier because there are several pre-marinated IQF chicken breast package options or she can buy a package of chicken breasts and marinate them using a spice mix from the grocery store or just spread the breasts out in a pan, sprinkle them with some good olive oil, and then spice them up in a couple of different ways. The cooking is really easy, just bake on 350 for about 30 minutes if thawed or 45 minutes if frozen. She has a meat thermometer to make sure the meat is cooked through.

 

She is a major fresh fruit and veggie hound, but she plans to get most of that in the cafeteria because they have an extensive fresh fruit&veggie bar and some of those go bad pretty fast and get expensive. Besides, protein is her major concern. She really can't afford to miss it. She knows to get some protein very quickly if she starts feeling shaky, but she tries not to ever let herself get to that point.

[Tiffnkids]

My dd packs a "lunchbox" the night before she has classes.

 

She has classes two days a week (8:25-1:45) and the college is an hour away. She is never hungry when she first wakes up and she certainly doesn't feel like cooking or even throwing some snacks into her backpack that early!

 

But she has learned that she will be hungry at some point in the day and if she doesn't bring food with her then her only options are vending machine food or going hungry until she gets home at around 3.

 

She usually packs a sandwich, some baby carrots, an apple, a protein bar, and a juice box. That way she can have a little something before her first class and in between classes.

[Michelle My Bell]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas. I am writing them all down. As far as the comment about just letting her figure it out for herself, I agree this is a time she should be transitioning into taking care of herself. But the way I look at it is she was homeschool K-12. She has just got her first job, her first car and her first homework assignments from her first classroom experience ever. Her life has changed dramatically in the last few months. If I can ease her burden and help her transition into adulthood gently, giving her a chance to adjust and master all the new in her life then I am blessed to do so. She is and has made meals for our family daily for several years now so I'm not concerned if she knows how to feed herself or others. I just want to take the pressure off her in this area and help her to be healthy so she can do well in all her other endeavors.

 

[Catwoman]

I had the same thoughts, but thought I might be the only one. IMHO, a college aged child (adult really) should be responsible for feedng herself in the morning.

I don't see why it's a big deal if a mom wants to be of help. :confused:

 

If my ds ends up living at home when he goes to college, I'll probably still be making breakfast for him in the morning, and if he goes away to school, I'm sure I'll send him some boxes of his favorite foods or snacks. It won't mean that I think he's incapable of fending for himself, just that I'm happy to help him out.

[Laura Corin]

I don't see why it's a big deal if a mom wants to be of help. :confused:

 

If my ds ends up living at home when he goes to college, I'll probably still be making breakfast for him in the morning, and if he goes away to school, I'm sure I'll send him some boxes of his favorite foods or snacks. It won't mean that I think he's incapable of fending for himself, just that I'm happy to help him out.

 

 

For me: not a big deal, but the OP said that it is an ongoing problem, so presumably there has been a lot of discussion of it over the years and nothing has changed.  At this stage, I am working hard to recognise areas where I have done what I can: maybe the young adult doesn't want my help, and perhaps there is resistance to my continuing involvement.  Where I suspect that this might be the case, I am stepping back and reserving my involvement for areas where the help is welcomed as the relationship develops into adulthood.

 

Now if my child had always loved (insert breakfast item) I'd be delighted to have it around the house.

 

YMMV

 

L

[Seasider]

Our doc actually recommended keeping Carnation instant breakfast in hand and I find my breakfast-averse high schooler actually goes for it. Doc says it's better than nothing for kids who just can't eat much too early in the morning.

[Hikin' Mama]

I don't see why it's a big deal if a mom wants to be of help. :confused:

 

If my ds ends up living at home when he goes to college, I'll probably still be making breakfast for him in the morning, and if he goes away to school, I'm sure I'll send him some boxes of his favorite foods or snacks. It won't mean that I think he's incapable of fending for himself, just that I'm happy to help him out.

Not a big deal at all. Simply my opinion and my experience with my oldest who lived at home his first year and a half of college.

 

Actually, I apologize to Michelle who did not ask anyone's opinion, but asked for suggestions. We all parent in different ways, have different opinions on how it should be done, and have different children. Please forgive me for my thoughtless reply. :)

[Tammyla]

I recommend making a sack-breakfast the night before or having lots of grab and go options.

 

We keep lots of yogurt on hand with granola for quick-out-the-door-breakfasts.

 

I'll admit to getting up early and having something hot and nutritious waiting for her on her early days. (my dd started college this year too, and she gets low blood sugar if she doesn't eat something for breakfast.)   Imo, It feels good to have someone pamper and care a little when life is kind of crazy, and I guess I'm just a bit of a softy when it comes to my kids.