All too often I hear people say that they don’t eat breakfast or if they do, their breakfast has little (if any) nutritional content.

Let me give you some examples of what I commonly hear students say they eat for breakfast: fruit loops, white bread with jam, coco-pops, a glass of juice and hot chips!

Is it any wonder why so many students can’t concentrate in class?

The simple fact is that a good, healthy breakfast fuels your mind for the day. So if you’re one of those people who has a tendency to skip breakfast because you don’t have time, you just don’t like it or perhaps you’re not sure what to eat, or if you’re someone who eats breakfast but it tends to be high in sugar and fat (yes, that’s you coco-pop girl and hot chip boy!), you’re at a disadvantage because you won’t be able to learn new information effectively. In fact, it’s going to be hard to learn anything at all.

If you eat the wrong foods or don’t eat at all in the morning, your experience of study will be like running a race with shoes made out of concrete slabs. It’s going to be difficult and take you longer than it should to go the distance.

So below are some healthy and simple ways to nourish your mind at the start of the day so you can succeed at your studies.

1. Fruit smoothie

If you’re one of these people who struggles to find time to eat breakfast, then smoothies are for you! They only take a minute to make and a minute or two to drink!

I recommend that you make your own smoothie. Don’t buy them from cafes and places like ‘Boost Juice’ for several reasons. Firstly, places like ‘Boost Juice’ tend to add a lot of ice-cream/sorbet to your smoothies but not so much fruit. In short, you can never be quite sure what they are adding to your smoothie! That’s why I prefer to make my own, I’m in control and know exactly what’s going in!

You can add anything to a smoothie but I like to keep mine simple. Here are a couple of my favourite smoothie recipes:

*Chocolate Pear smoothie

1 – 2 pears, chopped up
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 cup of milk

*Fruit smoothie

1/4 cup of blueberries
1 banana
1 pear
1 cup of milk

For extra protein you can add a raw egg and some nuts (I always add a handful of almonds. They taste great!). You can also add a tablespoon or two of natural low fat yogurt (I tend to use locally made Mundella yogurt).

2. Avocado and tomato on toast

Slice half an avocado and spread it across 1 or 2 slices of toasted bread (sourdough or wholemeal). Then slice a tomato and add it on top. Season with pepper.

If you want a slightly more creative and flashy breakfast, you could try this recipe, “Creamy Avocado and Cherry tomato Toast”.

If you’re someone who loves to eat white bread and can’t live without it, you can now purchase a low GI high fiber bread from Bakers Delight. I’ve had it a few times and it’s quite nice.

3. Omelette with vegetables

Eggs are full of protein and can be a great way to start the day.

Click here to see a basic healthy omelette recipe. Please note that this recipe only uses 1 whole egg and the egg white of another egg. The reason for this is that egg yolk is high in cholesterol.

On average teenagers need between 40 – 50 grams of protein a day. From eating 1 cooked egg you’ll be receiving about 7 grams of protein. The Queensland health department have come up with a fact sheet on ways to boost your protein and energy, click here to check it out. Please note that this resource was created for parents who want to boost their energy levels in their children, therefore some of their recommendations such as “dress foods with sauces, gravies, dips or toppings” and “add sugar/honey to cereals” I would not recommend to young adults.

Another useful site that talks about protein is “Kids Health”. As you can probably tell from the name, it’s aimed at kids but I think you’ll still find the content very relevant and useful.

4. Porridge

I always cook porridge for breakfast when I go hiking. Firstly, it’s really easy to make (click here for a simple recipe) and secondly, it allows me to walk for several hours without needing a snack and helps me fight fatigue.

A word of advice, try to avoid buying instant porridge. They tend to be overpriced/over packaged and can contain a lot of artificial flavours. Why waste your money on this stuff when it’s so easy to make?

5. A bowl of muesli

Oats are low GI, so a bowl of muesli that is low in sugar with some chopped fruit (e.g. banana, pear and/or blueberries) is a great way to start the day. You can also sprinkle some almonds and add a tablespoon of low fat yogurt on top.