As teenagers, especially those in university, we know how hard it is to save money from the little we get everyday. But fear not , there is hope.  While it’s more convenient to purchase breakfast at school or forgo breakfast completely this is neither good for your pockets nor your body. A nutritious breakfast is crucial for a healthy lifestyle. So put up the salt ridden noodles, the sauteed fish in tomato juice (s/o to Prince Pine), and the classic tea and toast for a tasty breakfast that is actually good for you.

How to make quick and easy oatmeal

Ingredients: Instant Oats , cows/soy/almond milk (or powdered milk ), raisins, sugar, fruit, chocolate.

Prep Time:  5 mins1. Heat water or milk in a saucepan or microwave. The rule of thumb is 1 cup of water/milk to 1/2 cup of oats. However you can decide how thick or watery you want it. If you are using milk powder , boil the water and pour it over the milk powder then stir.2. While the milk/water is heating put the desired amount of oats in a bowl or cup.3. Pour the water or milk over the oats.4. Add your own toppings. This includes but is not restricted to raisins or other dried fruits , bananas , honey , sugar , dark chocolate.5. Enjoy.

Cooking time: 5mins

Time-saving tip: To save even more time you could either make the oatmeal from the night before or prepack the oats and toppings in a container then simply add the hot water/milk in the morning.

Money-saving tip: You don’t have to spend extra money on toppings for your oats , use what you have and be creative. In addition to that buying a bag of oats cost less than $100 and depending on how you stretch it you can make breakfast for the week.

This is an ideal breakfast because it is full of fibre and will keep you fuller longer. In fact you might find yourself forgoing the soda and fries at lunch because you won’t be craving them as much. You can add further nutrition with your toppings. For example if you decided to add fruit you get some of your daily fruit serving. Or if you decided to use milk you’ll get calcium and protein.