Breakfast, I've learned the hard way, is the most important meal of the day. Skipping or skimping on breakfast leads to cravings mid-morning, which on the typical college campus usually can only be fed by vending machine snacks that contain too many empty carbohydrates. So make sure you can get in some protein and vitamins first thing in the morning, and if you must snack along the way, keep a banana or an apple in your bookbag. Here are some inexpensive breakfast alternatives that will hopefully get you through until lunch time (tried and tested at college).

Oatmeal. Not the "mixes" with the added sugar or flavors or anything else -- just get yourself a large box of store brand quick-cooking oatmeal, and keep it on hand as your emergency back up or as part of a good breakfast. When you do have money for fresh fruit or even frozen (blueberries or other berries work well, and one bag can last a while), cut that up and throw it in for a good burst of flavor. Avoid adding sugar, honey, or any sweetners other than the fruit itself. Or add ground cinnamon, that works well, too.

Now that you know you will always have that stand-by on hand (and the large round canisters only cost a few dollars for quite a few servings), you're set to look for other cheap treats. Some grocery stores have a rack for single bananas that are almost too ripe or apples that may have a bruise on them -- cheap and healthy, as long as you choose carefully. When you can afford eggs, scrambled with a little milk (if you can afford milk) in the mix and piled onto plain toast is a crunchy meal. But this isn't necessarily convenient if you're penniless or don't have time to cook.

Avoid the temptations of toaster pastries or other "convenient" sources of empty carbs that will make you crash later in the morning. Yoghurt is easy to make, and if you can develop a taste for plain yoghurt you're set -- if you can't, throw in some fuit as you would do with the oatmeal. I found a yoghurt maker at a thrift store and used it all through graduate school. All you have to do is put in a little yoghurt and some milk and leave it overnight.

Bagels can be fine if you choose whole wheat or whole grain bagels and spread with low-fat cream cheese and a little strawberry jelly (just enough to taste -- one jar can go a long way). It's easy enough to pop one in the toaster while you go shower. And if you keep the bagels in the freezer, you can justify the expense of buying the healthier whole grain ones by knowing you always have one or two left as a back up for those "I-don't-even-have-enough-money-for-a-cuppa-joe" mornings.

Some schools offer meal cards that can be purchased up front and used at the cafeteria. I never could afford one, and I think you had to be in a dorm to be able to buy one anyway -- but you could see what others think of that option. If there is a way to purchase a card with even just a small amount that you can top up later, it might be a very good idea. Then, again, you know that as long as there is a little on the card you will never go hungry.

Avoid MacFastFood options, but when all else fails, a breakfast biscuit with egg or bacon can be a cheap stopgap. But you'll be hungry again by 10:38, mark my words. . . Some independent breakfast joints near colleges offer good deals for students -- a breakfast platter and coffee, for example. Avoid the fried foods in favor of something healthy, if they offer it, or else walk on by.

Protein bars: well -- many are simply topped up with sugar and caffeine to give you a quick sense of wellbeing. Read the labels. If there is a high protein content (many so-called "protein bars" don't really have that much protein in them. . . ) and as low a sugar content as you can find, fine. If you can afford to, go to a large discount grocery and buy a box of them, rather than buy one a time as you need them -- it really will save you a lot of money. Also, store brand protein shakes are cheaper than the name brands, but still pricy if you're on a tight budget.

Finally, a good source of protein is peanut butter. Plus it doesn't need refrigeration, and it has a long shelf-life. Try to have some whole wheat crackers stored away for the times when you haven't the money for fresh bread, and a few crackers with peanut butter can be a quick and easy filler. The trick is to get enough protein while feeling "full" enough to get through the morning. And to all you college students out there, getting ready for another year of hitting the books, good luck, guys -- it's getting more and more expensive each year. Try to get at least some breakfast in, get your textbooks second hand, and have a great semester.