The clock strikes 7:45 a.m. and after snoozing once, maybe even twice, your first instinct is to jump out of bed, shower and get to class.

But there’s just one problem with that routine: you’ve given yourself no chance to fuel your brain and kick start your metabolism. Who has time for breakfast when you’re trying to make it before the attendance sheet is passed in lecture?

‘The only time I eat breakfast is when I can wake up on time,’ said Alex Brutus, a junior pre-med major.

Unfortunately, Brutus is one among many other college students who may be missing out on the benefits of having that first meal of the day. ‘[Eating] breakfast revs up your metabolism, improve[s] concentration and problem solving, and can even improve your mood,’ said Binghamton University’s registered dietitian, Alexa Schmidt.

She even offers some quick, simple but healthy tips for students who think getting a croissant quickdraw is the only way to have a fulfilling breakfast. Schmidt’s pointers included yogurt topped with Kashi cereal, banana slices and sunflower seeds.

Understanding that cereal can serve as part of a quick, yet healthy way of incorporating breakfast into the crazy morning rush we experience daily, we’ve compiled a few ‘cereal numbers.’

Although studies have shown that people who eat breakfast are lighter and have an easier time losing weight, cereals also pack tons of essential vitamins and minerals that an on-the-go diet may lack. Breakfast cereals are enriched with protein, calcium, vitamins A and D, dietary fiber and many other components that build and support your body in all its functions.

So read on to find out which cereals pack the most punch.

The nutritional information is based on the individual cereal’s serving size, which varied.

Kashi Cereal Heart to Heart Honey Oat cereal and Wild Blueberry cereal

Calories: 200

Total Fat: 2.5 g

Protein: 6 g

Sugars: 13 g

Vitamin A: 25%

Vitamin C: 50%

Iron 10%

Nature Valley Crunchy Oats ‘N Honey cereal

Calories: 230, 270 with Skim Milk

Total Fat: 3 g

Protein: 4g

Sugars: 16g

Vitamin A: 4% with Skim Milk

Vitamin C: 0%

Iron: 4% with/without Skim Milk

Kellogg’s Corn Pops

Calories: 120, 160 with Skim Milk

Total Fat 0g

Protein: 1g

Sugars: 14g

Vitamin A: 10%, 15% with Skim Milk

Vitamin C: 10%, 10% with Skim Milk

Iron: 0%, 10% with Skim Milk

Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes

Calories: 120, 160 with Skim Milk

Total Fat: 0g

Protein: 1g

Sugars: 12g

Vitamin A: 10%, 15% with Skim Milk

Vitamin C: 10%, 10% with Skim Milk

Iron: 28%, 25% with Skim Milk

General Mills’ Cheerios

Calories: 111

Total Fat: 1.8g

Protein: 3.3 g

Sugars: 1.2g

Vitamin A: 10%

Vitamin C: 10%

Iron: 45%

Kellogg’s Smart Start

Calories: 182

Total Fat: 1g

Protein: 4g

Sugars: 14g

Vitamin A: 25%

Vitamin C: 25%

Iron: 100%

Kraft Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted

Calories: 118

Total Fat: 2g

Protein: 2g

Sugars: 6g

Vitamin A: 15%

Vitamin C: 0%

Iron: 45%

So if you’re neglecting to eat breakfast, you might want to consider reworking your routine. The benefits of eating breakfast, even a non-traditional breakfast like grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly, will blow your mind and change your life over time.

And for those skeptics out there who complain that eating breakfast makes you hungry all day, don’t fret. That hunger is the result of a fast and effective metabolism that will burn more calories throughout the day.

But for those of you who have considered making cereal your morning glory, be sure to choose the ones that taste great while still remaining dense in nutrients to pack the most breakfast punch.