Healthy (and Easy) Meals for a Hungry College Student
Meal prepping and making smart food choices are two important habits to start in your college years. If you have a meal plan at school, we definitely suggest you begin thinking about cooking for yourself. As college students, we are busy day in and day out, so having a meal plan is great and saves us lots of time. However, part of college is learning to be independent and take care of yourself. Part of that involves preparing nutritional and satisfying meals. So, allow us to walk you through some healthy, easy, and delicious meals to prepare during your college days.
Salmon
We recommend purchasing frozen salmon at Aldi or Trader Joe’s because these companies offer the lowest prices for quality foods. To start, broil the frozen salmon in the oven for about 20 minutes. While this is cooking, chop up some of your favorite vegetables. We like pairing salmon with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower, all of which are amazing roasted with salt and pepper. To finish up the meal, wash a potato, wrap it in a paper towel, and place it in the microwave for 5 minutes. Add about ½ tablespoon of butter and salt and just like that you’ve made a delicious baked potato. After this, the salmon should be cooked. Place it on a dish, and serve it with your potato and vegetables: an easy and delicious meal made in 20 minutes.
Chicken
Purchased either fresh or frozen, chicken can be cooked on the stove with fresh lemon squeeze. Cut up tomato, onion, zucchini, and asparagus and throw it in a separate pan. Then, prepare brown rice that’s either microwavable, easy to boil, or ready-made. Add some teriyaki or low sodium soy sauce on top and some salt pepper, and you’re good to go. If you’re feeling motivated, fry an egg and place it in the rice mix for an amazing homemade chicken fried rice!
Vegetarian
Purchase whole wheat pasta (of any kind) and boil it on the stovetop. Add marinara, pesto, or vodka sauce to the pan and stir. If you would like to add cheese, sprinkle fresh or packaged parmesan on top. We recommend adding in fresh basil and cherry tomatoes for even better taste. In addition to this easy option, you can add protein such as chicken, tofu, or salmon. This meal can be prepped in many ways, so choose the way that satisfies your specific dietary needs.
Avocado Toast
Our absolute favorite breakfast option: avo toast. Scramble or poach two eggs and place two pieces of whole wheat toast in the toaster. Cut up an avocado, and mash it onto the toast. After, sprinkle salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if you wish. Finally, add your egg on top, and you have a filling and healthy meal to start your day off right!
Fruit and Vegetables
Always, always keep your fridge stocked with fruits and veggies. Grapes, berries, apples, oranges, bananas, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes—you name it. Not only are these all delicious and healthy, but a perfect grab-and-go snack to keep your energy high and your belly satisfied throughout the day.
It is important to know what’s going in your body, and eating out and eating at a dining hall are not always the best options. Grocery shopping on your own helps you choose what is going into your body and allows you to know the quality and freshness of the foods you’re consuming. We hope these spark some more ideas for other meal preparations and food choices!