Healthy DIY Dinners Under $10

Living on a college budget is hard, especially if you’re committed to a healthy lifestyle. Don’t let this confine you to a life of dining hall salads. Cooking for yourself doesn’t have to cost as much as your tuition. Here are a few healthy and delicious dinners all under $10!

Squash that Budget

Ingredients:

Spaghetti Squash $4

Red sauce $2

Italian Chicken sausage (4) $4

Olive Oil $5

Salt and Pepper

This easy and delicious dinner is perfect if you don’t have the time to cook. Simply cut open the spaghetti squash (on the long side) and add salt, pepper, and olive oil to each half. Place them on a baking sheet face up in the oven at 400 degrees until the inside is soft enough to easily poke with a fork. When it’s ready, use a fork to shred the inside. Add your sauce and chicken sausage and enjoy. Not only is this recipe easy, but it also makes four servings that will stay fresh for the rest of the week. The grand total for this dinner is $3.75 per serving!

Stir It and Shake It

Brown Rice $1

Two peppers $4

One onion $2

One Chicken Breast $4

Soy Sauce (or coconut aminos) $3

Salt and pepper

To make this delicious dinner, all you have to do is cook your rice as instructed on the package, and sauté chopped peppers, onion, and chicken in a large pan. Add salt, pepper, and soy sauce when you’re ready to serve. To make this even healthier, try swapping brown rice for cauliflower rice! Plus, it's easy to double this recipe and store it so you don’t have to worry about cooking anytime soon. This meal adds up to a total of $10!
 

Tac-o Bout It

Eggs (12) $2

Corn Tortillas (18) $4

Two Peppers $4

Salsa $3

This meal is one of the easiest and most delicious dinners I've made in college. Simply scramble your eggs and put them in tortilla shells. Top it off with chopped peppers and a spoonful of salsa, and you’re ready to enjoy! This is the perfect dinner if you’re not looking for left-overs right away. All of the ingredients keep well in the fridge, so there's no rush to make a big batch right away. The best part is that one taco adds up to only $1!

What are some of your favorite, easy recipes for students on-the-go?