Healthy Cooking Ideas for College Students
By Alexa Silvestri
Due to the dining halls changes this year, many students are now faced with the option of cooking their food or ordering take-out. You may feel that cooking is too difficult or you don’t have enough time in your busy schedule to cook. While regular trips to Sweetgreen or Snap Pizza may sound delightful, it can be just as rewarding to cook your own meal right from your college apartment!
Some of us may have spent the summer living off of fresh fruit and delicious home-cooked meals. Don’t let the trend die out! It is important to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet while at college, too. A well-balanced diet can help boost your energy level, immune system, and brain power for studying for classes.
Here are some suggestions for keeping up with your health from your college apartment:
Meal Plan Option 1:
Breakfast: 1 cup of whole milk yogurt, bowl of mixed berries, glass of coffee with almond milk
Lunch: 2 eggs scrambled with tomatoes and peppers, and mozzarella cheese with an apple
Snack: Homemade guacamole with pita chips
Dinner: Stuffed salmon with olive oil and topped with seasoning, side of roasted broccoli and cauliflower
Dessert: Almond flour banana bread
Meal Plan Option 2:
Breakfast: Avocado toast on multigrain bread topped with a fried egg and mozzarella cheese, glass of orange juice
Lunch: Chickpea, spinach, and feta on a multigrain wrap with a side of fruit
Snack: Fruit smoothie with mango, peach, blueberries, chia seeds, and almond milk
Dinner: Bruschetta chicken with sides of zucchini noodles and brown rice
Dessert: Chocolate chip scones
Here are some other meal ideas to make in your college apartment:
Caprese pasta salad
Spinach pesto and cheese quesadillas with chicken
Still looking for inspiration for items to add to your shopping cart at the grocery store? Here are some :
(Fresh and Frozen) Fruits - apples, berries, bananas, mango
Vegetables - tomatoes, avocados, peppers, spinach, romaine lettuce, onions
Perdue Fresh Chicken Strips
Fresh mozzarella cheese and/or feta cheese
Packs of salmon {Whole Foods}
Almond milk
Black iced coffee
Eating healthy in your college apartment does not have to be a chore. Try out these meal ideas and then keep those healthy habits going. Sometimes all it takes is a quick search on Google or Pinterest to find quick, easy, and nutritious recipes!
