If you’re a junior or senior and you live off campus, eating is a totally different experience. It’s probably the first time you’ve had to fend for yourself and actually cook yourself food, and if you’re like me, it’s a whole new world. Sure, you may poison yourself by not cooking the chicken for long enough (be careful, it’s not a fun time), but there are a few ways to make living off campus without a meal plan bearable- and not break your wallet.
1. Bring coffee/tea- if you don’t have wavebucks do not spend money on PJs!!
Making an investment in a coffee machine will be a lot less expensive than buying overpriced cups of coffee or tea everyday before class. Get some reusable coffee cups and save some bucks!!!
2. Don’t skip out on breakfast- you’ll be hangry
Make easy breakfast that you can do the night before or splurge in some avocados and have a protein & fat filled breakfast to last you until lunch!
3. Get a lunch box- it’s nerdy but necessary
If you don’t live super close to campus, it may be necessary to bring your lunch since you can’t just run home during your hour lunch break (if you’re lucky enough to have one). Get a cheap lunch box from Amazon to make sure your leftovers stay nice and fresh.
4. Learn to love sandwiches & salad
Sandwiches require approximately 2-3 minutes to make in the morning or night before so they’re an easy and cheap option for lunch. Salads are another healthy way to do lunch and don’t require a lot of preparation. You can have a big container of salad for the week and take bits of it everyday- YAY health and vegetables.
Here are some fun and not boring salads
5. Bring lots of snacks!!!
Some of my favorite healthy snacks are: almonds (be careful sitting too close to people who could have allergies), fruit snacks, carrots, celery (warning: don’t eat this in class), and grapes.
6. Treat yo self to LBC once or twice a week (make a budget & find the cheaper options)
7. Find freshmen/sophomores to befriend.
Using freshman/sophomores who have meal plans is totally justified for those days where you just don’t feel like cooking. And don’t lie- you miss bruff
8. Make easy dinners
I’d like to thank Buzzfeed Tasty for providing me with visuals for how to make food and giving me the confidence to think I can make that food.
Like: Rice bowls, Shrimp & Asparagus, Chicken Fajita Salad
9. Make two servings of your easy dinners
Making food for one can be hard since recipes just assume you have a significant other or friends cook for. Pretend you have someone else to cook for, and make those two servings to eat the leftovers the next day for lunch. Might as well use those LBC microwaves for something.
Good luck with your cooking endeavors, and remember: when in doubt, cereal can count as a meal, right?