This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UVA chapter.
Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet in college can unfortunately create a few obstacles, and these obstacles become more prevalent once you pack up and say goodbye to mom’s home-cooked meals. Staying healthy as a college student can be tricky, but here are some quick, easy, and affordable recipes that are my personal favorite go-to’s throughout the school year! In addition, all of these recipes are vegan friendly, so bon appétit, my fellow vegans!
- Seasonal salads: This is a personal favorite of mine. If you’re a salad lover, you will be in awe. I love incorporating seasonal fruits and veggies into my salads for maximum nutrition! The thing I love most about salad is that they’re are so versatile and you can tailor your salad to your standards of perfection. In my salad, I love adding spinach, grape tomatoes, chopped strawberries, shredded carrots, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds! As for dressing, I like to play it safe with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The flavors compliment each other perfectly and mesh deliciously!
- Buddha bowls: Do you find your fridge full of leftovers with nowhere to go? Fear no more! Creating your own buddha bowl is so simple and versatile! Just chuck whatever leftovers you have in your fridge into a bowl and you have yourself a delicious and satisfying meal! In my buddha bowl, I added some quinoa and kale mix, sautéed veggies, chickpeas, and chopped cherry tomatoes! I sprinkled some pepper and herbs on top for a little zing! If you’re looking at your screen asking “where’s the meat?” just add some grilled chicken into the mix! Let me tell you, you won’t regret this one!
- Oatmeal with your favorite fruits: Some of you may be asking yourselves, so where’s the breakfast food? Her Campus has got you covered! Oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfast foods because not only does it taste absolutely delicious, but also it’s really nutritious! Once you boil your oats by following the instructions on the package, you can get creative in dressing up your oats. I love adding fresh strawberries and craisins to my oatmeal and drizzling some honey on top!
- Nut butter and banana toast: I mean, who doesn’t love nut butter and who doesn’t love toast? I dunno! This is one of my favorite meals because it cures all of my sweet-tooth cravings! For toast, I love using whole wheat or rye bread. Try avoiding white bread because it’s stripped of all the nutrients! Once your bread is toasted to perfection, spread any nut butter of your choice (if you’re allergic to nuts, try SunButter instead! It tastes just like the real deal, trust me.) and plop your banana slices right on top! To jazz it up a bit, you can drizzle honey on top and add chia seeds for additional nutritional benefits! And boom. Meal complete. So easy yet so yummy! With these recipes, you will be actual #chefgoals. These meals are perfect because they’re simple, quick, and most importantly, delicious! With these yummy and nutrient-booming meals, you can say sayonara to the freshmen 15!