Being a vegetarian or vegan in college is hard, especially when you’re on a budget and trying to buy fresh and healthy food to eat every or every other week. Here are some recipes I’ve found and used that are easy to make with things you probably already have in your pantry or can easily pick up for a decent price at your local grocery store.
* CONTAINS EGGS
This is a simple and easy recipe that you can easily beef up if you feel it needs a little something extra to make it more filling. I like to add zucchini, squash, spinach and corn to my pasta. It allows for some extra veggies into my daily diet; and makes it more enjoyable to eat if I make it in a larger batch so that I can eat the leftovers as a meal the next day because the flavors have more time to settle in and mix together.
2. Banana Bread*
One of my all time favorites to make — especially in the chilly months because it just makes your home smell delicious, and it’s a perfect treat when you’re trying to feel warm and cozy. I always add chocolate chips to mine, and sometimes I’ll throw in some walnuts as well. I have started making them in muffin tins instead of the normal bread tin, and I’ve found that I prefer that way more as it takes less time in the oven and it makes it an easy to grab snack if you’re on the go.
An interesting snack that would probably appeal to most people. It doesn’t require the use of a dehydrator, but it does take a while to bake in the oven so be prepared to set aside a few hours to watch these so they don’t burn. Don’t slice them too thin either or they will burn on the edges before the rest of the chips are done. Otherwise, these are a great and tasty snack that you can eat on their own or even sprinkled on top of your morning oatmeal for an added crunch.
4. Strawberry Oat Bars (Vegan/dairy free)
I recently made these, and they were extremely easy to make, and they’re great to store in the freezer if you want to make them last longer than just a week or so. They smell and taste delicious, and consisted of everything I already had in my pantry/fridge or could easily find for an affordable price at the local grocery store.
Great for anyone who isn’t lactose intolerant like myself, or anyone who really enjoys lasagna, but not the time it takes to make one. Plus a whole pan of lasagna is hard to eat and even harder to store once baked. These roll ups are great because you can make a large batch and store them in the freezer individually wrapped, and pull one or two out as you need them.
This is for anyone who likes mexican street corn. This is an easy way to make a meal out of a simple ingredient like corn that is not only tasty but filling as well. If you’re a pescatarian you could always add shrimp or fish, or chicken if you aren’t a strict vegetarian to really help round out the meal.
7. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
I love cookies. I also love trying to incorporate healthier alternatives into my diet. Instead of giving up the delicious cookies you’ve come to love, why not just try a healthier version that will give you all of the flavor with none of the guilt?
I love whipped cream. When I learned to make it by hand it became even better because I could limit potential chemicals or additives in the whipped cream I was eating. I switched to a coconut whipped cream that is similar to the normal cans you would find because my lactose intolerance. When I found a recipe for homemade coconut whipped cream I was excited because it again meant I could have more control over what additives and things were being put into my whipped cream and it wouldn’t have to come from a can anymore.
Now you won’t have to head to the nearest mall or shopping outlet to satisfy your pretzel craving. Pretzels are a great snack to grab on your way to class or an even better treat to share with friends during a get together. You’ll be the envy of any social gathering if you show up with homemade pretzels that taste just as good as Auntie Anne’s.
Blueberry muffins have always been a great go-to breakfast item, but it’s time they got an upgrade. These lemon blueberry muffins are just what we needed with the addition of lemon to give us an extra kick in the morning to wake us up.