Since moving into my first college home (which has a newly renovated kitchen – what!) I have really embraced the process of cooking. It is cool to be in charge of what gets put into your body and to take the time to make something really good. And aside from usually being healthier, making your own food can be cheaper too! I’ve found that certain meals work for me more than others. Decision fatigue is alive and well, so I thought it could be helpful to offer up three recipes that work well for me and accomplish my goals of eating healthy food that is easy to make and taste good as well. The three recipes are: go-to classic breakfast, meal-prepped pasta salad for lunch, and spaghetti squash and sausage dinner.
Breakfast: The Most Important Meal of the Day
I fully believe that the key to a successful day is having a good breakfast. At least for a hangry-prone individual such as myself, having a healthy first meal of the day with high protein is essential. For me, I come from an egg family, but I only came around to really liking them when I learned how to soft-scramble them. Eggs are sooo easy to make and there are a variety of ways to make them: classic scramble, omelet, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, fried, I could go on and on! Finding one way that works for you will make your life so much easier. Adding a sprinkle of shredded cheese and a generous amount of salt and pepper will have them perfect every time. I like to pair my eggs with something, so I usually add a handful of fruits or vegetable on the side and make some air-fried turkey bacon for some extra protein while I’m cooking the eggs.
Classic Breakfast Recipe:
Two to Three eggs
Two slices of turkey bacon
Handful of strawberries
1. Put the two slices of bacon in an air fryer at 380°F for 7 minutes, flipping halfway
2. Mix eggs in a bowl, cook on medium heat and start to scramble, adding cheese at the end and finishing off with some salt and pepper to taste
3. Plate turkey bacon, eggs, and strawberries and enjoy!
Lunch: Meal prep & Thank Me Later!
Lunch used to be the hardest meal of the day for me. Living off campus, it is annoying to go back home to make lunch when you are already in study mode during a day of classes. I used to try to survive off my breakfast until I would find myself wandering up and down the aisles of the Arbor deciding which overpriced snack would sustain me. Now, I prepare a big lunch that will last the whole week in my fridge without even thinking about it. My favorites are dense bean salad or pasta salad. This way, I also get in all of my veggies for the day and these meals actually get better the longer you let them sit. It’s a lot of chopping, but that’s really the only downside to meal-prepping these types of meals.
Pasta Salad:
1 box fusilli or rotini
1 cup tomatoes
1 cucumber, diced
½ red onion, diced
½ cup Kalamata olives
½ cup mozzarella mini balls or feta cheese
1 cup shredded chicken
Italian dressing
1. Cook and cool pasta, cook protein, mix all ingredients and season to taste, enjoy for one week in the fridge!
Dinner: One formula and Then You’re Done!
Here’s what I do for dinner: one veggie, one protein, and one carb. And then find your favorite ways to make each. For example, I can just buy a bag of broccoli and roast it in the air fryer with some lemon and that’s ready in around 8 minutes. Then I can pair that with some rice and chicken leftovers from the night before. The best part is that you can switch out this formula any way you want! I love using the Trader Joe’s chicken sausage as a solid protein, and salmon is also a great one. Having pantry staples like pasta and rice in your cabinet at all times is always a life hack. Sometimes I try to get fancy, like for this spaghetti squash dinner for example.
Spaghetti Squash Sausage Dinner
Spaghetti squash
2 chicken sausages
Marinara sauce
1. Cut squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds
2. Brush sides with olive oil, season with salt and pepper
3. Cook in air fryer cut-side down in the basket for 20 minutes at 375°F, flipping halfway
4. Cook up sliced sausage on the stove
5. Scrape spaghetti squash with a fork to make noodles, top with sausage and marinara sauce
I hope you enjoy these recipes and maybe have learned some tips that will help make your life easier! I am no nutritionist or meal expert, but these are just things that work for me. Remember – as long as you are feeling good, that is all that matters!