As someone who loves to cook but also has an incredibly busy schedule, it can be hard to remember to feed myself something with some nutritional value. Here are some of my favorite go-to meals that don’t require a ton of effort.
- Smashed Chickpea Salad
This is one of my favorite recipes to make. It’s quick, easy, healthy and absolutely delish. The best part about this recipe is that you can customize it all you want, since all you really need is a can of chickpeas. I like to add tomato, cucumber, pesto, a bit of lemon juice, and cilantro to my smashed-up chickpeas.
- Rice with Trader Joe’s frozen section
Trader Joe’s has every college girl’s heart, especially for a vegetarian. Some of my favorite items from Trader Joe’s include the meatless orange chicken or the kung pao cauliflower. Tossing it in the air fryer and eating it with rice is one of my favorite quick meals to make after a long day of class.
- Fried Rice
One of my favorite ways to get some protein and vegetables in my system is through fried rice. It’s quick and easy, and you usually have all the ingredients already. I love making fried rice, especially when I have leftover rice from the night before. Toss some veggies and protein in the pan, add some soy sauce and seasonings like onion and garlic powder, and you have a delicious meal in under 15 minutes.
- Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant Parmesan sounds more complicated than it is, but it’s truly so easy and delicious to make. Slice your eggplant and coat it in a flavorful breadcrumb mix, fry it up, and top it off with some cheese.
5. Pasta
Pasta is cheap and is always stocked up in my pantry. Although I love a bowl of butter noodles or some marinara sauce, I occasionally like to spruce it up by making a bowl of cheesy pasta with some vegetables, just so I can pretend I’m being healthier than I actually am.
Would I be able to impress Gordon Ramsay with these meals? Probably not. But I am impressed at how low effort these meals are, which, to me, is way more important as a college student.
