Cooking for yourself allows you to find and adjust recipes to your liking whether you are vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, or none of the above! When it comes to my food preferences, I like to stick to a mostly whole-foods diet (meaning not processed), no meat, and I avoid dairy. Below I have listed the most common meals I eat during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I did not provide full out recipes because I often do not follow them, but I hope you gain some kind of inspiration for meals you would like to try for yourself. Remember that you can adjust based on what you like or what you can/cannot eat.
Breakfast
1. Eggwhite sandwich + fruit
My latest breakfast craze back on campus was egg whites with spinach in between an english muffin. I don’t know what it is about this simple combination that is so delicious and provides a great source of protein. In addition, I always have to have a serving of fruit with my meal, whether banana and peanut butter or a bowl of pineapple.
2. Peanut butter + banana on toast topped with chia seeds
When I first got to college, this is the only breakfast combo I ate for a while. You get to enjoy a delicious meal that takes almost no time to make and feel satisfied too.
3. Oatmeal
My most recent go-to oatmeal has been a bowl of oats with chocolate protein powder mixed in, a scoop of peanut butter, topped with chia seeds and blueberries or banana. I love oatmeal because there is so much you can do with it depending on your own likes and taste.
Lunch/Dinner
When it comes to lunch and dinner, these recipes are very interchangeable and it just depends on what I am in the mood for. These recipes are also very similar but versatile, and like oatmeal, are easy to adjust depending on your specific taste. You may also notice that I do not eat a lot of raw produce, like uncooked greens or beans in order to prevent bloating and to be able to better absorb the nutrients. Therefore, if you are looking for non-salad recipes, you have come to the right place.
1. Grain bowl
If my dining hall is consistent with one thing, it is that they offer a good base, like white or brown rice, for any good bowl. One of my favorite combinations for any grain bowl is tofu, sweet potato, some kind of cooked green like spinach or broccoli, and cooked chickpeas on a bead of brown rice. I love this recipe because it takes almost no time to throw together a hearty and nutritious bowl that will hold you over until dinner.
2. Quinoa salad
I love quinoa because it is a great source of protein and fiber. I know I said no salad recipes, but this is a different kind of cold salad. One of my favorite ways to eat quinoa is mixed with other nutritious veggies like cucumber, corn, edamame, bell peppers, topped with seeds and a honey mustard vinaigrette, aka, a quinoa salad.
3. Spinach and mushroom pasta
Don’t come at me, but I am not the biggest fan of pasta. I would rather have chickpea pasta or zoodles before spaghetti. That being said, sometimes I can’t help but have a nice bowl of penne with cooked spinach and mushrooms. For the sauce, I’ll usually just add olive oil and fresh garlic for more flavor, but feel free to add a cream or tomato sauce if you’d like!
I hope after reading this article you have gained some inspiration or new ideas for meals you want to experiment with or try out for yourself! There are so many good options out there, you just need to find what you like best! Take advantage of your quarantine and use the time to cook anything and everything you like! Always remember to stay safe and healthy.