Often times, cooking at university can seem like a never ending debate between eating something inexpensive and unhealthy or expensive and healthy. Why must we settle? It shouldn’t be a constant battle at the grocery store to find something good to eat but that’s also budget conscious. Well, I am here to shed a little light on the situation and share with you a couple of recipes that will get you through those long days of classes without needing to spend a fortune to do so. As well as being relatively healthy and good on money, these recipes require only a microwave or no cooking at all which makes it very easy to make in your dorm room. I find that I excel best in my work when I know I am being fuelled up with good and healthy food and knowing that these recipes are coast effective lets me have room in my monthly budget for other things to enjoy such as a specialty coffee or a dinner out with friends. Without further a due, here are my four healthy, hearty and budget friendly recipes:
Recipe #1: No bake cranberry coconut energy bites
Ingredients
1/2 cup of tired cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup of walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup of rolled oats
1 cup of unsweetened coconut shreds
1/4 cup of ground flaxseeds
3/4 cup of natural unsalted almond butter
1/4 cup of maple syrup
All that is required for this recipe is to simply to put all the ingredients into a bowl, mix, too into small ping pong sized balls, refrigerate and enjoy! I would recommend putting them in the fridge only because they might be a little soft at first because of the peanut butter but a short two hours in the fridge and they should harden up nicely. What I love about this recipe is that the ingredients are so easily interchangeable. To make this recipe even more budget friendly, I would recommend swapping out the almond butter for peanut butter which is a lot less expensive and you could also replace the maple syrup with honey. Another cost saving tip would be to swap the walnuts with a less expensive nut such as almonds, peanuts or even sunflower seeds. These energy balls are a great snack to pop into your bag before heading to class to tie you over between meals. If you are pressed for time or simply do not want to purchase many different ingredients, a way to simplify the recipe would be to simply use rolled oats, peanut butter and honey. This classic trio of ingredients, even though simple, makes a delicious energy packed snack.
Recipe #2: Microwave Peanut Butter and Banana Mug Cake
Ingredients
1/2 medium banana, mashed
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4 and 1/2 tablespoons of flour
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
Pinch of salt
In a microwavable safe mug, mix all of the wet ingredients with a fork and then add all the dry ingredients. When everything is mixed thoroughly, microwave for 45 seconds to a minute (it really all depends on the strength of your microwave so it would be best to just keep an eye on it) and it’s ready to enjoy. Considering this recipe would be for a university student, I would omit the vanilla extract since it’s just a nice added bonus if you have it but it would definitely not affect the outcome of the recipe if it was excluded. Also, if keeping eggs in your fridge is an issue, you can replace the egg white with a flax or chia seed egg substitute which is simply flax seeds mixed with water, that way you can have all the ingredients on hand that do not require any refrigeration.
Recipe #3: Omelet in a mug
Ingredients
Eggs (1 or 2)
1-2 tablespoons of milk or water deepening on how many eggs yo used (1 tablespoon for each egg)
-Salt and Pepper to taste
-Any veggie or herb of your choice
All you need for this recipe is simply to whisk up your egg, or eggs, in a a mug, add your other ingredients and microwave for 45-60 seconds depending on your microwave. This recipe is perfect for mornings where you are the need for a quick but nutritious meal. This recipe can be tailored to fit whatever leftovers you might find in your fridge. I might not always have a bountiful fridge but thats whats great about this recipe. It is incredibly customizable and adaptable to whatever ingredients you have left over. One ingredient I often have in my fridge which I love for topping off this microwaveable omelet is salsa. Often times, I wont have fresh vegetables on hand which makes the salsa a perfect alternative that is also not incredibly expensive.
Recipe #4: Overnight Oats
Ingredients
1/3 cup of rolled oats
1 table spoon or chia seeds or yogourt (to add thickness)
1/2 cup of milk
maple syrup or honey for sweetness
any topping of your choice (apple, banana, frozen fruit, nuts or seeds, cinnamon, chocolate chips, dried fruit, coconut shreds, etc)
For this recipe, the night before is when all the preparation needs to be done which is great if you want to wake up the next morning and not think about what you are going to have make for breakfast. In a container of your choice (mason jar or plastic container) mix all your ingredients together and let sit overnight in your refrigerator. In the morning or when you decide to eat the overnight oats, you can decide to eat as is or add any additional toppings such as granola, fruit, nuts etc. I love this recipe because for mornings where I know I have a lot to do and I know I might be running late, I am assured that I have a wholesome breakfast that didn’t require a lot of time or money to make.
Sources:
Beaming Baker. (2016, August 1). No Bake Cranberry Coconut Energy Bites (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free). [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://beamingbaker.com/no-bake-cranberry-coconut-energy-bites-vegan-gl…
Bigger Bolder Baking. (2016, January 7). Microwavable Mug Meals: 5 Unbelievable Recipes. [Blog Post]. https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/microwave-mug-meals/
Bigger Bolder Baking. (2015, August 20). Top 5 Microwave Mug Breakfasts: Sweet & Savoury Recipes. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/5-microwave-breakfasts/
Cookie + Kate. (2017, August 30). Overnight Oats (Recipe & Tips) [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://cookieandkate.com/2017/overnight-oats-recipe/
Mom For Real. 4 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.mom4real.com/4-ingredient-no-bake-peanut-butter-oatmeal-balls/