Let’s be honest—eating well in college is pretty tricky. Especially with a dining hall that rotates the same 8 meals, and only a microwave to cook with. Add a limited budget and you’re probably skipping breakfast, grabbing 3 muffins for lunch, and reluctantly eating cafeteria cheese pizza for dinner (not speaking from experience, of course). Here are some meals that are quick easy, and usually pretty cheap to get you through this semester (plus a full shopping list at the end).
Breakfast
Give hand fruit like apples, bananas, and oranges a try! They’re easy to take along and eat while running to your 9am, and are healthy too. If you’ve got a bit more time in the morning, oatmeal or yogurt is another great option. You can easily spice it up with different nut butters or berries!
Milk (or non-dairy options) and cereal or granola is a classic, and takes literal seconds to whip up. The granola is great on top of the yogurt too! If you have the time to meal prep, some hard boiled eggs are great to have around as a snack and a source of protein!
Lunch and Dinner
Not up for your go-to sandwich or pizza from the dining hall? Try making a quesadilla in your microwave with shredded cheese and tortillas! With that same cheese, you could also make some pasta—add some milk and even some canned sauce, and you’re golden! Another simple staple is canned soup—whether it’s chicken noodle, minestrone, tomato bisque, or a throwback like spaghettios, the choice is yours!
Frozen veggies are also great to have on hand, like broccoli, peas, or cauliflower to add to whatever dish you’d like! The same thing goes for rice (make sure to buy the microwaveable packets) which are an awesome base to add veggies and soy sauce to. Potatoes or sweet potatoes are also staples, since you can literally just toss them into the microwave.
Other/Snack
Even though you might not have a full kitchen, that doesn’t mean you should leave out the essentials. Salt and pepper are a must, no matter what you’re cooking, and soy sauce or teriyaki sauce can make a bowl of plain rice and veggies go a long way! Couldn’t leave these out! Everyone needs a go-to snack while laying in bed, watching Netflix, and procrastinating homework (again, I’m not speaking from experience, obviously). Your favorite kind of crackers, chips, or pretzels are great for nights in, just like microwaveable popcorn or a sweet snack like Oreos or ice cream.
Grocery List
Dairy
-
Yogurt
-
Milk (or non-dairy alternative)
-
Eggs
-
Shredded cheese
Produce
-
Hand fruit (apples, oranges, bananas)
-
Potatoes or sweet potatoes
Pantry
-
Oatmeal
-
Nut butter
-
Cereal or granola
-
Tortillas
-
Pasta
-
Canned sauce
-
Canned soup
-
Rice
-
Salt and pepper
-
Soy sauce or teriyaki sauce
-
Chips, crackers, or pretzels
-
Microwaveable popcorn
-
Oreos or another sweet snack
Frozen
-
Veggies of your choice (like broccoli, peas, cauliflower)
-
Ice cream, duh