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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SJSU chapter.

Going to college and being away from home for the first time can be scary. Moving out and living in a dorm or apartment also means independence from your parents and a departure from what you’ve been used to for the past 18-20 years of your life. One of the things students struggle with is consistently making their own meals.  This can lead to bad eating and spending habits. Believe it or not, eating ramen every day can get unhealthy and boring. 

Here are some easy meals that you can find recipes for on Pinterest or other websites. These are better alternatives to the dining hall or eating out every day.

Breakfast: 

  • Avocado toast
  • Eggs the way you like them: omelette, scrambled, hard boiled, etc. 
  • 3 ingredient banana oat pancakes
  • Overnight oats 
  • Smoothie bowl 
  • Banana and peanut butter sandwich 
  • Breakfast burritos 
  • Cereal

Lunch: 

  • Loaded salad 
  • Tuna sandwich or salad 
  • Pesto mozzarella sandwich 
  • Hummus and pita bread 
  • Ham and cheese sandwich
  • BLT
  • Avocado, turkey, and hummus wrap
  • Cheese quesadillas 
  • Grilled cheese 

Dinner

  • Your favorite pasta with garlic bread
  • Burrito bowl 
  • Fried rice 
  • Lettuce wraps 
  • A meat of your choice and rice
  • Tacos or burritos 
  • Stir fry 
  • Loaded nachos 
  • Trader Joe’s frozen meals 

Some of these meal ideas are healthy, and some not so much. My suggestion is to choose a day to go grocery shopping and have a list ready for all your meals. You can then meal prep for the rest of the week to save time. 

Feel free to adjust any of these ideas and make them your own! Here is a Pinterest board that I made for some more “meal-spiration.” Good luck cooking!  

My name is Sachi and I'm a Marketing Major at SJSU and I love photography, going on new adventures, and doing anything creative!