This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNH chapter.
- Burrito Bowl – When you do your weekly food shopping, pick up a package of low-fat ground turkey. If you want a meatless option, you can try Morning Farms Meatless Crumbles. Grab a package of taco seasoning and boom there’s your protein for this quick and easy meal. Prep the turkey with your choice of onions, peppers, and additional seasonings and store it in a large container. Throughout the week pair it with rice, lettuce, salsa, and avocado for your own broke-college kid version of chipotle. You can also add some Southwest Style Protein Blends from BirdsEye for added protein including corn, beans, and lentils. If you get bored of the burrito bowl, chop some lettuce, crush up some tortilla chips, and you can add the mix in a large bowl for a hearty taco salad.
- Stir Fry – Add the beginning of the week cook up a bunch of your favorite veggies. My personal favorites are peppers, broccoli, zucchini, summer squash, spinach and carrots. Toss the veggies in a little bit of oil and roast them on the stove top. Once there all cooked, add in a stir-fry sauce of your choice and mix it all together. Then, mix it with cauliflower rice and some grilled chicken. Try using the Green Giant steam in a bag cauli-rice, it’s budget friendly and super convenient when you’re in a crunch. If you’re really lazy, steam up some veggies in a bag instead of cooking them ahead of time.
- Overnight Oats – Buy any brand of steel cut oats and measure a cup into a mason jar of your choice. Add in almond milk or any other milk of your choice. Mix in some cinnamon for extra sweetness- my favorite personal touch is adding in some PB2 powder. Toss the mason jar (not literally) in the fridge overnight and you’ve got the perfect on the go breakfast or snack. Bring along some fruit and add it overtop when you’re ready to eat!
- Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘n’ Cheese – This meal requires no prep at all, just some patience while you wait for the microwave to hit 00:00. Grab a bag of BirdsEye zucchini lentil pasta with cheese sauce from the frozen food isle. Cook up any chicken of your choice, adding some Red Hot Buffalo sauce. For some added nutrition throw in some spinach and let it wilt up with the cooked chicken before mixing it into the pasta. To top if off add some blue cheese crumbles and a drizzle of extra buffalo sauce and VOILA!
Living on your own for the first time in college sounds like the time of your life until it comes down to trying to whip something up in the kitchen. Try these ideas and don’t be afraid to get creative with your meals!