Often times, students view the kitchen as an overwhelming space. Making the effort to cook healthy meals from scratch can seem intimidating, time consuming, and expensive. In order to reduce these factors, I attempted to make 10 healthy meals from only 15 different ingredients that I purchased in one shopping trip to Trader Joes. The results were incredibly versatile and delicious, and any college student could replicate such plates with a little commitment.
Ingredients Purchased:
1. Chicken (freezer section)
2. Shrimp (freezer section)
3. Cauliflower/Broccoli patties (freezer section)
4. Minced Cauliflower (freezer section) 5. Assorted vegetable mix (freezer section)
6. Lettuce
7. Tomatoes
8. Avocado
9. Brussels Sprouts
10. Spaghetti
11. Eggs
12. Pineapple
13. Goat Cheese
14. Mozzarella Cheese
15. Parmesan Cheese
(Disclaimer: I did not account for ingredients like salt, pepper, spices, olive oil, etc. that I already had in the pantry.)
1. Chicken Caprese Salad
Ingredients Used: chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese (with balsamic and olive oil dressing)
2. Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients Used: shrimp, lettuce (arugula), goat cheese, spaghetti (with olive oil, salt/ pepper, and a squeeze of lemon)
3. Chicken Cauliflower “Fried Rice”
Ingredients Used: minced cauliflower, assorted vegetable mix, chicken, eggs
4. Veggie Pattie Chicken Burger with Avocado Caprese
Ingredients Used: Cauliflower/Broccoli patties, chicken, goat cheese, avocado, tomato, mozzarella
5. Avocado Pesto Pasta
Ingredients: Avocados, tomatoes, parmesan (with dash of garlic and lemon)
6. Teriyaki Turkey Burger
Ingredients: Turkey burger, avocado, pineapple (with Trader Joe’s Soyaki sauce)
7. Chicken Pasta Carbonara with Balsamic/Parmesan brussels sprouts and salad
Ingredients: chicken, spaghetti, egg, parmesan cheese, brussels sprouts (roasted with balsamic and parmesan cheese), lettuce (with olive oil and lemon dressing)
8. Goat Cheese Omelet
Ingredients Used: eggs, avocado, goat cheese, tomato (borrowed roommate’s yogurt)
9. Pesto Chicken with Caprese Salad and Pineapple
Ingredients Used: Chicken sautéed in leftover avocado pesto, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella cheese, pineapple
10. Breakfast Scramble
Ingredients Used: Egg, avocado, goat cheese (borrowed a muffin, but healthier without)