How to Cook in College: Our Money-Saving Guide

How to Cook in College: Our Money-Saving Guide

Heading off to college is an exciting time in anyone's life! Whether you're reading this article as a new college student or as a loving parent of a college attendee, we're happy that you're here. Though college is incredibly exciting, it can also be quite expensive. If you're heading to college on a budget, there are countless ways that you can cook up delicious and nutritious meals without breaking the bank. Keep reading to discover how to cook in college and save money in the process.

Start with Savings

While eating on a budget, it's essential that every choice you make at the grocery store is smart. When heading to the market, you don't want to grab whatever looks good on the shelf. Instead, think about savings and choose cheap ingredients that will provide you with nutrition and flavor. To get the most out of your grocery store purchase, run through the following steps.

Step 1: Create a Plan

How to Cook in College: Our Money-Saving Guide | Bob's Red Mill Blog At the beginning of each week, start by sitting down and planning out your meals. You'll want to think about easy, portable meals that you can make in your living space. Compact college-friendly snacks that can be eaten on the way to class is also a great purchase. This will ensure that you remain full and focused in between meals. Once you have planned your meals, it's time to make a shopping list. Bringing a shopping list to the store with you will keep you on track, encouraging you only to purchase what you need and not cave in to impulse purchases.

Step 2: Get to Know Your Grocery Stores

The chances are, there will be a few different grocery stores in the college area, each with extra savings and deals. Join your grocery store's email lists, membership and rewards programs and make a note of the weekly sale items. If you know what things will be on sale at the beginning of the week, you can create your meals around them and save more on your shopping list.

Step 3: Check for Student Programs

Most grocery stores, especially those in college areas, offer student incentives. Ask the clerk at the grocery store you're visiting what incentives they offer before making any purchases.

Step 4: Avoid Buying Perishables in Bulk

Unless you're sharing your grocery store purchases with other students, don't fall victim to the "buy two get one free" offers, especially if the item on sale is perishable. Unless you're hosting a dinner party, buying an influx of watermelon or salad will likely lead to the extra spoiling before you have time to enjoy it.

Learn How to Cook

Learning how to cook might be the most crucial tip on this list. The truth is, while eating out with friends might be fun, it's also pricey. If you're searching for ways to save money, and have the space to do so, then we recommended preparing your meals at home. Curious to know what foods you should keep on hand? Staples like rice, pasta, quinoa and farro are all whole foods that you can work into your college meal plan. Relatively inexpensive, all you need to do is add veggies and seasoning or sauce, and you'll have a full-blown, flavorful meal that sticks within budget.

Go Heavy on the Veggies

How to Cook in College: Our Money-Saving Guide | Bob's Red Mill Blog For a budget-friendly dinner, go heavy on the veggies and light on the meat. Vegetables are one of the most affordable foods out there and can be cooked in various ways so that they're both tasty and filling. Make vegetables the centerpiece of your weekly meals, and you'll have a pretty inexpensive shopping list. While meat is a popular base, especially when it comes to dinner dishes, it's quite pricey. Cutting back on meat products and replacing them with vegetables is a great way to stay within budget. That being said, we're not asking you to omit meat entirely if you don't want to, just use a bit less. To slowly include more vegetables into your diet, start by testing out Meatless Monday recipes and see what you think. Make Meatless Mondays even more flavorful with these Spinach Quinoa Bites.

Purchase Frozen Produce

When possible, purchase products from the freezer section. Frozen produce has a much longer life than fresh produce and is often a bit cheaper. Use it to make salsa, salads, smoothies or even homemade acai bowls.

Drink More Water

While you may think that food takes up most of your budget when surviving college on your own, beverages are responsible for a lot of it. Sports drinks, coffee, soda and fruit juice are pretty pricey additions to your refrigerator. Not to mention, many of these drinks contain artificial flavors and ingredients that aren't great for your health. Go easy on the wallet and stick to drinking water instead. If you're not a fan of water, try adding lemon slices or frozen fruit to boost the flavor.

Skip the Premade Frozen Meals

How to Cook in College: Our Money-Saving Guide | Bob's Red Mill Blog Now, when you think of college food, frozen meals are often the first thing to mind. What's not to love about them, they're delicious, convenient and often are just one microwave away from being ready in five minutes. The problem? That convenience comes at a cost. Frozen meals are usually pricey. Additionally, because these frozen meals are prepared months in advance and frozen for even longer, they are usually loaded with preservatives, sodium and calories. While they may satisfy your food cravings, they can leave your body lacking essential vitamins and nutrients. Instead of heading out to purchase frozen foods for the times when you, well, don't have time, make your own instead! If you know that you're going to be crunched for time in the upcoming days, take a day to prep your meals beforehand and freeze them on your own. This way, you'll ensure that you're consuming meals that are just as nutritious as they are delicious. Make this Classic 13 Bean Soup for a tasty soup dish that can be made in bulk and frozen for later.

Freeze, Freeze and Freeze Some More

Preparing frozen meals isn't the only time you should be using your freezer. In fact, most foods can be stored in the freezer for increased shelf life. Here are a few ways we enjoy using the freezer when eating on a budget.

Freeze Your Leftovers

Avoid premature food spoilage by sealing up your leftovers and sticking them in the freezer. This will help keep your food fresh until you're ready to eat it. Just make sure that you reheat it before diving in.

Freeze Your Ingredients

Curious to know what foods freeze well? Here's a list: Vegetables Fruits Meats Yogurt Soups Sauces

Freeze Pre-Packed Smoothies

Love waking up to a delicious smoothie? For an easy on the go breakfast like this Neapolitan Smoothie, pre-pack and freeze your smoothie ingredients in portion-sized bags. The next time you're craving a smoothie, grab a pre-made bag from the freezer and blend!

Cook in Bulk

Whether you're a meal planning pro or made a large batch of your favorite lunch, you can use your freezer to split large recipes into meal-sized portions. Keep the food you'll be eating promptly in the fridge to enjoy quickly, and save the rest in the freezer for next week. Cooking in bulk will not only save you money; it will also save you time! That way, you can swap the kitchen time for study time. Curious to learn more about meal prepping? Check out our guide on the Dos and Don't of Freezer Meal Prepping.

Make More One-Pot Meals

How to Cook in College: Our Money-Saving Guide | Bob's Red Mill Blog At Bob's Red Mill, we love one-pot dinners. Because one-pot meals use ingredients that cook at a similar rate, they're often easy to make and inexpensive too! Make these dinners in bulk to divide throughout the week, or create a single serving for a comfortable night in. Not only do these minimal meals taste delicious, but they also involve minimal preparation and clean up! For a one-pot dinner worth trying, make this flavorful Shakshuka Recipe. Being a smart saver isn't something that happens overnight. But, with a bit of experience and practice, we're confident that you'll quickly be cooking within your college budget in no time. The many benefits that cooking in college offers are worth the time spent testing out different recipes. By cooking your meals at home during college, you'll have full control over your nutrition, which will lead you to make healthier choices every time you shop. Do you know of a college cooking tip that we didn't share? We love learning new tips and tricks and are excited to hear yours. Let us know how you stay within your college cooking budget in the comments below. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, have a healthy and happy day!
Bob's Red Mill
November 02 2020

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