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.
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.
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.
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!
