Cooking for one becomes the norm in college. But it can be quite an inconvenience if you don’t have easy access to a kitchen. Most dorms provide a hall kitchen but, even then, lugging all your cooking utensils and ingredients to and from your room can get pretty annoying.
That’s why many students opt for easier options such as frozen pizza, ramen noodles or takeout. Your health usually pays the price when you choose these foods, though. Cooking your own meals is much healthier since you will be more concious of what is going into your food.
So, we’ve rounded up some simple, delicious and healthy recipes for you to give a whirl! We promise your body and your tastebuds will be thanking you.
1. Acai Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie bowls are so trendy right now, and what better way to start your day than with this delicious meal? You can easily keep all the ingredients in your dorm or apartment fridge and blend it up quickly on your way out the door. Don’t have a blender? Pop over to Target and get a Hamilton Beach Single Serve blender for only $20. It’s magical!
2. Avocado Toast
Tired of the plain old toast you eat every morning? Make it tastier and more nutritional by adding avocado and egg, which will keep you feeling full until lunchtime.
3. Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
Instead of bogging yourself down with sugary instant oatmeal, try opting for a quinoa bowl instead! Quinoa bowls are packed with protein, so this is the perfect dish to start your day. If you need something sweet, add some fruit or honey for a little extra flavor.
4. Breakfast Fajitas
One word: heaven. These breakfast fajitas could not be any better! They can easily be made in your dorm kitchen. All you have to do is chop up some veggies, scramble a few eggs and assemble. This dish also offers a lot of freedom. Throw in some extra veggies or leave out the ones you don’t like! Eat these fajitas, and you’ll be set for hours.
5. Mason Jar Salad
These salads look adorable in mason jars but can just as easily be stored in Tupperware containters. What’s great about these is you can prepare a few at the same time and eat them all week long. Just make sure you have enough containers to put them in.
6. Turkey Roll-Ups
Turkey roll-ups are another great on-the-go lunch option. There are so many ways to make these—all you really need is turkey. Feel free to throw in lettuce or a slice of cheese, as well. To make them even healthier, lose the tortilla shell. Plus, skip the cheese spread that this recipe calls for to keep it nice and clean!
7. Stuffed Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes truly are a superfood. They make for the perfect dorm dinner for one. Whether you stuff your potato with all the yummy things in this recipe or just fix it with a little butter and cinnamon, pop it in the microwave for six minutes and it should be ready to go!
8. Spinach and Tomato Quesadilla with Pesto
This recipe is to die for! To keep this meal as healthy as possible, go easy on the cheese and cook with olive oil or coconut oil rather than vegetable/canola oils.
9. Baked Chicken Breasts
Many people are intimidated by the idea of baking chicken. What they don’t know is how easy it is! All you have to do is rinse your chicken breasts, coat them in olive oil and bake on 350° for 30 minutes. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done. That’s it! Dress it up as you like or leave it plain. You can also make a few chicken breasts at one time and eat them throughout the week!