We all know that keeping healthy at school can be a challenge, particularly if you’re new to cooking. After all, it’s just so easy to microwave an Easy Mac and take it on the go to class. But the key to eating healthy is having easy access to nutritious foods. That way, you can reach for them over tempting junk foods when you’re hungry. But where and how to begin to prepare these delicious, quick meals?
Living in a suite myself, I know how hard it is to make a new recipe when you come back after a full day of classes. So what I would suggest is to try shopping for ingredients on the weekends and even prepare a meal or two in advance so that a healthy meal is ready and waiting for you on school nights. And of course, if you make extra, your suitemates will definitely be happy and you’ll have enough to use for another meal!
Three dinner favorites in my suite are:
Caprese Pasta– This dinner takes less than 15 minutes to make! All you need is penne pasta, buffalo mozzarella cheese, grape tomatoes, basil, a touch of olive oil and salt. Try buying whole wheat or multigrain pasta for extra nutrients. While the pasta is cooking you can slice the mozzarella cheese into cubes, cut the tomatoes in half, and chop a few leaves of basil. Once the pasta is ready all you need to do is mix the ingredients together, season with olive oil and salt and your dinner is ready! It’s delicious and it keeps well in the fridge!
English Muffin pizzas– This is such a fun and easy recipe to make as a snack or part of a meal. All you need is marinara sauce, English muffins (whole wheat/multigrain) and the cheese sprinkles that you can buy at any grocery store. Simply put the sauce and the cheese on the English muffins and toast! You can also add whatever other toppings you want.
Pita gyros– Again, try and buy whole wheat pita bread when you can. Then, fill a pita pocket or use it to make a wrap with chicken/ falafel/ your filling of preference, hummus, lettuce and tomato. You can add different veggies or a cheese to add variety. Hummus also comes in different seasonings. If you grill or toast the gyro it’s extra yummy!
A simple google search will help you find quick, healthy dinner recipes while on a budget. Here are a few sites to help you get started:
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/dinner/
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/quick_healthy_dinner…
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_budget_frien…
Bon appétit!