I love Chipotle or Panera runs just as much as everyone else, nothing is better than doordashing a salad and pastry, or going to Dunkin and Starbucks for a morning pick-me up! But what if I told you that instead of $17 for a single meal that you could stretch that $17 dollars into 6 meals. As someone who has only been cooking for themselves for under a year, it’s not as daunting as it may seem. Getting off of your college meal plan can be scary—so long the convenience of a free meal the second you’re hungry—but one of my favorite aspects of off-campus living is getting to cook for myself. I’ve gone from being afraid of my gas stove to becoming a meal-prep junkie. Whether you want to start meal prepping as a busy college student, or to make a meal once a week to save on delivery fees, here are some tips that made learning to cook fun, easy, and rewarding:
- TikTok & Instagram Content Creators
With the looming threat of a TikTok ban, I was worried about what was going to happen to my dinner inspiration, but luckily it’s here to stay—hopefully—and is full of recipes that I didn’t even know I was craving! Between the licensed dieticians and content creators on platforms like TikTok, there are so many recipes that are easy to follow and are only a few ingredients like the trending Kodiak Muffins that only require the box mix, a Fairlife Core Protein Shake, and an Oikos Greek Yogurt of choice. Not only are the directions and instructions for most recipes written in the caption, but if you need a step by step tutorial like myself, you can watch and rewatch the videos for each step. Here are some of my favorite food creators: Teachertastes & Stealth Health Life
- Set a budget and shop smart
If your focus is stretching your money as far as possible, find recipes that share similar ingredients. Additionally, you can plan ahead so any food leftovers after cooking become ingredients for your next meal or meal-prep. Some items are bigger one time costs like spices, flour, salt—the staples. But once you buy them, you won’t see that cost again for a while. By planning ahead, shopping sales, and finding ways to plan how to use everything in your fridge, you also create less food waste which is great for the environment!
If your goals is financial efficiency, here is one of my favorite $17 bites: Breakfast Egg Biscuit bites (that are more filling than Starbucks/Dunkin)
6 eggs ($2.45 for a half a dozen eggs)
1/2 cup greek yogurt ($1.89 for a single oikos greek yogurt)
1 cup milk ($1.89 for a quart of whole milk)
1.5 cups flour ($3.19 for 5lbs)
2 tsp baking powder ($2.79 for 8.1 oz)
1 tsp garlic powder ($1.39 for 3.12oz)
1/2 tsp cumin ($1.39 for 2oz)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika ($2.49 for 2.12oz)
salt and pepper to taste
Optional additional ingredient ideas:
6 cooked strips of bacon ($4.39 and I buy it pre cooked)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese ($2.49 for 8oz)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese ($2.49 for 8oz)
2 cups chopped spinach ($2.19 for a 9oz bag)
Combine and mix all of your ingredients into one bowl, pour into a greased muffin tin, and bake at 350 degrees for 22 minutes. You’ll get 2 egg bites a day for breakfast for 6 days (and reheat nicely in the microwave)! For reference: 6 days of Starbucks egg bites comes out to $27.90 and Dunkin’s omelet bites come out to $34.74 (both pre-tax and tip). For this prep, without extra add-ins, 6 days of these egg bites come out to $17.48—but do note that I added in the price for full new spice bottles and 5lbs of flour so the cost, if made weekly, is less and that’s where extra money for the optional fillings comes into play. Prices will also vary depending on where you shop and what brands you prefer.
Whether it’s for meal prep, enjoyment, or fulfilling your New Year’s resolution, learning to cook can save you money!