When you cannot rely on the dining hall anymore for meals, it can be hard to figure out how to eat in college.
Once I moved into an apartment and had to figure out how to grocery shop and cook meals for myself, I found it challenging to find the right balance. Here are three of the ways I have learned how to cook for myself and still enjoy a balanced diet.
Prepare Meals the Night Before
It can sometimes be hard to wake up in the mornings with enough time to make a healthy breakfast, especially with earlier classes. One of the ways I have solved this problem was by making meals the night before that are ready for me to eat in the mornings. Last year I decided to hop on the overnight oats trend and try it. Each night before bed I would prepare my oatmeal in a jar and store it in the fridge so that when I woke up each morning, I could simply enjoy the meal without having to worry about making something. By going on Pinterest and TikTok for ideas, I was able to find many different overnight oat recipes that I enjoyed. This allowed me to eat a healthy balanced breakfast without all the stress, and for a cheap price too!
If you do not like oatmeal or want to try different types of meals, I recommend using social media to see the different types of breakfast meal preps others have tried! I was amazed at all the different breakfast meals that could be prepared the night before to create an easier morning routine.
Do not Sleep on Your Microwave
When I first started grocery shopping for myself, I was amazed at all the individual frozen meals that could just be heated up in the microwave. Stores like Trader Joe’s, Giant, and Aldi all had a wide selection of ready-to-heat meals that only required a microwave to make. This was perfect for days when I was extra busy with classes and work and just wanted to make something easy. I was also surprised at how many of these meals were healthier options! If you are someone who cannot cook super well like me, I would highly recommend checking out the frozen meal section and keeping some on hand for those crazier days. Some of my favorites include chicken and rice meals, pasta meals, stir fries, and soups.
As for other meals, I was amazed to learn about all the things you can make with just a microwave. Things such as eggs, rice, potatoes, and beans could all be made with just a microwave. I also found certain brands of frozen pre-cooked grilled chicken that could be safely heated up and eaten only using a microwave. This made it super easy to make different types of bowls with rice, beans, vegetables, and chicken.
Frozen Fruits and Vegetables Are Your Friend
There is nothing wrong with eating frozen fruit and vegetables. It can be hard to shop for fresh produce for an individual person without having it go bad before you can eat it all. I found it convenient to have frozen fruit and vegetables on hand. I also was happy to find that most of the bags of frozen vegetables had instructions to make them just by using the microwave! If you do not have an oven or prefer to stick to using a microwave, consider stocking up on frozen versions of some of your favorite vegetables. As for frozen fruit, you can either enjoy it frozen or defrost it before eating. Frozen fruit is also perfect to be added to many recipes such as overnight oats or smoothies.
It can be a hard transition from home-cooked meals to having to buy and make all your own meals in college. Coming from someone who cannot cook, there are many ways around it. Whether you do not have the time and energy, or you simply do not like to cook, try out some of these tips the next time you want to make an enjoyable and healthy meal.