The dreaded freshman 15. Many students are not prepared to cook for themselves when they leave home for college, and fast food seems fast and cheap.
Who hasn’t picked up the kid’s meal at McDonalds for the cheap price? Well, a kid’s meal consisting of a cheeseburger, fries and Coke is 540 calories.
The average latte is about 360 calories. A slice of Dominos thin crust ham and cheese pizza is 215 per slice, but who stops at one slice?
The calories and money quickly add up.
It is easy to fall into the fast food habit when you are tired, have homework due and have no extra time to cook.
But with a little planning, a healthy meal can take just a few minutes to prepare.
To begin with, make sure to stock up on your favorite spices.
Must have spices are Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic salt, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, curry, lemon, chili powder, and onion powder. The spices will last a long time and give your recipes much needed flavor.
Also have on hand olive oil, vegetable oil, vinegar, baking soda, baking powder, butter, cheese, Bisquick, flour, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, pasta, rice, potatoes, frozen veggies and onions. Keeping the basics stocked can save you trips to the grocery store.
It is important to have protein as well, and good sources of protein would be meat, peanut butter, Greek yogurt, beans and nuts. If you carry a jar of peanut butter or a bag of almonds with you, you will have a quick source of energy available at all times.
One of the best things you can buy at the store is rotisserie chicken. It is cheap, and you can have an initial meal with it and use the leftover meat for a salad and cook what is left to make a hearty soup base.
If you love fast food chicken wings then consider picking up chicken wings or legs in the meat department. Get the larger packages and separate into smaller portions for freezing.
Additionally, Bisquick is very versatile. It can be used to make pancakes, biscuits, cakes, pizza crust and use it to coat chicken before baking. Furthermore, the box always has recipes that are easy to follow and utilizes what you should already have on hand in your pantry.
If you like salads, then skip the bagged salad and buy a head of lettuce; it is much cheaper. Eating seasonal vegetables and fruits is a good idea as well.
Potatoes can be used so many different ways. For a quick and hearty soup, wash and microwave two potatoes. Cut in half and let cool. Sauté half an onion in two tablespoons of butter then add two cups of 1% milk. Add potatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes and garnish with cheese.
This recipe will make at least two meals. Add a simple salad and you will have one tasty dinner.
Get creative and search for recipes. Recipes are abundant on the Internet along with reviews, calories and the time it takes to prepare. In no time at all, you can have delicious meals on a student budget.