In college, sick of ramen noodles
RaijinPapi
Posts: 47 Member
I am in college. I live off campus so I don't have a meal plan. For breakfast I am fine, oatmeal, eggs, cereal, French toast. However, for lunch and dinner I find myself having to eat noodles or rice. I don't know what to buy for that time. Chicken is good but it only lasts 2 days for like $5 and I don't have that luxury. What are some recipes?
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I am in college. I live off campus so I don't have a meal plan. For breakfast I am fine, oatmeal, eggs, cereal, French toast. However, for lunch and dinner I find myself having to eat noodles or rice. I don't know what to buy for that time. Chicken is good but it only lasts 2 days for like $5 and I don't have that luxury. What are some recipes?0
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Sounds like you need the chicken. Your diet lacks protein it seems like.0
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You can get canned chicken and tuna for cheap. They are precooked so you don't need to heat them up if you don't want. You can make chicken or tuna salad with those. You can also improve your ramen by adding veggies, egg, or meat. Buy frozen veggies which are cheaper and last longer. Buy a tube of ground beef or turkey, separate it into individual portions, and freeze. You can thaw them one at a time for a dinner.0
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Brown rice keeps good for just about 7 days (taste as fresh reheated as the first day, as long as you place it in a sealed plastic or glass container) you can get frozen chicken breast which is a bit cheaper... freezer bags do wonders, I buy pork chops and season and separate them in freezer bags - defrost cook and go... there are options, you just have to prep a lil ahead of time0
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Beans, cheap protein source and tons of things to do with them.0
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Maybe try buying somethings that have multiple uses. That way they work for more than one meal and can taste very different depending on how you use it. Examples:
Flour tortillas can be used to make wraps, tacos, burritos, breakfast tacos, as pizza crust, quesadillas.
Turkey breakfast sausage can be used for breakfast loose in eggs or as a patty, use it in pasta sauce for spaghetti, use it on pizza, use in mexican dishes, use it in stir fries ( great with greenbeans and soy sauce). Here is an inside out egg roll recipe. soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2013/12/inside-out-egg-roll-re-post.html
I often buy chicken and bake or poach(sometimes I buy a rotisserie chicken). I will eat it hot that night then use the leftovers in a ton of ways. Add BBQ sauce for sandwiches or baked potatoes, make chicken salad, use in soup, use in salads, use in tacos, etc.
I hope this helps. It just takes time to decide what works for you. Good luck in your search.0 -
Frozen chicken, you can pick up a kg for cheap.. Just take out what you need and cook it the night before . Pop some chicken and vegetables in a sandwich box and your good to go for college the next day.0
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mick1988burrows wrote: »Frozen chicken, you can pick up a kg for cheap.. Just take out what you need and cook it the night before . Pop some chicken and vegetables in a sandwich box and your good to go for college the next day.
Protein supplements are handy , especially when your at college and you find it hard to fit food in , I used to have a protein shake with an
apple when I was at college at one of my breaks..
For dinner I sometimes made chicken salad sandwiches with lighter than light mayo for the flavour on whole wheat bread. Tuna pasta , rice etc the list goes on lol ..
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What is your budget? You say $5 for two days is a luxury, so what can you afford? Are there other expenses you could be cutting so you can eat more "normal" meals?
Rice, beans, lentils, pasta are usually cheap options, especially if you buy in bulk.
Lentils and beans will also give you some protein, because there is no way you are going to survive on noodles alone.
And you need to budget for vegetables and fruit, impossible to stay health long term without any.
Have you looked for bargains in frozen things? Frozen mixed veggies, frozen chicken or fish?0 -
i really like beans. Try getting a package of 15 bean soup.0
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Someone mentioned beans for protein which I second. Also, lentils...they are quite tasty and also have protein. Cook some up, throw some spices on it and mix it into your rice along with some veggies and you'll have a pretty balanced meal. Sound slike you definitely need more veggies too!0
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Get a crockpot and make yourself up a nice batch of chili. It's great by itself, on baked potatoes, mixed with mac and cheese or quinoa and veggies, over scrambled eggs and even salad. Won't break the bank to make and a batch can go a long way.
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Wait, you don't have the luxury of spending $1.25/meal on chicken? (going off how you said 5 dollars worth of chicken lasts 2 days for lunch and dinner)RaijinPapi wrote: »I am in college. I live off campus so I don't have a meal plan. For breakfast I am fine, oatmeal, eggs, cereal, French toast. However, for lunch and dinner I find myself having to eat noodles or rice. I don't know what to buy for that time. Chicken is good but it only lasts 2 days for like $5 and I don't have that luxury. What are some recipes?
If that's truly the case then you need to pick up a part time job. As a college student you definitely have time for one. I was able to work 24 hours a week when going to school full time and maintain a good GPA when I was a student a few years ago.0 -
I really recommend you try tofu or similar - lupine seitan has 30g of protein per 100g and dried soy chunks around 20g - you just need to marinade it . I chuck in some fried tofu flavored with teriyaki sauce,7 spices,pepper with almost all my meals for the protein and something to "chew" . Consistency is close to sometimes potatoes or chicken and it just takes whatever flavor you put it with. Even my boyfriend who is huge on all kinds of meat likes my tofu dishes. Chickpeas and lentils are also very versatile and have around 14g of protein/100g.
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pinggolfer96 wrote: »Sounds like you need the chicken. Your diet lacks protein it seems like.
Do you have "chicken" money? Because I don't. I barely make rent0 -
Define cheap. My budget for one month on food is $30mick1988burrows wrote: »Frozen chicken, you can pick up a kg for cheap.. Just take out what you need and cook it the night before . Pop some chicken and vegetables in a sandwich box and your good to go for college the next day.
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Are you living in a dorm or a house? Frozen food is key. I'd get a pack of chicken in college, freeze it, and thaw 2 breasts the day before. I'd usually eat with rice, beans, and frozen veggies and all were pretty affordable.0
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RaijinPapi wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »Sounds like you need the chicken. Your diet lacks protein it seems like.
Do you have "chicken" money? Because I don't. I barely make rent
Food costs money, man. If you are just barely making rent without feeding yourself adequately, you need to look at either how much you are spending on rent or how much you're making between work and student loans. Last resort, check into welfare or food shelves. If you're really that hard up that you can't buy chicken, rethink your situation.
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You may not want to hear this but you can find some pretty amazing stuff at food pantries. Sometimes even things like protein bars are donated. Worth taking a look at if you are struggling. You definitely need to be eating more protein. Do you have an Aldi's or ruler foods near you? I eat a clean diet with 45% of it being protein and I get all of my groceries at Aldi' super cheap. You can get bags of frozen chicken breasts or tubes of ground turkey very reasonable. They have great produce too. Message me and we can chat about some of the things I make! I think I can help you!0
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Google, low cost healthy recipes. There are plenty on line.0
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RaijinPapi wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »Sounds like you need the chicken. Your diet lacks protein it seems like.
Do you have "chicken" money? Because I don't. I barely make rent
Food costs money, man. If you are just barely making rent without feeding yourself adequately, you need to look at either how much you are spending on rent or how much you're making between work and student loans. Last resort, check into welfare or food shelves. If you're really that hard up that you can't buy chicken, rethink your situation.
I am cheap I have little money so I am trying to find something cheaper than chicken.0 -
RaijinPapi wrote: »
Define cheap. My budget for one month on food is $30mick1988burrows wrote: »Frozen chicken, you can pick up a kg for cheap.. Just take out what you need and cook it the night before . Pop some chicken and vegetables in a sandwich box and your good to go for college the next day.
$30/month??? That's $1/day. You seriously need to think about picking up a part time job or reworking your living situation to lower your rent. When I was in college I was on a shoestring budget. Good cheap meals that I ate often were:
microwaved sweet potato ($0.50), can of black beans or pinto beans ($0.69) and salsa ($2/jar-lasts 2 weeks)
spinach & cheese quesadilla made with 2 flour tortillas ($1/pack of 10), 1/2 cup cheese ($2/2 cups), frozen spinach ($1/bag)
Wendy's chili and baked potato ($1 each on value menu)
Ramen noodles ($0.25) with frozen veggies ($1/bag)
Canned tuna ($1) and rice ($2/bag)
All of these meals are less than $2 and might not be optimal nutrition wise, but you could do worse.
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There's no aldiv
there's a price rite and wal martcharleykayesmom wrote: »You may not want to hear this but you can find some pretty amazing stuff at food pantries. Sometimes even things like protein bars are donated. Worth taking a look at if you are struggling. You definitely need to be eating more protein. Do you have an Aldi's or ruler foods near you? I eat a clean diet with 45% of it being protein and I get all of my groceries at Aldi' super cheap. You can get bags of frozen chicken breasts or tubes of ground turkey very reasonable. They have great produce too. Message me and we can chat about some of the things I make! I think I can help you!0 -
RaijinPapi wrote: »RaijinPapi wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »Sounds like you need the chicken. Your diet lacks protein it seems like.
Do you have "chicken" money? Because I don't. I barely make rent
Food costs money, man. If you are just barely making rent without feeding yourself adequately, you need to look at either how much you are spending on rent or how much you're making between work and student loans. Last resort, check into welfare or food shelves. If you're really that hard up that you can't buy chicken, rethink your situation.
I am cheap I have little money so I am trying to find something cheaper than chicken.
Buy dry beans and legumes. These are protein options for vegetarians. Much cheaper when you soak them yourself.
Dark meat chicken is always going to be cheaper than chicken breast. Buy chicken thighs and throw them in a crock pot. Strip off the meat & freeze portions in zip-lock sandwich bags. 2 layers of bags will work like a freezer bag. The outside bag can be used over again (no need to buy expensive freezer bags).
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peanut butter, tortillas, dried beans, rice, lentils, corn,
Check out hillbilly housewife website, this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hMcMiIIAgA 0 -
RaijinPapi wrote: »I am in college. I live off campus so I don't have a meal plan. For breakfast I am fine, oatmeal, eggs, cereal, French toast. However, for lunch and dinner I find myself having to eat noodles or rice. I don't know what to buy for that time. Chicken is good but it only lasts 2 days for like $5 and I don't have that luxury. What are some recipes?
I ate a ton of ramen in college. WORST decision I ever made.
Find a way to eat whole foods for dinner. Don't think in the box, there are no "breakfast foods", eat nutrient dense foods at meal times, don't label them.
Ramen is NOT a nutrient dense food.0 -
TinyTexn59 wrote: »peanut butter, tortillas, dried beans, rice, lentils, corn,
Check out hillbilly housewife website, this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hMcMiIIAgA
Don't do this.0 -
What She said!!! So much sodium, I may have missed it but I don't recall seeing veggies or fruit...maybe they were there? Even canned veggies rinsed in water, in the dent and bent stores have some nutrition... 4/$1 sale veggies... gotta look and keep asking around.Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »TinyTexn59 wrote: »peanut butter, tortillas, dried beans, rice, lentils, corn,
Check out hillbilly housewife website, this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hMcMiIIAgA
Don't do this.
Food pantries
FoodNetworks
Gotta be something in your area? Some is based on income, some isn't...a lot of time students get first pick on give away, clothes, food etc.
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This chickpea dahl recipe is probably good (haven't tried this particular one), and among the cheaper kinds of things you could make, but just the spices would cost ~$6 (or more) at my cheapest local grocery store. Ginger root, tomato paste, onions - all told it would cost $15 at least if you didn't have any of the stuff to start with. I mean You'd then have spices and tomato paste and ginger root for other meals, of course, but if you can't buy them in the first place you'd be SOL.
^^RaijinPapi wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »Sounds like you need the chicken. Your diet lacks protein it seems like.
Do you have "chicken" money? Because I don't. I barely make rent
Food costs money, man. If you are just barely making rent without feeding yourself adequately, you need to look at either how much you are spending on rent or how much you're making between work and student loans. Last resort, check into welfare or food shelves. If you're really that hard up that you can't buy chicken, rethink your situation.
Seriously. Are you working right now? If you're not, can you pick up a shift on the weekend at a bar? If you are, and it's not enough, and you're in the cheapest accommodation you can find (roommates etc), I think you need to talk to your school's financial aid people.0 -
Assuming you are not living in some country where $30 is a lot of money, then you need a job. Or a roommate to help with rent. Or to cut down any other expenses. Or figure out if there is any financial aid program. Or most probably all of the above. You are not going to survive on $1 per day for food.0
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