Eating Healthier While In College Tips

UUBulldog21

Hi All:

New to MyFitnessPal would love input here as my house as am online student my house has lots of breads and in grad school the quick answer for someone with little time who doesn't know how to cook much is microwave.

Tips to change this and becoming more active when wheelchair bound and finding healthier options even on Food Stamps? Thank you.

lynn_glenmont

Healthy, inexpensive, and convenient (meaning quick and little to no cooking effort/expertise) is a tough one -- generally you can do only do two out of three, but I'll give it a try:

In-season, loss-leader* fresh fruits and veggies you're willing to eat raw. Plain frozen store-brand veggies you're willing to eat microwaved according to the package directions.

[*the deals offered on the front page of the store advertising flyer are usually really good deals designed to entice consumers into the store]

Legumes (beans, peas, lentils) -- if you're willing to cook them from dried, they're cheap and healthy, and while most of them take some time, they're mostly happy to cook by themselves with little to no attention (although you should check occasionally to make sure they're not cooking dry, and add water as needed). Lentils cook pretty quickly without a pre-soak, so they're a three-fer (healthy, inexpensive, and convenient). If you don't want to cook, store-brand canned legumes are still pretty cheap, especially if you can find them on sale.

Eggs, although they've gone up in price, are still a relatively cheap, healthy source of animal protein, especially if you go with the regular, store-brand, not organic, not cage-free eggs. I find that the 18-count packages (as opposed to a dozen) are often cheaper per egg. Fried eggs are probably the easiest, especially if you're particular as to doneness. Heat a little fat of your choice over low or medium-low heat in a non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet and crack the egg. season with salt and pepper. attempt to turn if you don't care for sunny-side up -- here's where not being particular comes in. You may be aiming for over easy and end up with cracked/well done.

Store-brand canned tuna isn't too pricey, especially if you find it on sale. Just open a can, drain if you like, add mayo or plain yogurt and dress up with chopped veggies, pickle relish, and seasoning/spices as little or as much as you like. You can mix with beans like chickpeas or cannellini to stretch the tuna. Eat straight up or on store-brand bread (buy on sale and store in freezer -- bring out however many slices you plan to eat about a half hour ahead or toast straight from freezer) or store-brand crackers (buy on sale).

If you drink dairy milk, you might consider trying nonfat instant powdered milk, as it's less expensive, and you can mix small batches so it doesn't go bad.

If you drink nondairy milk, I'd recommend going with soy, as there isn't a whole lot of nutrition, especially protein, in most other nondairy milks. Compare the price of the refrigerated and shelf-stable varieties -- I find, depending on sales, one or the other might be cheaper per volume unit on any given day. Some grocery stores now have their own, slightly less expensive, brands of nondairy milks.