college student budget
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Fitness_WonderWoman
Posts: 183 Member
So the title gives it away! I'm a college student (been in college for some years now) && I find that most students including myself, gain weight during this time because like myself most of them move out and are or were used to set meals provided from their families and normally they were 3 course healthy meals.. Or what have you. Now it's time for college students to be independent and find ways to stay healthy but it's hard when fast food is convenient and nearby, cafeteria food is "decent" but normally it's also fast food chains. At least my college is. I commute everyday and while yes I do buy my own groceries.. Sometimes I just don't know what to buy anymore.. Lol I always tell myself healthy healthy healthy and I even do list which I'm getting better at sticking to.. The problem lies in time management.. I want meal plans that are quick for someone like myself who is practically on the go between college, sports, work, and misc entertainment.. I want to be able to still cook at home and not spend all day in the kitchen just to prepare a meal. I love to cook lol the weekends.. Typically are the only days I'd say would be okay to spend much more time in the kitchen.. But still I want to hear options from all of you who may or not be going through the same situation. I'm not on a strict budget but at the same time I don't want to spend 400 dollars on groceries lol so.. Yes just share with me some recipes, grocery bargain tricks, how to properly grocery shop so you can eat healthier and spend less time in the kitchen possibly if I'm on the go, whatever ..i want to hear it all!! So please share and hopefully this will help other college students as well!!
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Replies
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Hey! I'm also a college student, and for me, a rice cooker has been my savior. I can steam veggies and meat AND simultaneously cook rice without having to watch over everything. My rice cooker (Aroma) has a delay timer meaning that I can put everything in the cooker in the morning and set it to be ready by the time I come home from classes. The cooker works for all meals, but I also have easy-to-make stuff always at hand such as cereal and bread. As a bonus, rice cookers can cook almost EVERYTHING. Just Google it. I've made both scrambled and hard boiled eggs, macaroni and cheese, toast, etc. and I use the steam function to boil water for tea or jello.
Twice a month, I spend one hour seasoning enough meat to last two weeks. I put the meat in bags an freeze them until needed. Usually, I don't defrost my meat. I just put it in the rice cooker, and it's usually ready within 30 minutes.
I highly recommend Save-A-Lot. Generally, they're cheaper than even Walmart, with the one catch being that you must bring your own bags to carry your groceries home.0 -
I would start with a fruit bowl and fill it with apples, bananas, oranges. For the store cupboard ...fortified breakfast cereals, porridge oats, tins of tuna, baked beans, kidney beans, soups, packets of ryvita crispbreads, marmite, peanut butter, wholewheat pasta, brown rice, teabags, coffee, a small bag of flour & sugar.
For cooking ....olive oils, salt and pepper, garlic bulbs, chilli powders, parsley, oregano, sage,paprika, thyme, rosemary, stock cubes, lemon juice, worcester sauce, soy sauce, .
For the fridge....wholemeal bread, eggs, low fat cheeses, skimmed milk, sliced meats. Vegetables in the bottom drawer, such as potatos, onions, carrots, greens. In the salad drawer lettuce, cucumber, tomatos etc.
It can be expensive to buy in large quantities and varied ingredients for one person, would you be able to shop with a college friend and split the goods and cost?
My ideas for different breakfasts would be fortified breakfast cereals, porridge, toast, grapefruit, yogurts, boiled eggs for breakfast.
Lunches out of the house ...fruit, water & sandwiches filled with tuna, egg, sliced meats, peanut butter, etc.
Lunches at home....soups, sandwiches, grilled toasted sandwiches, tins of fruit, tinned tuna salad, egg salads, ham salads, filled bagels, yogurts, bananas, baked beans on toast, things on toast, eggs on toast, omelettes with various fillings.
Easy dinners ... 30 minutes or less.
1/ Baked chicken breasts in foil, drizzle with olive oil & herbs and bake for 30 minutes . At the same time in another tin, roast/cook/uncovered/alongside the chicken ...quartered potatos, red onions, bell peppers.
2/ Tuna, sweetcorn & pasta bake.
3/ Grilled pork chops, with mashed potatos & green vegetables.
4/ low fat sausages with baked beans.
5/ stir fry vegetables (you can buy bags of this cheaply) with stir fried cubed chicken or pork.
My tip for keeping costs down is to make enough dinner so that you have lunch the next day, can freeze the excess, or have enough of the ingredients to make a completely different dinner/recipe the next night.
For example minced/ground beef, 400g of minced beef makes enough spagetti bolognaise/cottage pie/chilli con carne to feed 4 to 6 people, especially if bulked out with grated carrot. You could either buy the beef loose at the butchers so you could buy smaller amounts or cook the whole 400g and freeze the extra portions, or eat over 2/3 days in the fridge. Or you could make a meat sauce and have one night with pasta and another night with say rice.
Same with a chicken, I would roast a whole chicken one day, serve the next day with vegetables or salad, any leftovers would be made into a soup, stew, stir fry etc
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Search online for the nutritional information of the fast food places and other restaurants near you so that when you go out you find options that fit into your calorie and protein goals.0
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Hey! I'm also a college student, and for me, a rice cooker has been my savior. I can steam veggies and meat AND simultaneously cook rice without having to watch over everything. My rice cooker (Aroma) has a delay timer meaning that I can put everything in the cooker in the morning and set it to be ready by the time I come home from classes. The cooker works for all meals, but I also have easy-to-make stuff always at hand such as cereal and bread. As a bonus, rice cookers can cook almost EVERYTHING. Just Google it. I've made both scrambled and hard boiled eggs, macaroni and cheese, toast, etc. and I use the steam function to boil water for tea or jello.
Twice a month, I spend one hour seasoning enough meat to last two weeks. I put the meat in bags an freeze them until needed. Usually, I don't defrost my meat. I just put it in the rice cooker, and it's usually ready within 30 minutes.
I highly recommend Save-A-Lot. Generally, they're cheaper than even Walmart, with the one catch being that you must bring your own bags to carry your groceries home.
OMG I never heard of a rice cooker!! Your awesome and I'm so happy a college student replied! I'm going to add you if that isnskinnymalinkyscot wrote: »I would start with a fruit bowl and fill it with apples, bananas, oranges. For the store cupboard ...fortified breakfast cereals, porridge oats, tins of tuna, baked beans, kidney beans, soups, packets of ryvita crispbreads, marmite, peanut butter, wholewheat pasta, brown rice, teabags, coffee, a small bag of flour & sugar.
For cooking ....olive oils, salt and pepper, garlic bulbs, chilli powders, parsley, oregano, sage,paprika, thyme, rosemary, stock cubes, lemon juice, worcester sauce, soy sauce, .
For the fridge....wholemeal bread, eggs, low fat cheeses, skimmed milk, sliced meats. Vegetables in the bottom drawer, such as potatos, onions, carrots, greens. In the salad drawer lettuce, cucumber, tomatos etc.
It can be expensive to buy in large quantities and varied ingredients for one person, would you be able to shop with a college friend and split the goods and cost?
My ideas for different breakfasts would be fortified breakfast cereals, porridge, toast, grapefruit, yogurts, boiled eggs for breakfast.
Lunches out of the house ...fruit, water & sandwiches filled with tuna, egg, sliced meats, peanut butter, etc.
Lunches at home....soups, sandwiches, grilled toasted sandwiches, tins of fruit, tinned tuna salad, egg salads, ham salads, filled bagels, yogurts, bananas, baked beans on toast, things on toast, eggs on toast, omelettes with various fillings.
Easy dinners ... 30 minutes or less.
1/ Baked chicken breasts in foil, drizzle with olive oil & herbs and bake for 30 minutes . At the same time in another tin, roast/cook/uncovered/alongside the chicken ...quartered potatos, red onions, bell peppers.
2/ Tuna, sweetcorn & pasta bake.
3/ Grilled pork chops, with mashed potatos & green vegetables.
4/ low fat sausages with baked beans.
5/ stir fry vegetables (you can buy bags of this cheaply) with stir fried cubed chicken or pork.
My tip for keeping costs down is to make enough dinner so that you have lunch the next day, can freeze the excess, or have enough of the ingredients to make a completely different dinner/recipe the next night.
For example minced/ground beef, 400g of minced beef makes enough spagetti bolognaise/cottage pie/chilli con carne to feed 4 to 6 people, especially if bulked out with grated carrot. You could either buy the beef loose at the butchers so you could buy smaller amounts or cook the whole 400g and freeze the extra portions, or eat over 2/3 days in the fridge. Or you could make a meat sauce and have one night with pasta and another night with say rice.
Same with a chicken, I would roast a whole chicken one day, serve the next day with vegetables or salad, any leftovers would be made into a soup, stew, stir fry etc
Wow you are very detailed .i appreciate you taking time out of your day to actually respond and respond in depth. I really did enjoy all you had to say and I definitely will put all those recipes on paper lol. It helps.. Believe it or not.. I like hearing other people's ideas and meal plans. Thank you and feel free to add me if you like.0 -
Yes I just started doing that now and believe it or not is has helped a bit.. Although I'm trying to ween myself away from fast food... I mean a sit down place I don't mind.. But I am really trying to keep fast food at a minimum unless I really really have to.. Lmao and lately it's been a lot lmfaoSearch online for the nutritional information of the fast food places and other restaurants near you so that when you go out you find options that fit into your calorie and protein goals.
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athelete2010 wrote: »Hey! I'm also a college student, and for me, a rice cooker has been my savior. I can steam veggies and meat AND simultaneously cook rice without having to watch over everything. My rice cooker (Aroma) has a delay timer meaning that I can put everything in the cooker in the morning and set it to be ready by the time I come home from classes. The cooker works for all meals, but I also have easy-to-make stuff always at hand such as cereal and bread. As a bonus, rice cookers can cook almost EVERYTHING. Just Google it. I've made both scrambled and hard boiled eggs, macaroni and cheese, toast, etc. and I use the steam function to boil water for tea or jello.
Twice a month, I spend one hour seasoning enough meat to last two weeks. I put the meat in bags an freeze them until needed. Usually, I don't defrost my meat. I just put it in the rice cooker, and it's usually ready within 30 minutes.
I highly recommend Save-A-Lot. Generally, they're cheaper than even Walmart, with the one catch being that you must bring your own bags to carry your groceries home.
OMG I never heard of a rice cooker!! Your awesome and I'm so happy a college student replied! I'm going to add you if that isn
I'm glad I could help, and I accepted your friend request. ^_^0 -
Do you have a slow cooker/crockpot? If not, get one. They're like $20, and you can throw some chicken, rice, beans, and cooking liquid (stock or sauce or something) in it and come back home to a hot meal in the evening that's big enough for you to eat the leftovers off of for a week. Also, invest in frozen veggies. They're often cheaper, tastier, and quicker to prepare than fresh veggies. Throw a bag of broccoli into the microwave, and you have a healthy side dish that's done in 4 minutes with no work. Canned beans are cheap, fill you up, and can be made delicious in any number of ways. Same thing with potatoes and sweet potatoes.0
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Do you have a Wendy's near you? You can get a small chili and a baked potato for decent calories.athelete2010 wrote: »
Yes I just started doing that now and believe it or not is has helped a bit.. Although I'm trying to ween myself away from fast food... I mean a sit down place I don't mind.. But I am really trying to keep fast food at a minimum unless I really really have to.. Lmao and lately it's been a lot lmfaoSearch online for the nutritional information of the fast food places and other restaurants near you so that when you go out you find options that fit into your calorie and protein goals.
Or skip the potato and get a large chili.
I like a McDonalds cheeseburger when I need some quick protein.
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Strawblackcat wrote: »Do you have a slow cooker/crockpot? If not, get one. They're like $20, and you can throw some chicken, rice, beans, and cooking liquid (stock or sauce or something) in it and come back home to a hot meal in the evening that's big enough for you to eat the leftovers off of for a week. Also, invest in frozen veggies. They're often cheaper, tastier, and quicker to prepare than fresh veggies. Throw a bag of broccoli into the microwave, and you have a healthy side dish that's done in 4 minutes with no work. Canned beans are cheap, fill you up, and can be made delicious in any number of ways. Same thing with potatoes and sweet potatoes.
No I do not have one. But I never thought to get one either and now that you threw that idea in here.. I'm going to get one soon. Because I've heard they work wonders.. Versus using my nonstick pots and pans. Thank you for sharing=)))0 -
Do you have a Wendy's near you? You can get a small chili and a baked potato for decent calories.athelete2010 wrote: »
Yes I just started doing that now and believe it or not is has helped a bit.. Although I'm trying to ween myself away from fast food... I mean a sit down place I don't mind.. But I am really trying to keep fast food at a minimum unless I really really have to.. Lmao and lately it's been a lot lmfaoSearch online for the nutritional information of the fast food places and other restaurants near you so that when you go out you find options that fit into your calorie and protein goals.
Or skip the potato and get a large chili.
I like a McDonalds cheeseburger when I need some quick protein.
Yes I do have a Wendy's. Chilli is so good.. Never thought the calories were low and never thought to check. Thank you for sharing once again.. You are a huge help and enjoy your ideas.0 -
catscats222 wrote: »i was so poor i ate re-fried beans on saltines at night as a snack.
Was it good??0 -
Do you have space to keep a few potted herbs on a windowsill? I can thoroughly recommend getting a small pot of rosemary , I use rosemary, garlic and olive oil in sooo many things, especially roasted meats and vegetables. In spring you can plant it out the nearest piece of grass to your front door, in a flower bed, anywhere, it will last for years and years and not grow enormous.0
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skinnymalinkyscot wrote: »Do you have space to keep a few potted herbs on a windowsill? I can thoroughly recommend getting a small pot of rosemary , I use rosemary, garlic and olive oil in sooo many things, especially roasted meats and vegetables. In spring you can plant it out the nearest piece of grass to your front door, in a flower bed, anywhere, it will last for years and years and not grow enormous.
Yes i do but I'm not much of a planter lol but hey I don't mind spending a few for herbs.. If it will benefit me. Thank you!0 -
You can cook a lot in a micro wave. I make a lot of burritos this way. Putting the ingredients inside the wrap and then zapping in a minute or two until the inside is hot. Some refried beans, cheese and salsa, super simple. If you have a rice cooker, you can make a big batch to last the week. Add some taco seasoning and it's good to go.
You can also make eggs in there too. Scramble them up, or you can get a microwaveable poacher.
Smoothies are easy too! I keep a bag full of peeled bananas in the freezer, add some peanut butter, whey powder and milk, so good and easy!
Frozen veggies are super convenient and then you don't have to worry about produce going moldy in the fridge.
Condiments are good because they can add that much more flavour to food. Salsa is really great because it's low calorie. You can always microwave and potato and eat it with salsa for a quick meal.
Oh and dry cottage cheese is awesome!
It's full of protein and low calorie. Half a cup has 22 grams of protein and 110 calories.
You can add it everything I mentioned before,
Make a really easy salad or have it with cut up fruit. Sometimes when I make it with fruit I'll add a tablespoon of low calorie jam.0 -
meganmickmeow wrote: »You can cook a lot in a micro wave. I make a lot of burritos this way. Putting the ingredients inside the wrap and then zapping in a minute or two until the inside is hot. Some refried beans, cheese and salsa, super simple. If you have a rice cooker, you can make a big batch to last the week. Add some taco seasoning and it's good to go.
You can also make eggs in there too. Scramble them up, or you can get a microwaveable poacher.
Smoothies are easy too! I keep a bag full of peeled bananas in the freezer, add some peanut butter, whey powder and milk, so good and easy!
Frozen veggies are super convenient and then you don't have to worry about produce going moldy in the fridge.
Condiments are good because they can add that much more flavour to food. Salsa is really great because it's low calorie. You can always microwave and potato and eat it with salsa for a quick meal.
Oh and dry cottage cheese is awesome!
It's full of protein and low calorie. Half a cup has 22 grams of protein and 110 calories.
You can add it everything I mentioned before,
Make a really easy salad or have it with cut up fruit. Sometimes when I make it with fruit I'll add a tablespoon of low calorie jam.
Haha I'm surprised no one mentioned the microwave yet except you lol. Why yes I do know how to function a microwave but I don't like the concept of using it to "create meals" I like it for its speed and if I want to use it to heat something up but to actually make a meal.. It becomes a bit eh. But I do think your idea is right on! So either way I'm grateful for your ideas and sharing!! It's awesome when people get creative and share stuff like you have!0 -
I lived without a microwave for a while, I was constantly burning myself while using the oven for small quick things. I'm super clumsy in the morning... And the rest of the day LOL0
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meganmickmeow wrote: »I lived without a microwave for a while, I was constantly burning myself while using the oven for small quick things. I'm super clumsy in the morning... And the rest of the day LOL
Lol that's quite funny, & that's also quite cool you managed without a microwave for so long.0 -
Walmart sells rice cookers that go in the microwave for like $10. Also my goodwill always has crockpots for like $5. For 1 person you wouldn't need a huge 1 unless you want a big one. Walgreens has a small appliance section with small crockpots for around $10 or even try a Big Lots or Dollar General type store. The crockpot and rice cooker are life savers to me especially since I can't cook rice to save my life unless you like mushy, gummy rice LOL0
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ShandaLeaS wrote: »Walmart sells rice cookers that go in the microwave for like $10. Also my goodwill always has crockpots for like $5. For 1 person you wouldn't need a huge 1 unless you want a big one. Walgreens has a small appliance section with small crockpots for around $10 or even try a Big Lots or Dollar General type store. The crockpot and rice cooker are life savers to me especially since I can't cook rice to save my life unless you like mushy, gummy rice LOL
Hahahahahahahahah this seems to be a winner answer. Honestly everyone has agreed rice cooker or crackpots so I definitely feel I need both or one or the other soon. I am a believer now! I will get one!0
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