Broke college kid

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lizzerd2895
lizzerd2895 Posts: 26 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Any meals/ food ideas for a broke college kid that I can buy for cheap or attempt to make at my dining hall. Besides salads and fruit (a bowl of fruit here cost $6)

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  • wellthenwhat
    wellthenwhat Posts: 526 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Ok, first of all, staples. Beans, rice, oatmeal, sometimes tortillas are typically cheap in large (not meaning huge, just not individual packets) quantities. I keep a good supply of all of those in plastic and glass bins (you can also get a 5 gallon bucket and seal the individual bags in there to keep them from attracting mice) I flavor oatmeal with anything from chocolate or peanut butter to raisins or pineapples. I usually use taco or fajita seasoning on beans, and use them in salads, or make a bean gloop to go over rice. I also get ahold of whole chicken or turkey carcasses occasionally. I cook them, tear the meat off the bones and freeze it for later use. The broth is really good. You can also cook the bones to make more broth and strain out bones afterwards. Watch for sales on fruit and vegetables, look around in different stores to see what is cheapest. Sometimes it's frozen, sometimes its fresh, sometimes it's canned. I can usually find celery cheap (no real nutritional value, but I like it with peanut butter). Try to find what's in season. Right now carrots seem to be pretty reasonable. I think my favorite go to meal from scratch is oatmeal, though. Even cooking on the stove is really fast, and my 6 year old loves it. Also, don't get bowls of fruit. Those will be more expensive. Get whole, frozen, or canned.
  • crystalewhite
    crystalewhite Posts: 422 Member
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    What do you have access to, kitchen-wise? Can you cook a meal on a stove or in an oven, or do you just have a microwave?
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    http://www.ordinaryvegetarian.com/2010/02/split-pea-and-barley-soup.html (The ingredients are cheap and the soup is hearty enough to be a meal.)

    There might be something useful here too: http://www.cookinglight.com/food/everyday-menus/healthy-budget-recipes
  • nickhinds88
    nickhinds88 Posts: 44 Member
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    Rice,oats,canned chicken, tuna, peanut butter , frozen fruit and veggies.
  • lizzerd2895
    lizzerd2895 Posts: 26 Member
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    crystalewhite wrote: »
    What do you have access to, kitchen-wise? Can you cook a meal on a stove or in an oven, or do you just have a microwave?
    We have a convection oven/microwave and a community stove in the lounge of the building.
  • lizzerd2895
    lizzerd2895 Posts: 26 Member
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    I feel I should add that I don't like fish of any sorts besides shrimp and I'm iffy on a lot of veggies. But I have just been getting into salads and they're okay but I don't like them enough to live off of.
  • ashleywright_0
    ashleywright_0 Posts: 42 Member
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    I don't know if you have these where you live but most supermarkets here sell whole, hot cooked chickens. They're usually $8/$9. You can pull the meat off of it and throw it in a wrap with veggies/cheese/some kind of dressing if you want. Or you can add it to bag salads, or make a meal out of it.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
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    I've seen other people recommend the cookbook:
    "Cook on a Shoestring" by Sophie Wright

    That might be something to look into. :blush:
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Do you have a meal plan through your college?
  • kaizaku
    kaizaku Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Go to Walmart, and buy cheap stuff. Buy oatmeal and other stuff.
  • BruinsGal_91
    BruinsGal_91 Posts: 1,400 Member
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    Jack Monroe has some great recipes.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HRKZ6FK/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

    https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/16/jack-monroe-10-recipes
  • DamieBird
    DamieBird Posts: 651 Member
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    Whenever you shop, look in the 'manager's special' section of the meats, bread, and produce. Nearly every grocery store should have one, somewhere. Buy whatever you can freeze or eat within the next couple of days to round out the basics like rice, oatmeal and beans. Meat and veggies are very expensive where I live, so I do this and sometimes can get 50% meat that is within a day or so of the sell-by date and can buy slightly bruised fruits for cheap. If you're allowed, consider getting a small crock-pot for your dorm room. You can often find them at places like Goodwill or garage sales for cheap, but a smallish new one is only about $20-25. Buy fresh veggies in their least processed form (i.e. whole broccoli not just the crowns, whole celery not celery hearts, and whole/loose carrots not baby carrots). Roast a big batch of whatever veggies you like once a week, and then add them to every meal (even breakfast!). You can bulk up just about any canned soup (look for lower sodium) with cooked rice or other grains like barley (depending on the soup flavor) and some roasted veggies for a healthier, more filling option.
  • lizzerd2895
    lizzerd2895 Posts: 26 Member
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    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    Do you have a meal plan through your college?

    Yes but things like salad, "fresh" fruit bowls, and protein meal bars are expensive as hell. $6 or the fruit and salad and $3+ for a bar.
  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
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    Anything prepared (even just cut up) usually costs more. If you can get to a low-cost grocery store, you can get a bag of apples for less than $1/lb. If you can get a small freezer, you can add a cup of frozen mixed vegetables (store brand and bulk) into ramen noodles, not using the whole flavor packet to reduce sodium. Frozen/canned everything is good but especially fruit and vegetables. They retain more nutrients and won't go bad in just a few days. You should just look for low-sodium or no salt added when you go with canned.
  • Tylerman35
    Tylerman35 Posts: 66 Member
    edited March 2017
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    If you have an Aldi around you, shop there. Extremely cheap and can get a full cart of healthy groceries for about 2 weeks worth for just you about 70$ or less
  • panchakshara
    panchakshara Posts: 37 Member
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    garbanzo beans, black beans, bananas, apples, oranges, carrots, rolled oats, eggs
  • an8e
    an8e Posts: 33 Member
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    Eggs!
  • DamieBird
    DamieBird Posts: 651 Member
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    FreyasRebirth wrote: »
    Anything prepared (even just cut up) usually costs more. If you can get to a low-cost grocery store, you can get a bag of apples for less than $1/lb. If you can get a small freezer, you can add a cup of frozen mixed vegetables (store brand and bulk) into ramen noodles, not using the whole flavor packet to reduce sodium. Frozen/canned everything is good but especially fruit and vegetables. They retain more nutrients and won't go bad in just a few days. You should just look for low-sodium or no salt added when you go with canned.

    I got through my senior year of high school on a grocery budget of about $15/wk by doing this. I also worked as a fast food place, and got subsidized meals while I was working. Wasn't the healthiest choice, and I ended up putting on about 20lbs, but it was cheap!
  • williamjlunn
    williamjlunn Posts: 13 Member
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    I drive truck and I found the freeze dried Backpacker meals are fairly cheap (you can get a meal for about $4 where im from) just boil water and your done. most not all of the ones I've tried are fairly good tasteing and healthy for you.

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