Student Budget

Do you have a stove and refrigerator? Beans are filling, cheap, and super versatile.

I buy the big containers of Fage 0% greek yogurt and low fat cottage cheese and just portion it out into single servings. Always check the price per ounce on food at the grocery store - it's usually cheaper to buy bigger containers, even sometimes when the smaller containers are on sale. Always check store circulars (there are usually a pile in the front of the store) for good deals. Seasonal produce is usually the least expensive.

Is there a farmers market near you? You can usually get fresh produce for a good price - and if you go towards closing, vendors are more willing to negotiate for lower prices.

Check out hungrygirl.com for easy healthy recipe ideas - a lot of her recipes are also single servings, so you won't be tempted to eat multiple portions.

I'm in the same boat. I tried cooking for myself for a while but it just got hard and too expensive. I work for my dining services so a few people and I made a few suggestions on things that I'd like to see. ex: fresh fruit, granola cereal, more salad bar options. I also suggested some changes for them like offering cheese sauce on the side for brocolli instead of mixed in for those of us who would like to opt out.

They have been extremely receptive and started mixing in wheat pastas and stuff. I don't know if you have a meal plan but if you do I would suggest trying there first.

I used to buy chicken, steak, shrimp, and fish in bulk then freeze them individually. In the morning I'd throw one on the counter to defrost, go to class all day, then come home and my defrosted and ready-to-cook meat was sitting there waiting. Pan frying a thin chicken breast or some shrimp takes about 5 minutes. I'd usually pair that with some cous cous, brown rice, or a baked sweet potato (done in the microwave, which also only takes a few minutes), and ALWAYS a heaping mound of pan-fried or baked (in a toaster oven) veggies, like asparagus or zucchini. Frozen veggies are also the way to go, if you're on a budget...because you can buy them in bulk without having to worry about using them up before they go bad in 5 days. And, if you're really on the go (in between classes, things like that), you can take the 10 minutes to cook up these things real quick then throw them in a whole-grain pita or wrap!

Also, I bought almonds in bulk, too. Not exactly inexpensive, but almonds are very filling for only a small handful-- a 5 pound bag lasts a really long time!

And my last tip is to buy whatever your local seasonal fruit is. Right now in NY (where I live), apples are in season and they are beyond cheap (or free if you do apple heists from a huge orchard...not that I am admitting to having done this last weekend...), and they store well for a really long time!

Poor college kid here! :laugh:

Oatmeal is awesome, filling, and cheap.
Do you live in an apartment or a dorm? If you have a fridge& freezer- frozen veggies tend to be cheaper and just as good.I looove frozen broccoli florets.
Try to avoid the temptation of convenience foods (like 100 calorie packs etc. ) and baggie your own snacks. Much cheaper.