College can be a difficult transition when it comes to cooking your own meals. If the thought of cooking sort of freaks you out, we’ve got you covered. These four recipes are budget-friendly, nourishing, tasty, and most importantly – simple.
1. Smoothies
Smoothies are a great option for an on the go nutrition boost. Pick up a giant bag of frozen fruit of your choice, such as mangoes or strawberries at Sam’s Club or Fry’s.
For extra protein and a creamier smoothie, add some Greek yogurt. My personal fav is vanilla.
To thicken my smoothies, I always add a frozen banana, but if you prefer a fresh banana or none at all, it will still taste great.
Finally, add milk (my favorite is almond), and if you want to blend in some spinach for some extra iron and Vitamin C, it will turn it green but you won’t even taste it.
Serve your smoothie with an english muffin or bagel topped with peanut butter and honey and voila – a complete meal in seconds.
2. Fried Rice
Fried rice is one of my personal favorite meals because you get a lot of flavor for not a lot of work.
First, I cook my rice according to the packaging. After I cook the rice, I heat up sesame oil in a pan. You can then add the protein of your choice, such as chicken, shrimp, tofu, or beef. Once the protein is cooked in the oil, add your rice and some frozen vegetables (I usually opt for the pea, carrot, and corn mix).
Continue stirring the rice, vegetables, and cooked protein in the oil. Add in soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
I usually push everything to one side of the pan, and then fry two eggs on the other side. Once they are fried, I mix the eggs with the rest of the food and then add soy sauce. Once everything is mixed together, it’s ready to go!
3. Pasta
Pasta is a fan favorite in my apartment, because you can make so many different recipes. One of my personal favorites is using jarred pesto with chicken and spinach. It’s super easy to make because I usually buy rotisserie chicken, which is already cooked.
I just sauté my fresh spinach in a pan with a little olive oil while my pasta is cooking (my favorite is rigatoni), and then I drain the noodles and add everything together with the sauce back in the same pan where I cooked the noodles. I also like to add a ton of parmesan cheese.
4. Egg Scramble
This is one of my favorite breakfast options. Sauté your favorite sliced veggies in olive oil. (My favorites are mushrooms, green onions, and zucchini.) Mix 2-3 eggs in a bowl and add 1-2 Tbsp of milk or water. Pour over your cooked veggies and stir gently while cooking. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Enjoy with some toast and jam for breakfast…lunch, or dinner!
How easy is that? Try out these simple 4 budget friendly meals and wow your roommates with your new cooking powers. Skip the drive through line at Chick-fil-A, and watch your bank account grow – cha-ching!