A Girls’ Guide to College Meals (For Those of Us Without a Meal Plan)
One of the biggest challenges for me going into college was keeping up with meals. Given that I hate cooking, having to figure out what to eat every day, prepare the ingredients, cook, and clean was a part of my routine that I struggled to get a handle on.
Thankfully, now that I’m halfway through my 2nd year, I’ve managed to get it (mostly) in order. So here are my tips and tricks for staying well-fed while navigating college life.
We’ll start with the shopping. If you can find a local produce market near you, I would recommend getting your fruits and veggies there. Most of the time it’ll be both cheaper and better quality than commercial grocery stores. I also try to go cheap on general products like rice, noodles, chicken, or bread and then opt to go to the more expensive grocery stores for the specific products I’m willing to spend more on (for me that includes mochi ice cream, for example).
There’s also the issue of having to figure out what ingredients you should even buy in the first place. My tip is to create a list of a few meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and just buy the ingredients you need to make those specific meals.
It's also a good idea to keep lots of snacks on hand, or ready-to-eat meals in your fridge for when you don’t have the time or energy to cook. This is an absolute life-saver for busy students.
Another thing that works pretty well for me is meal prepping (sort of). What I tend to do is make a huge portion of some dish or another and just eat servings of that same dish for several days. Ironically I got this one from my parents, who have the same busy schedule + dislike for cooking predicament and always cooked this way for me growing up.
As for eating out, I would try to decide on either how many times a week to go out or how much money to spend per week on eating out. You don’t have to stick to it 100% –I don’t–but it helps to at least give yourself a range to go off of. Don’t feel bad about going out for food though. You deserve it!
Now if you have no clue what meals to prepare for yourself, start by thinking of things you like eating or simple things that you know how to cook. You can also look up recipes online or watch food influencers for ideas. If you're looking for suggestions at all here are some of my top go-to's:
Breakfast-
Yogurt bowls- Add whatever fruit or toppings you want! It takes like five minutes to prepare and is very nutritious.
Smoothies- Also SUPER customizable, quick, and easy on the go. This is almost always my breakfast.
Pancakes, Waffles, and Breakfast sandwiches- For slower mornings, again customizable to your preference :)
At-home coffee- Although not an actual meal, I also want to take a second to highlight it anyway as it can save you a few dollars every day. I have yet to get a coffee machine, but instant coffee, oat milk, and caramel syrup saves my mornings every single day.
This last one is a lot more personal, but I also live off of Venezuelan arepas. They are SO easy to make and you can fill them with literally anything! My go-to for breakfast is ham, cheese, and avocado, but trust me when I say the options are limitless.
Lunch-
Sandwiches- I take sandwiches for lunch in between classes nearly every day. Mine usually include spicy tuna, cheese, avocado, and kimchi. Sandwiches in general are a good way to use up random ingredients in your fridge.
Onigiri- Another more specific one, but they’re surprisingly easy to make and take on the go. I usually fill mine with salmon or tuna :)
Arepas (again)- I promise I’m not trying to force these on anybody but they work with every meal. My lunchtime arepas tend to have chicken, fried plantains, and avocado. But seriously treat it like a sandwich and fill it with whatever you want. (If you're feeling ambitious look up an arepa pabellón, that’s my absolute favorite)
Dinner-
Rice bowls- Another easy way to use up old stuff in your fridge, especially veggies. Pick a protein and a few more toppings and you have a perfectly balanced, filling meal.
Fried rice- Similar concept as a bowl except with the day-old rice that's left over.
Pasta- Very versatile, plus you can opt to either buy sauce or make it yourself, either one is a great option.
Soup- The god of meal prepping. As long as you have a base and broth, your soup can include any type of content. Pro tip for weeks where I know I don't want to cook: Make a huge batch of soup on a non-busy day, and once you’re down to about 2 servings left, add a pack of instant noodles. You’ve just created a couple more servings of your soup with minimal effort.
As for snacks, quite literally anything, pre-made smoothies, cookies, fruit, pop-tarts.. Whatever makes you happy!
I wanna end this one by saying that I know what it's like to feel guilty about being too tired to cook, or eating unhealthy, or eating out too much. Know that all that matters is that you're trying! As long as you’re eating and taking care of yourself, then you're doing perfectly fine. Everything else is bonus points.
I hope this can help some of you, and if you’re interested in more specific recommendations or recipes, feel free to DM me on Instagram to talk. <3
-Julia Deabreu (@oh.juuliadeabreu)
