Food on campus is often far from the healthiest. Plus, eating out every day becomes expensive. Knowing a few basic recipes will help you avoid fast food, eat a balanced diet, and save money.
1. Ramen
The student experience is not complete without the occasional ramen. Make sure you always have some in the cupboard for times when you have no energy to cook but lack the budget to eat out. The noodles will be ready to eat in the time it takes to boil water.
2. Homemade Pizza
Pizza can be healthy if you prepare it yourself and use plenty of vegetables for toppings. You can either buy a premade crust or use pita. You also have several options for the sauce: purchase pizza sauce, make some yourself, or use some sauce you already have.
3. Baked Potato
For a filling meal, there is nothing better than a baked potato. It will be ready in 12 minutes if you put it in the microwave or 45 minutes in the oven. The options for toppings are endless, although some of the healthier choices include ham and broccoli, cottage cheese and roasted tomato, Tex-Mex, and tomato-pesto.
4. Baked Ravioli
Cover some ravioli with pasta sauce and cheese and bake it in the oven for a fast, nutritious meal. If you make a large dish, you can heat up portions later in the week.
5. Casserole
Another great option for a large dish that will last several days is a casserole. Use soup as a base and add any combination of meat, vegetables, and cheese you like. Heat everything in a casserole dish in the oven.
6. Scrambled Eggs
Don’t feel like scrambled eggs are only for breakfast — they’re a great way to increase your protein intake without spending much at any time of day. Give the eggs some flavour by scrambling them with cheese or vegetables.
7. Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese
If you don’t feel like preparing tomato soup yourself, purchase some fresh soup or even keep a few cans around for emergencies. To make a proper meal, serve with a grilled cheese sandwich.
8. Tortilla Wraps
A wrap is ideal when you have just a short break for lunch or when you return home in the evening after a long day of classes and don’t want to spend time cooking. Roll up some vegetables, deli meat, or other fillings in a tortilla wrap and heat it up or eat it cold.
9. Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables
A nutritious, delicious, and easy-to-make dish is sheet pan chicken and vegetables. To prepare it, all you need to do is cover a baking sheet with a mixture of vegetables (such as potatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic), coated in olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Then, place a couple pieces of chicken breast on top. Bake in the oven for around 20 to 25 minutes.
It’s difficult to prepare healthy food when all you have available is a microwave. If you live in your own apartment, though, you’ll have a full kitchen to use whenever you like. Parkway Lofts offers Brock off-campus living with everything you need to upgrade the student experience. In addition to a kitchen with quartz countertops in your suite, the community amenities include a commercial-style kitchen where you can prepare meals with friends. Contact us now for a lease in our student community while limited spots still remain.