Lazy and cheap college meals

Something that I took for granted before coming to school was having groceries and meals provided for me. I was unprepared for how much money groceries were and how time-consuming making your own meals are. Even figuring out what I want to eat for my meals takes forever. I took for granted always having a full refrigerator and pantry, and having my meals made for me at home. I still feel like I have no idea what I’m doing in the kitchen but throughout my years in college, I have found my go-to meals that are cheap and easy to make.

Grocery shopping is something that I have struggled with since coming to college. I’m not good at planning my meals for the week and tend to end up with a bunch of ingredients, but nothing for cohesive meals. Before going grocery shopping, think of some meals that you will want for the week; don’t wait until you are at the store to think of this. After you think of the meals that you want, take inventory of your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer so you know what you have and what you will need to buy once at the store.

One lazy and cheap meal I make for breakfast is avocado toast. Although mostly everything is expensive nowadays, these ingredients last a while and are good basics to have in the house. All I need for this meal is avocados, olive oil, bread, and any seasonings I want/already have in the house. I always add red pepper flakes to the top and if I’m extra hungry or have any eggs in the fridge, I’ll eat that with it. Cereal is also another one of my go-to’s. Cereal takes no time at all and keeps me full, which is something that’s important.

Wraps are something I eat almost every day, whether it’s for lunch or dinner. Grocery shopping for this is super easy because it’s mostly all produce, and then chicken, and tortillas. I also like this because it gives me all of the ingredients for a salad. Sometimes I put all of the ingredients in a tortilla, and other times I eat it simply as a salad. Buffalo chicken wraps and Caesar are my favorites to make because they are so easy and cost-effective.

I tend to eat a lot of the same few things for dinner and just rotate them throughout the week. For example, I eat a lot of pasta, salad, soup, rice, etc. Something that I’ve done a few times that is different and easy to make is homemade pizza. I just buy the

pre-made dough at the store, and most of the other ingredients I have. I always have sauce and cheese in my refrigerator, so I just need to buy the dough and toppings, which makes this a really low-cost meal and super delicious. You can also make this a fun night with your friends, and all make different pizzas with a variety of toppings.

Grocery shopping and learning to cook can be a pain, but once you get the hang of what you like and the basics to have in your house, it definitely gets easier and can actually be fun!