Meal Planning

Serious question: Who actually enjoys food from college dining halls? Here’s my serious answer: Not many people.

I mean, the dining halls were a great option when I was a freshman. The building was real close to my dorm, and it was a perfect time to meet new people and socialize with my friends! But what happens when I live off-campus and don’t want to eat dining hall food anymore? Let me tell you; the best solution is meal planning.

I have lived off campus for three years, and truthfully, before sophomore year, I didn’t know how to cook much of anything. I had it pretty easy in high school; my parents would make most meals for us. Which honestly made it challenging once I started living on my own.

During my time in college, I have developed meal planning skills to make these challenges disappear. Budgeting, grocery shopping, and planning my meals have significantly benefited me to remain healthy and prepared for the week. Here are some steps that have helped me meal prep. each week.

1. Make a grocery list.

Simple, right? Eh, not really. When creating a grocery list, it’s essential to not over-stuff your list with food items. This frequently leads to food expiring before you use it or simply forgetting you had a pack of ground beef in the back of your fridge.

I include meat, vegetables, fruits, and dairy in a typical grocery run. I am a BIG fan of chicken, so I will usually put chicken breasts on my list. I also typically pick up a bag of fresh green beans and fruit to eat throughout the week. Remember: get foods that you know you will eat, AND that are healthy. It makes such a difference when consuming healthy, brain food, in keeping energy levels up during the week.

2. Utilize the internet.

You guys, seriously, Pinterest is my best friend when planning meals. Even searching “easy college meals” offers endless meal options. Meal prepping can be so much easier than it seems when utilizing websites. Here is a blog I found, Full-Thyme Student. The author does a great job highlighting meal planning for college students. I mean, we are all ballin’ on a budget, so why not make meal prepping as easy and affordable as possible!

Click here to read 25 best college meal prep ideas all students should know about! Sophia Lee does a great job providing photos and instructions for college students to follow along with.

It seems like a lot, but I promise you can do it! Take an hour to sit down on Sundays and plan an outline for your meals for the week. It will make eating even more exciting than it already is!