Tips for Healthy Eating in College Part 3: Meal Prep

You want to eat healthy foods that will give you energy and keep you going, but you don't want to spend all your spare time figuring out what to cook and eat. One of the most useful strategies to keep yourself fed during college is meal planning and prep.

By Mari Whitmore — December 14, 2022

Tags: cooking equipment, dorm room cooking, eating, grab and go, healthy eating, healthy habits, holistic wellness, meal planning, nutrition, shelf stable, snack foods

Tips for Healthy Eating in College Part 3: Meal Prep

When your days are filled with classes, studying, extracurriculars and social events, it can be challenging to plan meals around your schedule. You want to eat healthy foods that will give you energy and keep you going, but you don't want to spend all your spare time figuring out what to cook and eat. One of the most useful strategies to keep yourself fed during college is meal planning and prep. Don't dismiss the concept just because influencers on social media portray meal prep as something fancy or complicated; keep reading for tips to curate your own habits to simplify your routine.

Cooking Equipment

If your dorm rules allow, consider investing in a mini fridge, rice cooker, air fryer, microwave, hot plate, or hot water kettle. Many appliances are multipurpose and can be useful for far more things than you might expect. For example, rice cookers can make more than just rice. They can be useful for preparing other grains, hard-boiled eggs, vegetables (whether fresh or frozen), oatmeal, soups, and even making yogurt. Air fryers are essentially tiny ovens, which allow you to cook complex and delicious meals. One or two of the right appliances can be your ticket to a plethora of different meals. While you can still create balanced meals with solely shelf stable and single serving perishable foods, being able to cook a wider variety of fresh ingredients is extremely helpful.

Think Shelf-Stable

If you don't have much equipment to work with, focus on shelf-stable, nutrient dense foods. Produce that doesn't require cooking (such as apples, bananas, oranges, avocados, and bell peppers) is easy to store and can usually be eaten raw. As a rule of thumb, if a fruit or vegetable isn't refrigerated at the store, it will last several days on your desk. Just don't forget about it or you might come home to a moldy avocado and fruit flies buzzing around your room! Combine your produce with proteins like peanut or other nut butters, tuna packets, canned legumes, and beef jerky. Add in some shelf-stable foods such as bread or tortillas, crackers, dried fruit, and nuts and seeds to create nutritious and filling meals and snacks. Include a few things that can be cooked with just hot water, but try to avoid he avily processed foods and sugary snacks that won't keep you full and energized. Furthermore, look into communal options as some campuses may have refrigerators or even full kitchens for general student use.

Meal Planning

One of the best strategies for ensuring you will always have the building blocks to make healthy, satisfying meals is to determine a list of pantry staples to mix and match. Keep it simple with meal prep so you don't get overwhelmed. Choose a few breakfast, lunch, and dinner options and make sure that at least a couple of those meals don't require extra thought once they're prepped. If you're busy or struggling with decision fatigue, remember that meals don't have to be fancy and don't even have to involve cooking! If you can pair a carbohydrate, protein, and a healthy fat, you've got a meal! Eating all the "ingredients" in a more complex meal separately is just as nutritious as the full meal. Don't stress about planning too much and remember that you can utilize convenience foods and even restaurants to supplement your planning. Keep in mind that restaurant and convenience foods tend to be less nutritious and far more expensive than preparing your own meals, so use wisely.

Prep Your Week

Set aside a couple hours on a weekend afternoon and prepare the foundations of your meals. Slice and roast vegetables like carrots, potatoes, broccoli, and squash. Season simply with salt and pepper or go for a more exciting spice blend of your choice. Make a batch of rice, pasta, or quinoa, or just portion out tortillas or bread. Prepare your protein source by cooking beef, chicken, or fish, boiling eggs, or prepping a vegetarian alternative. Making sure you include foods from all the food groups will help you have sustained energy. The foods you choose will vary based on your cooking arrangements, budget, and cultural background and tastes, but choose balanced staples that you love to eat and you'll create great meals. Some of the meals that I enjoyed in college are still my go-tos for busy days now that I've graduated.

Snacks

In my experience, snacks are crucial for getting through a busy week. Make sure you plan for them when meal prepping. While snacks usually don't require as much forethought as a complete meal, portioning out things like cheese, crackers, and dried fruit and keeping it in the refrigerator might just make your day easier. Some of the easiest healthy snacks to keep on hand are whole raw fruit and your favorite nuts or seeds.

Be Creative

While your college meal planning and prep is highly dependent on your living situation, remember that it is possible to still eat healthy and filling meals even if you don't have a kitchen or much cooking equipment. Look at your specific arrangements and plan around what you have rather than what you don't have. Try growing a window box of fresh herbs to spice up your meals. Green onions, basil, mint, cilantro, and oregano are all easy to grow indoors. Get creative with your rice cooker or check out the hundreds of air fryer recipes posted on almost every social media platform. Utilize your unique tastes to your advantage and don't get bogged down with decision fatigue by doing some meal prep and stocking basic ingredients and snacks you enjoy. Remember that while food is fuel, food is also fun and a great way to connect with others. Cook with friends, plan a meal prep session, pool ingredients, and have fun!

Mari Whitmore

Mari Whitmore recently graduated from a tiny private college in the middle of beautiful Wyoming. She spends her time traveling, adventuring in nature, writing, and working as a barista and bartender. Recently, Mari relocated to the gorgeous hill country of Central Texas. In her free time, she loves to hike, paddleboard, read, paint, watch movies, and gather with friends and family.

View all posts by Mari Whitmore