In the fall, I am will be saying goodbye to the dorms and dining halls and hello to a house of me own. As my excitement grows for the freedom of my own place, I realized that I have no idea how to cook for myself, buy in the grocery store or eat to live a healthy lifestyle.

I began to do my research and I’ve come up with some guidelines and healthy tips that I hope you will find helpful. Happy (and hopefully healthy) eating!

Breakfast:

Breakfast for me typically consists of grabbing a granola bar on the way to my class that starts in 10 minutes. However, next year I am going to try and wake up a little earlier so that I am not so rushed (we will see how it goes). Either way, I’m not a morning person and I want something quick and easy.

I’ve found that eating carbs tends to make me more hungry throughout the day so I try to stay away from that. Also, drinking green tea is proven to speed up your metabolism so try to down some with one of these breakfast options or on your way to class!

Oatmeal: I get Quaker Oats, Quick 1 minute because it takes one minute to cook (as you may have guessed) and it comes in a huge container so it lasts for a while. Also, the oatmeal is unflavored so I can add my own toppings. Usually, I cut up an entire apple or peach and mix it in with the oats, skim milk and cinnamon sugar.

Yogurt: You can get the pre-packaged kind so they are already ready to go, or I like to get the big tub and put some fruit and granola on it and have myself a parfait.

Eggs: I, personally, hate eggs but they are a great source of protein and really easy to make in the morning (so I’ve been told). My roommates even have this cool little device that cooks them in the microwave for you.

Smoothie or smoothie bowl: I try to stay away from smoothies most days unless my roommates are already awake or if I’m being a brat that day and don’t mind waking them up (sorry). You can throw some fresh fruit, yogurt and juice in there, or you can even buy little prepackaged smoothie ingredients.

Whole wheat toast: If you are going to eat carbs for breakfast, whole wheat toast is definitely the way to go. Avocados, peanut butter with bananas and jam all make perfect toppings!

Snack:

The worst part about snacks is that I’m usually trying to eat them in class and I feel bad for the people around me that are forced to listen to me munch. Here are some quiet snacks that won’t distract the person next to you:

Fruit: Put a couple of mini oranges in your bag on the way to class or you could cut up any fruit and throw it in a Ziploc with some orange juice, which temporarily preserves the fruit, to eat as a snack later.

Nuts: They are salty and yummy and way better for you than chips. Add some raisins, pretzels and chocolate chips for a sweet treat.

Hummus: Throw it in a small Tupperware container with some veggies or pita chips.

Lunch:

For me, lunch needs to something filling and easy! Sometimes I don’t even have time between classes to go home, so I can make these in the morning and bring them in a lunch box (hey, it beats dining hall food). Also, if you are going to treat yourself, it is definitely better to do it earlier in the day; if a bag of chips or a cookie is calling your name, eat it with lunch instead of dinner. Here’s some ideas for a quick and easy lunch:

Sandwich/Lettuce wrap: Deli meat + cheese slice + mayo = easiest lunch ever. I like to swap out the bread for lettuce to cut back on carbs.

Soup: If you have 99 cents and can use a microwave, you can make yourself lunch.

Salad: They sell prepackaged salads around campus but you can even make them at home and put them into little containers for the week.

Dinner:

I think the hardest part about dinner is finding recipes for one person. Meal prepping is always a really great option, you can make a family sized dinner on Sunday and then separate it into containers and just heat it up throughout the week. However, eating the same meal every night can get a bit boring. Now, I’m no chef so I try to keep it simple and pick one from each of the following: meat, veggies and carbs. If you buy some chicken breasts and ground turkey at the beginning of the week, you can eat them all week long in so many different ways. Some of my favorites are teriyaki chicken loaded with veggies, chicken parmesan with spaghetti squash, ground turkey lasagna and turkey burgers with sweet potatoes. Check out this website for tons of easy recipes when cooking for one.

Dessert:

I can’t forget about the best meal of the day! I have a TERRIBLE sweet tooth as in, not having dessert is not an option.

Granola: Eat it like cereal with some milk and a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips.

Fruit bars: I love Outshine fruit bars or yogurt bars!

Ice cream: But not real ice cream... Skinny Cow makes a lot of yummy ice cream products that are delicious without the guilt.

Sample Grocery List:

The easiest thing you can do for yourself is to plan out your meals in advance and then go get all the groceries you will need that week. Publix has a little tool on their website where you can search all of the products you need and it will tell you exactly where to find it in the store! Here’s a sample grocery list:

Breakfast:

Yogurt

Oatmeal

Cinnamon Sugar

Apples

Berries

Eggs Lunch:

Deli meat

Mayo

Cheese

Whole wheat bread

Lettuce

Tomato

Dinner:

Chicken breasts

Ground turkey

Whole grain pasta

Broccoli

Onions

Brown rice

Marinara sauce

Tortillas

Snacks and Other:

Mixed Nuts

Hummus

Carrots

Celery

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

Teriyaki sauce

Milk

Ice cream or fruit bars

Happy eating!!