Healthy Meal Prep Ideas For Busy College Students On The Go | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Food Drink

Healthy Meal Prep Ideas For Busy College Students On The Go

What to buy, where to buy, and how much to buy!

492
Healthy Meal Prep Ideas For Busy College Students On The Go
Harlee Lynn Photo

Just know I'm not a health nut or Nutritionist, I'm just a 22-year-old College senior who likes to have some food balance in my life. It's always best to find what days work best for you to cook in bulk. For example, I like Sundays or Wednesdays, so you aren't eating the same thing every single day! P.S Pinterest will be your very best friend, and it might be a good idea to invest in a slow cooker from Amazon!

Slow Cookerwww.amazon.com

From my experience the foods you buy should be:

-Relatively inexpensive food, especially when you're figuring out what you're going to consistently eat.

-It should be whole foods (not the store) - The food should consist of wholesome, real ingredients.

-I primarily follow a low-carb approach, so the foods I recommend are generally of the low-carb variety,

-Many of the foods should last for a long time. It's TOO STRESSFUL to feel like there's so much fresh food in the fridge (or mini-fridge) that you must eat asap. This way, you can truly choose what you WANT to eat WHEN you feel like it. For these reasons, I highly stress finding good, wholesome food for the pantry and freezer that's non-perishable.

IN THE FREEZER

Frozen non-starchy vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

Frozen proteins such as turkey burger and chicken breasts, shrimp, salmon, etc.

Frozen meals low in starchy foods, such as Trader Joe's cauliflower crust pizza, or their frozen spinach & artichoke dip (eat it like a soup - SO good)

IN THE FRIDGE

Eggs last a long time, a few weeks at least (plus super cheap)

Cheeses in all varieties such as slices, round cheese in wax, string cheese, crumbled cheese, etc. also last a long time

Some fresh vegetables each week are nice to have - they give you more options when cooking! Examples: asparagus, bell peppers, and broccoli

IN THE PANTRY

-Low-carb snacks like baked cheese "crackers", turkey or beef jerky, and single-serving packs of nuts

-Canned tuna and salmon

-Oatmeal

-Peanut Butter (can be used for sweet tooth, smoothies, dipping)

BREAKFAST IDEAS

Avocado toast, eggs, smoothies (include your favorite fruit or veggies combos with almond milk and ice), oatmeal with fruit, breakfast burritos, peanut butter, and banana toast, and egg sandwiches, yogurt with berries and granola.

LUNCH IDEAS

Pre-made salads, soup, grilled chicken and veggies/rice, turkey/chicken wraps, turkey taco salad, healthy wraps.

SNACKS

Hummus and Pita chips, mixed nuts, bananas, canned tuna, cottage cheese, apples or celery sticks with a dip of your choice.

DINNER IDEAS

Chicken with rice or veggies, grilled salmon and green beans, vegetarian quesadillas, lettuce wrapped burgers, at home veggie pizza, fish tacos, zucchini noodle recipes.

Keeping some Tupperware around has its advantages, first of which is that you can stop eating when you're full and save the food for later.

I prefer glass, but liquids can seep through. If you're carrying food around in your bag, it may be safer (for your computer) if you use plastic containers - which hold liquids a little better.

Write your name on your items in sharpie so that no one steals them - or your food!

All these ideas are solely based on your personal nutrition requirements and how much you want to spend on food each week. Don't overload your fridge the first few weeks you're trying out your new meal prep ideas!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Christmas Socks  Fireplace
Wesley Tingey

Christmas is arguably one of the most popular holidays of the year. Whether you think Christmas celebrations should be strictly reserved for December, or you're setting up your tree and lights on November 1st, Christmas time is the best time. Filling an entire month with Christmas activities seems like it could be impossible, but I am here to fix that for you. Here are twenty-five of the best things to do in the twenty-five days leading up to Christmas.

Keep Reading...Show less
smiling girl in pink and white stripe shirt

I'll never forget the day that someone told me these words: "Madison, I think you're a good friend to everyone but yourself." I stood there completely in awe of that statement. Before that day, I never really thought about being a friend to myself, and at the time, I didn't really know what it meant. Now, I realize that you can't fully be there for other people unless you're there for yourself, too. You can't show up for others until you're willing to show up for yourself.

Here are five things everyone should learn in order to be a better friend to themselves. These steps are hard, but they're so worth it.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas decorations
YouTube

Finals, exams and papers - oh my! The only thing keeping you sane at the moment is the thought that Christmas break is near. Need a mid-week pick-me-up? Here are some simple things you can do to stay motivated and get into the Christmas spirit.

1. Play Christmas Music

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

21 Things We All Love About Winter

Despite the cold, you might find that there is a lot to love about winter.

565
pine cone winter
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

We all have a love hate relationship with winter, lets be real here. The snow makes people forget how to drive, its cold, the roads are bad, and chances are, you will be spending a lot more money than you do during the other months of the year. If you’re from the Midwest, it seems to be that winter lasts for what feels like forever. But despite the struggles that winter brings, there are so many things to love about it.

Keep Reading...Show less
christmas shopping bags

Shopping for your family and friends can be expensive. So why not make something small and cute while not emptying your bank account?

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments