If you're like most young adults on their own for the first time, you understand how intimidating the grocery store can be. Looking down the seemingly never-ending aisles, you feel like you're in a fun-house. It's as if packages of frozen peas and boxes of breadcrumbs are dancing around your head, taunting you, daring you to buy the right things to make a complete, healthy meal, while staying under budget. It's easy to give up and go home, resigning to eat Domino's and Chipotle for the rest of your life.
And even if you can prevail over the terrorizing grocery store, it can be hard to make time to find recipes, prepare meals, or figure out what the heck "saute" means when you're trying to balance class, work and a social life.
So, if you want to avoid the stereotypical college diet of ramen, EasyMac and pizza, you'll need to find some quick, easy ways to get the right ingredients and spice up your meals. Here are a few suggestions!
1. Chicken
Precooked chicken that already comes in a bag is boring alone, but you can heat it up, add barbecue sauce to the pan for easy barbecue chicken. Or, add olive oil, rosemary, and lemon for a lighter flavor. Maybe even try teriyaki/soy sauce and serve with rice!
2. Mac and Cheese
To spice it up, add some vegetables and/or Tabasco/Sriracha.
3. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Instead of grilling the sandwich, try broiling it! Butter one side of two pieces of bread and add cheese to the middle. Put the sandwich in baking dish and preheat oven to 450. Broil it on one side for about seven minutes, then flip and broil the other side for seven minutes. Try adding basil to the bread before you bake it -- it'll add a yummy flavor.
4. Peanut Butter and ... Honey!
Toast bread and add peanut butter and honey. If you're feeling adventurous, add some sliced apple to the sandwich!
5. Bruschetta
In a mixing bowl, add sliced cherry tomatoes, basil (fresh or dried), mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese (in any form). Next, add pesto and balsamic vinaigrette (to taste). Then, serve on any kind of toasted bread. If you make enough, it'll last for a few days as a meal or a snack.
6. Cheese and Crackers
A simple way to liven up this snack is to add pears! Cut up a block of cheddar cheese and a pear. Place a chunk of cheese and a chunk of pear on each cracker. (Triscuits are recommended).
(Thank you to Malle Schilling for these ideas!)
